Elevator Glossary
Technical Terms & Definitions
C
Car Frame (Sling)
The car frame, also known as the sling, is the structural steel framework that surrounds and supports the elevator cabin…
Read definition →Car Operating Panel (COP)
The Car Operating Panel (COP) is the control panel located inside the elevator cabin that allows passengers to select fl…
Read definition →CE Marking
CE marking is a mandatory conformity mark for elevators placed on the market within the European Economic Area (EEA). Fo…
Read definition →Center Opening Doors
Center opening elevator doors (also called 2-panel center opening or CO doors) are a type of automatic sliding door wher…
Read definition →Compensation Rope
Compensation ropes (or chains) are installed in high-rise elevators to compensate for the difference in weight of the su…
Read definition →Control Panel
The elevator control panel is the main electrical cabinet that houses the controller, frequency inverter (drive), contac…
Read definition →Elevator Controller
The elevator controller is the brain of the elevator system — a microprocessor-based electronic unit that manages all as…
Read definition →Counterweight
The counterweight is a weighted assembly that moves in the opposite direction to the elevator car within the shaft. Its …
Read definition →D
Door Operator
The door operator is the electromechanical drive unit mounted on top of the elevator cabin that opens and closes the car…
Read definition →Dumbwaiter
A dumbwaiter is a small freight elevator designed to carry goods (not people) between floors in buildings such as restau…
Read definition →E
Elevator Cabin (Car)
The elevator cabin, also called the car, is the enclosure in which passengers or goods are transported between floors. I…
Read definition →Elevator Pit
The elevator pit is the portion of the elevator shaft that extends below the level of the lowest landing served by the e…
Read definition →EN 81-20 Standard
EN 81-20 is the primary European harmonised safety standard for the construction and installation of passenger and goods…
Read definition →Encoder
An encoder in an elevator system is an electromechanical sensor attached to the traction machine or motor shaft that mea…
Read definition →F
Firefighters Operation
Firefighters operation (also called Fireman Service or Fire Recall) is a mandatory special operating mode in elevators t…
Read definition →Freight Elevator (Goods Lift)
A freight elevator, also called a goods lift, is an elevator designed specifically for transporting goods, cargo, vehicl…
Read definition →G
Geared Traction Machine
A geared traction machine is an elevator drive unit where the motor drives the sheave through a gearbox (typically a wor…
Read definition →Gearless Traction Machine
A gearless traction machine is an elevator drive unit where the motor directly drives the sheave without a gearbox. Thes…
Read definition →Governor Rope (Speed Governor)
The overspeed governor is a mechanical safety device that monitors the speed of the elevator car by means of a tensioned…
Read definition →Guide Rails
Guide rails are precision-machined steel T-section tracks installed vertically inside the elevator shaft to guide the mo…
Read definition →H
Headroom (Overhead)
Headroom, also called overhead, is the vertical distance from the level of the top landing floor to the underside of the…
Read definition →Home Lift (Residential Lift)
A home lift, also called a private residence lift or residential elevator, is an elevator designed specifically for inst…
Read definition →Hospital Elevator (Bed Elevator)
A hospital elevator, also known as a bed elevator or stretcher elevator, is a specialised passenger elevator designed to…
Read definition →Hydraulic Elevator
A hydraulic elevator uses a hydraulic cylinder (jack) driven by a hydraulic power unit to raise and lower the elevator c…
Read definition →Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU)
The hydraulic power unit (HPU) is the assembly consisting of the electric motor, hydraulic pump, oil tank, control valve…
Read definition →I
Door Interlock (Door Lock)
The door interlock, also called the door lock or landing door lock, is a mechanical and electrical safety device fitted …
Read definition →ISO 9001
ISO 9001 is the international standard for Quality Management Systems (QMS), published by the International Organization…
Read definition →L
Landing Door (Hatch Door)
Landing doors, also called hatch doors or hall doors, are the doors at each floor level of the building that provide acc…
Read definition →Landing Operating Panel (LOP)
The Landing Operating Panel (LOP), also called the hall call panel or floor call station, is the push-button panel insta…
Read definition →Load Weighing Device
A load weighing device is a sensor system — typically a strain gauge, load cell, or pressure sensor — installed in the e…
Read definition →M
Machine Room
The machine room is the dedicated room, usually located at the top of the elevator shaft or adjacent to it, that houses …
Read definition →Machine Room Less (MRL)
Machine Room Less (MRL) is an elevator design where all drive and control equipment is installed within the elevator sha…
Read definition →O
1:1 Roping
1:1 roping (one-to-one roping) is the standard suspension arrangement for traction elevators in which the hoisting ropes…
Read definition →Overspeed Governor
The overspeed governor is a centrifugal mechanical device that continuously monitors the speed of the elevator car throu…
Read definition →P
Panoramic Elevator
A panoramic elevator, also called an observation elevator or scenic elevator, is an elevator with transparent (glass) wa…
Read definition →Platform Lift
A platform lift is a lifting device designed to transport wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility between leve…
Read definition →R
Rated Load (Capacity)
The rated load is the maximum mass (in kilograms) for which the elevator is designed and built to carry. For passenger e…
Read definition →Rated Speed
Rated speed is the speed at which the elevator car is designed to travel under rated load conditions, expressed in metre…
Read definition →S
Safety Circuit
The safety circuit (or safety chain) is an electrical circuit consisting of a series of normally-closed safety contacts …
Read definition →Safety Gear
Safety gear is a mechanical braking device mounted on the car frame (and sometimes the counterweight frame) that clamps …
Read definition →Scissor Lift
A scissor lift is a type of hydraulic or electro-mechanical work platform that uses a pantograph (scissor) mechanism to …
Read definition →Sheave (Drive Sheave)
The drive sheave, also called the traction sheave or pulley, is the grooved wheel mounted on the shaft of the traction m…
Read definition →Side Opening Doors
Side opening elevator doors (also called single-panel or SO doors) are automatic sliding doors where one or more door pa…
Read definition →T
Traction Elevator
A traction elevator is the most common type of electric elevator, in which the car is raised and lowered by steel wire r…
Read definition →Travel Distance (Rise)
Travel distance, also called rise or lift travel, is the vertical distance between the lowest and highest floor levels s…
Read definition →2:1 Roping
2:1 roping (two-to-one roping) is an elevator suspension arrangement where the hoisting ropes are attached to a fixed po…
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