A lift system is the drive that lifts passengers or goods vertically from one floor to another. There are 4 main types by mechanism: screw lifts hydraulic systems traction systems and vacuum systems
Lift is the name given to a machine that takes the effort out of moving people and goods, a vehicle that travels vertically (motion under gravity). Also called an “Elevator”, a lift system is driven by electrical power, which acts as the force behind the movement. If you are looking for a lift company to install a home lift or a compact lift , get in touch with Cibes Lift
Lifts were invented back in the industrial era to make it easier to raise materials during building work. Today, a lift is an essential means of moving up and down a building or lifting heavy loads across every industry. Cibes Lift, a leader in home lift manufacturing, will walk you through the lift systems available today
The lift systems Cibes has been developing continuously for more than 79 years
Lift Types: Pros, Cons and Key Differences
Lifts can be grouped in many ways, by type of use or by driven system. Today Cibes Lift will group them by lift driven system, which is defined mainly by the equipment and materials used. On that basis, lifts fall into 4 broad types
- Hydraulic driven lift systems
- Screw driven lift systems
- Traction driven lift systems
- Vacuum driven lift systems
Let us look at each type in detail: how it is driven, what its advantages and disadvantages are, and how it differs from the rest
1. Hydraulic driven systems
The image shows how a hydraulic lift system is driven
A hydraulic lift (Hydraulic Driven) moves using the energy created by pressurised hydraulic oil flowing through a cylinder, which makes for a quiet, smooth ride
Advantages of hydraulic lifts
- The lift moves quickly and fluidly. A hydraulic lift system beats a conventional lift on ride comfort, with gentle movement and a consistent travel speed
- It is a lift system that can sit on a flat floor without a supporting column, or be set into a prepared pit
- It suits locations with only a small rise
Disadvantages of hydraulic lifts
- It is generally expensive and more complicated later on, because it needs maintenance for messy oil and for sealing leaks in the system. Hydraulic oil must be handled with care
- The cylinder is noisy, so you need to find a suitable spot for installation
Hydraulic lift systems are popular in the automotive, machinery and construction industries, and are increasingly being adapted for the home. Even so, there are risks and high long-term costs, such as electricity bills, maintenance of the hydraulic lines, or frequent oil leaks in the hydraulic cylinder, so regular servicing is essential
2. Screw driven systems
The image shows how a screw system is driven
Screw Driven Systems have been in use for many years and are still in use today because they are reliable. They are known for saving space in compact lifts and are used above all as a home lift that takes up little floor area, needs no pit, is a machine-room-less lift and can be installed without affecting the existing structure of the house, and it is extremely safe in operation
In Europe this lift system was devised mainly to carry people, which means it was designed to serve as a disabled lift or wheelchair lift or an elderly lift
Advantages of screw lifts
- A screw lift system is driven by a screw and nut, working on the same principle as a nut travelling along a threaded rod, which is a simple and safe way to move
- A screw lift system greatly reduces the risk of the car falling
- Another highlight is that it can be glazed on every side, for example as a glass lift, so it never feels closed in. That is because the main parts of a screw and nut driven lift are the motor, the threaded steel rod, a large drive nut and the power supply. With only a handful of components it delivers high performance and the highest safety standards, and allows a 360-degree glass lift
Disadvantages of screw lifts
- It travels up and down more slowly than other systems because a screw lift is designed with safety as the first priority
A screw lift system is a long-term investment that costs more than other systems, but it has been developed to need little maintenance and use little power, which makes it well worth the investment over the years
3. Traction driven systems
A traction lift is a lift that travels up and down on steel cables and can be used more flexibly than a hydraulic lift system. The car is raised by an electric hoist connected to an electric motor, with a gear system controlling the balance of the movement. It saves energy and uses less power, because the motor needs only a small amount of force to raise the car
Advantages of traction lifts
- It can carry large numbers of people, which makes it ideal for high-rise buildings
- It can be designed for an unlimited number of floors
Disadvantages of traction lifts
