Platform lifts, or otherwise referred to as the vertical wheelchair lift, accommodate smaller passenger team sizes travelling briefer distances. Their speed is restricted to 0.15 m/s, making them better matched for vertical transport in a low rise property. Usually, the travel time for on a platform lift is 22 seconds. An advantage that platform lifts offer over guest lifts lies in their installation. A much smaller floor space is needed, hence allowing their setup in a lot of buildings.

Due to their performance features, wheelchair lifts have found favour as a mobility platform for mobility device users. Commonly, they are able to carry 1 mobility device user at once and can be crafted in 4 different variants to match the setting:

• Open platform lifts
• Enclosed platform lifts
• Low pit lifts
• Wheelchair platform stairlifts

Just How Do Platform Lifts Run?

2 major elements of platform lift procedures will be covered in this post– hydraulic power and operating system. These 2 systems are the central aspects of the wheelchair lift that enable its smooth operation.

Hydraulic Power

All platform lifts run based on hydraulic power, with electricity being supplied from a close-by outlet. Electricity is transformed into hydraulic power, which then powers a drive mast. This lifts or lowers the platform to the desired floor. Without the hydraulic power, the lift would be grounded and inactive. Thus, in cases of emergency situations where electric energy to the platform is cut, a back-up battery should be readily available.

Operating System

In this area, we explain the hydraulics and drive masts of a lift in basic nonprofessional terms. Picture the drive mast as a big pulley that the platform sits on top of. When an elevated level is requested, this pulley turns in one direction, drawing in metal cable and therefore triggering the platform to increase. On the other hand, when the lift is to come down, this pulley rotates in the opposite direction, hence allowing the platform to be brought down by the cables.

Difference from guest lifts

The first of which is the more well-known of the two, namely the guest lift. A guest lift fits bunches of people, ranging in size between 3 to 30, depending upon the dimension of the lift. They are allowed to travel at speeds faster than 0.15 m/s, thus allowing them to move people at a relatively quick speed. Actually, the average trip on a lift takes around 18 seconds when nonstop.

A guest lift requires a lift shaft to be constructed in order to fit the passenger car and mechanism. Therefore, they are commonly built in newer buildings where sufficient space can be allocated for the lift shaft and lift pit. Due to the high quantity of use, they do require regular maintenance.