An elevator carries people or goods between defined building levels in a guided car or carrier. The permitted users and load determine the product category: a passenger car, a bed-transport arrangement and a goods-only dumbwaiter solve different operating tasks. JAFITA’s portfolio covers these applications alongside home, panoramic and freight elevators. Vehicle-transfer enquiries are assessed separately to distinguish a car elevator from parking or workshop equipment.
Our role connects that application brief with a defined product route, coordinated drawings and the agreed supply. JAFITA’s freight-elevator and OEM background supports load-focused projects; specialist partner routes address other selected configurations. The manufacturer and final technical schedule remain identifiable throughout the order.
The essential specification is a combination: intended use, rated load, usable car dimensions, clear door opening, travel, stops, entrance arrangement and operating duty. None of these values can replace the others.
The equipment package can include the moving car and frame, drive and suspension arrangement, guides, landing and car doors, controller, fixtures and the safety-related elements of the selected system. The final component schedule identifies what is supplied, including approved alternatives and items supplied locally.
Engineering coordination translates the application into car and entrance geometry, equipment arrangement, electrical requirements and building interfaces. JAFITA can coordinate these matters with the responsible manufacturer and customer team, together with agreed technical documents, packing and delivery information.
The project must also assign the civil works, incoming electrical supply, installation, local inspection, commissioning and maintenance. A complete equipment package does not automatically include every on-site service. Review Project Coordination when several contractors share the installation.
JAFITA’s technical coordination brings three descriptions into agreement. The operating brief states who or what travels and how. The equipment schedule identifies the car, entrances, drive, controls and selected functions. The building drawing shows where that equipment fits and how it is supported and serviced. A useful offer connects all three at the same revision.
For example, a drawing may show a large car while the door schedule retains a narrow entrance from an earlier proposal. The goods fit the drawn floor area but cannot pass through the opening. Resolving the inconsistency requires the entrance and loading route to be reviewed, not just an increase in nominal capacity. This is the kind of cross-document issue that engineering coordination is intended to make visible before manufacture.
Passenger movement changes throughout the day. Apartment buildings, offices, hotels and public buildings have different arrival patterns and boarding behaviour. Luggage, wheelchairs, cleaning trolleys and occasional large items can affect car and door selection even when the main use is passenger service.
Goods and clinical transport require more detailed load descriptions. A pallet on a hand truck, a machine on feet and a hospital bed impose different demands on space, manoeuvring and loading. Record whether an attendant travels, what equipment enters the car and whether loads must leave through another entrance.
The installation environment matters beyond appearance. Identify temperature, moisture, dust, water exposure, cleaning agents and adjacent noise-sensitive rooms. For private residences, describe present and anticipated mobility needs. For public use, establish the applicable product class before borrowing a compact residential arrangement.
| Category | Principal task | Question that determines the specification |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger | Carry building occupants through normal and peak traffic | What population and journey pattern must the elevator group serve? |
| Home | Connect levels within a private residence | Can the clear car, doorway and landing meet the household’s actual needs? |
| Panoramic | Combine vertical movement with views through the car | Which surfaces provide the view, and how will glazing be supported and maintained? |
| Freight | Transfer goods and defined handling equipment | What are the total load, footprint, wheel loads and loading sequence? |
| Hospital | Accommodate beds, equipment and accompanying people | Can the complete transport group enter, travel and leave without obstructing care? |
| Dumbwaiter | Move small goods between service points without a passenger | What load size, handover height and entrance sequence support the operation? |
| Car-elevator assessment | Assess vehicle transfer between levels | What vehicle and occupancy conditions define the equipment class? |
These names describe applications rather than interchangeable series. A panoramic treatment may be combined with a home or passenger application. A hospital elevator still needs a defined passenger/goods-passenger classification and a project-specific clinical brief. The category name alone does not establish the drive, certification or included options.
Machine-room-less describes where machinery is arranged; panoramic describes a viewing characteristic; through-car describes an entrance relationship. They are not alternative names for the same decision. A project may combine these characteristics if the selected platform supports them, but each affects a different part of the drawing and service arrangement.