- A traction lift needs a lift machine room and an excavated lift pit , which take up a great deal of construction space
- Because so much site preparation is required, installation takes a long time
- Because it carries large numbers of people, it is usually designed as an enclosed car with no view outside, so that travel stays within the guide rails and the load cannot swing from side to side
Traction lift systems are the popular choice for office buildings with heavy passenger traffic, which is why they are looked after regularly by the building’s technicians
4. Vacuum driven systems
Thanks to celciussystems for the vacuum lift image
A vacuum lift is a lift that works on a simple principle of physics. It draws electrical power only on the way up, while on the way down it descends on air pressure combined with the weight of its load. It is an advanced technology set to revolutionise the way people are moved both vertically and horizontally
Advantages of vacuum lifts
- It is a lift that suits confined spaces and installs quickly
- A vacuum lift needs no machine room and no pit
- Maintenance is less of a hassle
Disadvantages of vacuum lifts
- Very few lift sizes to choose from
- The lift is expensive to install
- The lift carries only a small number of passengers
Comparison Table: The 4 Lift Systems
| Topic | Screw | Hydraulic | Traction | Vacuum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nut and screw thread | Oil pressure through a cylinder | Steel cables + electric hoist | Air pressure | |
| No | Yes | Yes | No | |
| No (it is MRL) | Yes | Yes (some MRL models do not) | No | |
| 0.10-0.25 m/s | 0.15-0.50 m/s | 0.50-2.50 m/s | ~0.15 m/s | |
| 6-8 floors (up to 20 m) | 2-4 floors | Unlimited | 2-3 floors | |
| Up to 1,000 kg | Flexible by model | Very high (commercial) | ~200-250 kg | |
| Up to about 6 people (platform up to 1.57 sq.m.) | 2-6+ people | Large numbers | 1-2 people | |
| Quiet | Moderate (pump noise) | Quiet (newer models) | Moderate (turbine noise) | |
| Low | Moderate to high | Low (has a counterweight) | Draws power only on the way up | |
| 500,000-2,000,000+ baht | 400,000-1,200,000 baht | 800,000-5,000,000+ baht | 1,000,000-3,000,000+ baht | |
| 8,000-20,000 baht | 15,000-40,000 baht | 20,000-60,000 baht | 10,000-25,000 baht | |
| None | Yes (hydraulic oil) | None | None | |
| Fully possible | Partly possible | Difficult (guide rails) | Possible (cylindrical) | |
| Easy | Difficult | Very difficult | Easy | |
| Very little | Considerable | Considerable | Very little | |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| EN 81-41 | EN 81-2 | EN 81-1 / EN 81-20 | — * | |
| Homes with elderly residents or wheelchair users, or buildings where space is very tight and installation is difficult | Low-rise and industrial buildings | Office buildings and high rises | Tight spaces, special designs | |
| High-rise commercial buildings | Houses already built | Private homes | Multiple users at once |
Sources:
- Speed and load capacity of the screw system: from the Cibes Lift Product Data Page (PDP)
- Maximum number of floors for the screw system: from Cibes Lift specifications (up to 20 metres)
- EN standards: from the European Lift Standards (EN 81 series) enforced in Europe and used as a reference in Thailand
- Installation and maintenance costs: approximate price ranges based on Thai market data. Actual prices may vary by brand, model, number of floors and site conditions, so ask the supplier directly for a quotation
- Data on the other systems (hydraulic, traction, vacuum): from general engineering data across the lift industry
* Standards for vacuum systems: there is still no clearly defined international EN standard specific to this type of lift, so buyers should ask each manufacturer directly which standards it is certified to
Which Lift System Is Right for a Home?
For homeowners in Thailand, the screw system is by far the most popular, because most houses were never designed with a lift in mind. Installing a traction or hydraulic system therefore usually means tearing into the structure or digging an extra pit, which affects both the budget and the build schedule. The screw system solves that directly, because it installs with no pit, no machine room and very little impact on the existing structure of the house
If you are considering a screw-driven home lift, check that the manufacturer holds the full set of certifications, namely
- EN 81-41 the European standard for platform lifts used in homes and by people with special needs
- MD 2006/42/EC the European Union Machinery Directive, which sets the safety standards for machinery and lifting equipment
- SIL 3 Safety Integrity Level 3, the highest-level standard for safety systems in industry
Beyond the certificates, the manufacturer’s experience matters just as much. Cibes Lift has been building screw lift systems since 1947, with more than 79 years of expertise in designing and developing this drive system
