Tracing the Evolution of Home Lift Technology from 1990 to Today
The evolution of the screw-driven home lift has followed the times, with each step forward matching the way people actually use their lifts. From the very beginning until today, the Cibes screw-driven lift has been through four generations of operating system: Eli, CiCon, EcoSilent and EcoSilent 2.0.
Eli : Mechanical lift, the Generation 1 operating system (in production from 1990, discontinued in 2017)
Operating system and usage
- The operating system is analog and purely mechanical, with no computerised record of how the lift is used. If a fault or a breakdown occurs, a technician still has to come out to inspect it and note every detail down manually.
- The lift accepts one command at a time and can only work with simple instructions. For example, if passengers inside the car want to go to floors 3 and 5, and the passenger heading to floor 5 presses first before the other presses 3, an Eli lift will take only the first command: it travels to floor 5 and ends the trip immediately. To reach any other floor, the passenger has to press the button again. In other words, the lift cannot store commands; every instruction must be given one at a time. The Eli lift is therefore convenient for people who only travel between 2 floors, or for users who know exactly how the lift works.
Travel distance
- The Eli model has a travel distance of 13 metres.
Maintenance
- Maintenance is required every 6 months (twice a year).
Safety
- A backup battery is fitted to help passengers if the power goes out while the lift is in use, as Eli was the first model to come with a complete set of safety functions.
- This model does not yet cover maintenance monitoring. If the backup battery loses its capacity, for instance, the lift will not warn the user that it may not be in 100% condition before the ride. Users therefore have to watch out for it themselves and keep track of the service schedule, so a technician can strictly inspect and maintain the lift for safe operation.
CiCon : Intelligent lift, the Generation 2 operating system (in production from 2017 to today)
Operating system and usage
- The CiCon lift suits people who travel across more than 2 floors and works well for everyday users, because it behaves much like the lifts found in ordinary buildings.
- This is the generation developed to accept complex commands. It remembers the commands the user enters first (before the lift doors close) and then starts working through them. For example, if passengers inside the car want floors 3 and 6, the lift can store and process both straight away, with no need to wait until you reach one floor before pressing the next, as on the Eli system.
- In production from 2017 until today, it can be controlled by a computer system.
- A smarter digital operating system that logs how the lift performs, so data can be reviewed, system faults can be traced and the software can be upgraded.
- It keeps a usage log, such as travel cycles.
- It records usage data as well as any lift faults, along with their causes.
- The software can be updated during a Maintenance visit.
- Special options, such as an RFID lock system.
- Individual floors can be locked for privacy.
Travel distance
- The Cicon model raises travel distance from 13 metres to 20 metres.
Maintenance
- Maintenance is required every 6 months (twice a year).
Safety
- As with the Eli model, a backup battery is fitted to help passengers if the power goes out while the lift is in use.
- CiCon has been developed to be comprehensively and more intelligently safe, warning you whenever the lift is not in perfect condition, for example:
- When the battery has degraded to the point where it can no longer hold enough backup power to help passengers in an emergency, the lift locks itself so that nobody can ride a lift that is not in full working order, reducing the risk of passengers being trapped if the power goes out mid-ride.
- A notification explaining why the lift cannot run as usual, for example when a safety switch somewhere has been triggered and is keeping the lift from moving.
- A low-battery warning system.
- Minor faults can be cleared by resetting the lift system yourself.
- It holds a level 3 safety capability certificate ( SIL-3 : Safety Integrity Level 3 )
- It gives advance warning if the backup battery is close to empty or losing capacity, to keep other users from riding the lift while it is not fully operational.
EcoSilent : Performance Lift, the Generation 3 operating system (in production from 2019 to today)
The lift system was developed to perform even better by changing the components that drive the lift, which cuts costs in a number of areas, such as:
Operating system and usage
- This generation builds on the CiCon model: on top of accepting complex commands just like CiCon, it adds two special qualities, namely greater energy savings (Eco) and a motor that runs more quietly than before (Silent)
- Eco : on the energy-saving side, the screw has been refined and the system redesigned around a smaller motor of just 1.5 kilowatts, together with a few other components, helping users cut their electricity use by as much as 30%
- Silent : with a steeper screw and a noise-containing Silent box, the sound of the lift in motion drops to just 40 decibels, for a flawless ride
- The system also cuts the amount of lubricating oil needed on the lift rails, by switching to guide rollers
Maintenance
- Thanks to the upgraded hardware and system, servicing drops to just 1 visit per year, while other lift systems need a check every month, or at least every 3-6 months.
Travel distance
- The EcoSilent model raises travel distance from 13 metres to 20 metres (up to 6 stops).
Safety
- Exactly the same as the CiCon model.
EcoSilent 2.0 : Even Safer Lift, the Generation 4 operating system (in production from 2022 to today)
Operating system and usage
- An anti-vibration system: Cibes has now moved to XXL rubber guide rollers so the ride up and down is smoother without any lubricating oil, while staying just as quiet at 40 decibels.
- The newest drive system, developed to reach a top travel speed of 0.25 metres/second.
- A Smart Lift that connects to the Cibes Control Center, so Cibes can monitor the lift and access its system remotely whenever there is a problem or the user needs help.
- Saloon doors that open as two panels, saving even more space.
Mainte nance
- The same as Gen 3, with maintenance only 1 time per year.
Travel distance
- The EcoSilent model has a travel distance of 20 metres (up to 8 stops).
Safety
- Upgraded with 2N safety light curtains (Cutting-edge light curtain) running around the inside of the car; if anything breaks the beam, the lift stops at once to prevent an accident.
- World-class safety to international standards, with TÜV SÜD Certification from the global inspection and certification provider, ISO 9001 certification for a quality management system (QMS) recognised worldwide, and approval from LiftInstituut , Europe’s leading authority in lift certification.
