Elevator Technical Glossary

A traditional passenger elevator system in which the traction motor and control panel are located in a dedicated machine room above the elevator shaft.

A modern passenger elevator that does not require a separate machine room, with the gearless motor installed directly inside the shaft, providing architectural space savings and high energy efficiency.

An aesthetic and luxury elevator model in which part or all of the cabin walls are made of shatter-resistant laminated glass, allowing passengers to enjoy views of the surrounding environment.

Elevators specially designed for hospitals, featuring a deep cabin that comfortably accommodates stretchers and attendants, precise floor leveling and emergency priority modes.

High-capacity elevators manufactured with thick steel sheets and high-strength frames for transporting heavy palletized goods in factories and logistics centers.

Special elevators that vertically transfer passenger or commercial vehicles instead of using a parking ramp, featuring dual car operating panels (COP) and a wide entrance opening.

Small service elevators used in restaurants, hotels and villas to transport food or kitchen equipment, designed in dimensions that do not allow people to enter.

A platform system that provides safe vertical lifting for wheelchair users and elderly people at building entrances or in low-rise buildings.

A vertical accessibility lift fully enclosed by a steel structure, glass or sandwich-panel shaft, protected from outdoor weather conditions.

A practical accessibility platform generally used for low level differences of up to 2-3 meters, such as building entrance stairs, without a fully enclosed shaft around the platform.

An accessibility transport system that moves horizontally or diagonally along a steel rail installed over existing stair steps and features a foldable platform mechanism.

A residential system that allows elderly people and patients with walking difficulties to travel along straight or curved stairways while seated on an integrated chair mounted on the rail.

A compact lifting solution that moves vertically through the opening and closing of a hydraulic scissor mechanism underneath, minimizing the need for a pit.

A seat system made of water-resistant stainless steel and powered by water pressure or battery power, designed to help disabled, sick or elderly individuals safely access swimming pool areas.

An electronic safety curtain installed vertically between the door panels that uses dozens of invisible infrared beams to detect a person or object in the doorway and reopen the doors within milliseconds.

An economical single-beam photocell sensor installed at the lower or middle level of the door that detects obstacles only at that height and triggers the door.

Security equipment installed inside the cabin or on floors that allows authorized personnel to access specific floors by using a coded key fob or RFID card.

A mandatory two-way communication system that provides direct voice communication from the cabin to the machine room, security booth or technical service for passenger rescue in case of a malfunction.

Cabin & Landing Operating Panels (COP & LOP):

A modern synchronous motor with direct drive, no gearbox, a high number of poles, quiet operation and maximum energy efficiency.

An elevator motor that uses a gearbox to reduce motor shaft speed and increase torque, commonly used in traditional machine-room projects.

A speed control device that adjusts the voltage and frequency of the elevator motor to provide smooth and comfortable acceleration and deceleration.

A precision electronic sensor that measures the rotational speed and direction of the motor shaft with high accuracy and transmits this information to the control board, enabling precise floor leveling.

The main digital processing center of the elevator that controls cabin movement scenarios, landing calls and all safety circuits through microprocessor-based main control boards.

An evacuation unit that automatically activates using battery power when the main electrical supply fails, brings the cabin to the nearest floor and opens the doors to prevent passengers from becoming trapped.

A green technology unit that converts the energy generated by the motor during elevator braking or gravity-driven movement (empty upward or loaded downward) into electricity and feeds it back into the building power grid.

Steel T-profile rails that vertically guide the cabin and counterweight frames inside the shaft, manufactured by cold drawing or machining depending on the project speed and capacity.

Heavy-duty steel mounting supports consisting of fishplates that join rails end-to-end with millimeter precision and brackets that secure the rail lines to the shaft wall while allowing shaft alignment adjustments.

Heavy-duty anchors that secure brackets to concrete and forged steel clamping devices that connect the rail to the bracket while allowing for natural building settlement and expansion.

A layout in which the counterweight frame is positioned directly behind the rear wall of the cabin, used in architectural projects with a wider shaft but limited shaft depth.

