How Do Elevators Really Work?
The Components of Elevator (or Lift) by Engineering Motives provides a concise explanation of the components and operations of elevators, with helpful graphics showing how an elevator services a building.
The video reminds us that elevators move people and goods between floors of a building. People and goods travel in cars that operate within shafts.
Elevator systems include electronic and mechanical components that control and guide the cars and others that power the car’s movements.
The machine room, which typically sits above the highest point the car travels, contains vital control and power components. For example, the control panel manages signals from the car when passengers push buttons to select their floor while an electric motor powers the elevator services.
The shaft includes the car itself and guide rails to keep the car on the proper route. The shaft also contains counterweights that move in the opposite direction of the car, making it easier to lift the car when it rises and manage its acceleration in descent.
Mechanical and electronic speed governors and robust steel cables help ensure the safety of modern elevators.