A standard layout in which the counterweight frame is positioned on the right or left side of the cabin, preferred in buildings with greater shaft depth but limited width.

High-flexibility ropes with fiber or steel cores that connect the cabin and counterweight frames and carry the entire load through friction with the traction sheave.

A heavy, plastic-coated chain suspended between the bottom of the cabin and the counterweight frame in high-rise buildings to neutralize shifts in the center of gravity caused by suspension ropes as the elevator moves.

A heavy-duty or low-rise elevator system that moves the cabin vertically by using an electric motor pump to pressurize hydraulic oil into a steel cylinder (piston).

The main drive tank containing the oil tank and valves together with the piston cylinder that lifts the cabin. The rupture valve, which prevents the cabin from falling in case of pipe failure, is a critical safety component.

A safety pulley installed at the top of the shaft that locks through a centrifugal mechanism when the cabin speed exceeds the rated safety limit and activates the mechanical brake on the cabin through the governor rope.

A mechanical safety system mounted beneath the cabin frame that engages when the governor rope is pulled, gripping the guide rails with steel toothed jaws and locking the cabin in place.

An electrical safety circuit in which door lock contacts, terminal limit switches, slack-rope contacts and emergency stop buttons are connected in series, making motor operation impossible if any one of them is open.

A load-cell system that keeps the doors open when the rated capacity is exceeded, together with hydraulic or spring buffers that absorb potential free-fall impact at the bottom of the shaft.

The vertical depth from the floor level of the lowest landing served by the elevator to the bottom of the shaft, where buffers are installed and a legally required refuge space for maintenance personnel is provided.

The vertical height from the floor level of the highest landing served by the elevator to the concrete shaft ceiling, providing the legally required safety clearance for technical personnel when the cabin reaches the highest position.

The net vertical working and travel distance between the floor level of the lowest and highest landings served by the elevator.

An engineering simulation calculation based on international standards that determines the required elevator capacity, speed and number of units according to building population density, number of floors and intended use.

A commercial-grade steel material used for cabin interior wall coverings and door panels, available in scratch-resistant, fingerprint-resistant satin finishes or with decorative patterns chemically etched onto the surface.

A high-quality mirror-finish sheet metal coated in gold or bronze tones through electrochemical processes to enhance cabin aesthetics and the sense of depth in luxury hotel, business center and residential projects.

An elegant ceiling system installed in the cabin, produced by cutting stainless steel sheets with artistic patterns using computer-controlled laser machines and installing homogeneous LED lighting behind them.

Natural antibacterial granite floors resistant to heavy loads and wear in passenger and stretcher elevators, together with anti-slip diamond-pattern steel sheet or lightweight high-density PVC flooring solutions for freight platforms.

The process of completely renewing old or worn elevators by replacing the motor, control panel, cabin and doors in accordance with the latest safety standards (EN 81-20/50), while preserving the existing shaft and guide rail structure.

An official approval label issued following periodic inspections by internationally accredited inspection bodies, certifying that the elevator is fully compliant in terms of life and property safety and completely safe for travel.

An inspection label indicating minor technical deficiencies that do not directly endanger life or property safety during elevator operation but should be corrected by technical service as soon as possible.

The mandatory technical testing of completed or operating elevators at least once a year by independent Type A inspection bodies, as required by international standards and local legislation.

A next-generation hygienic and smart access technology that allows passengers to call an elevator to their floor using infrared touchless buttons detected by bringing a finger close to the sensor, or by scanning a QR code with their smartphone.

Sound-absorbing fire-resistant foams and panels applied to the inner surfaces of elevator shafts in luxury projects. They absorb wind noise generated by the cabin at high speed and help technically maintain the maximum 30-35 dB(A) sound level specified for living areas by applicable international norms.

GSM/SIM-based or Wi-Fi telemetry devices integrated into the elevator control panel. The floor position, current speed, door status and any error codes of an elevator anywhere in the world can be monitored live and graphically through the company’s or technical service’s central digital dashboards.