This distinction makes a product comparison more useful. Compare the intended application first, the equipment layout second, and architectural treatment third. It also helps identify when a visually attractive proposal belongs to a different technical category from the one the building needs.
Review Your Elevator Configuration Compare Cabin and Entrance Design
Traffic performance comes from the whole journey. Car count, size, dispatch, door operation and floor distribution influence how people move. Speed is one input. For a short journey, boarding and door time may dominate. For a busy building, a traffic study can reveal whether the planned quantity and grouping meet the stated service objective.
Ride quality depends on interacting systems. The drive and controller govern motion, while guide alignment, shoes or rollers, car assembly and installation influence the experience. Noise can also travel through structural connections. Define the location and method of any ride or acoustic evaluation rather than requesting an unexplained single number.
Goods performance includes the stationary phases. A car can travel quickly and still serve a loading operation poorly if the entrance is narrow, a trolley cannot turn, or dispatch conflicts with loading. Planning should include the complete cycle and the physical transition across the sill.
Access influences serviceability. Equipment location, inspection provisions and documentation affect whether future service can be performed as intended. A space-saving proposal must retain the required maintenance and rescue arrangements for the chosen system.
Waiting time is the time a passenger waits for a usable car after requesting service. Interval describes the spacing between relevant car arrivals under the stated operating conditions. Journey time includes movement to the destination and may also include waiting and boarding, depending on the evaluation’s definition. The comparison must use the same definition on both sides.
A multi-car group can change arrival frequency without changing each car’s top speed. Faster doors can affect a cycle without changing shaft travel. A priority function can improve a selected user’s access while reducing availability to other users. A traffic review therefore needs a stated population and demand pattern, rather than a single claim of “fast service.” The passenger elevator page examines these choices in more detail.
In a traction configuration, the drive machine, suspension, car and counterweight operate as a coordinated mechanical system. The Traction Machines page explains why load, roping, sheave and brake data must be considered together. Other drive arrangements require their own technical basis and are confirmed for the selected product.
The controller coordinates calls, motion and operating conditions. Car and landing doors provide access at each stop and interact with the safety-related control functions. Guides, the car frame and safety components must match the mechanical and regulatory design.
The cabin interior is part of this system as well. Decoration weight, fixture positions, floor build-up and access panels belong in the equipment review. See Cabin Design before a visual proposal becomes a production decision.
The schedule below identifies the data needed to develop an elevator proposal. Category pages provide additional fields and any supported configuration examples. A rated value applies to the stated configuration, not to every elevator carrying the JAFITA name.
| Specification | Unit or format | Engineering meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Intended use and occupancy | Written description | Defines who and what may travel and the applicable classification |
| Rated load | kg | Total permitted load for the selected configuration; distinguish payload from handling equipment |
| Car clear dimensions | Width × depth × height, mm | Usable finished space, accounting for linings and projecting fixtures |
| Door clear opening | Width × height, mm | Usable passage when the door is fully open |
| Travel | m or mm | Vertical distance between the lowest and highest served landing levels |
| Stops and entrances | Counts and landing schedule | Identifies served floors and which entrance opens at each floor |
| Rated speed | m/s | Selected with travel, use, drive and approval basis |
| Operating demand | Trips or loads per period; operating hours | Distinguishes normal use from concentrated peaks or sustained duty |
| Shaft, pit and overhead | mm, with drawing reference | Defines the required building envelope and measurement datum |
| Machine and control arrangement | General arrangement and system identity | Identifies equipment position, access and supporting interfaces |
| Power and building signals | V, phase, Hz; interface schedule | Establishes supply and agreed external connections |
| Interior and floor allowance | kg; finish schedule | Records the decoration basis used in the equipment design |
Do not convert a quoted person count into a freight loading approval or a wheelchair-accessibility claim. Geometry, intended use and the applicable design rules still need to be satisfied.
A building floor is a level in the building. A stop is a level served by the elevator. An entrance is an opening associated with access to the car or shaft. Counting one does not automatically establish the others.
In an illustrative arrangement, an elevator serves four levels. Three levels have one front landing entrance each; the fourth has front and rear landing entrances. The schedule contains four stops and five landing entrances, with two car entrance sides. Whether the front and rear openings can operate together or must be selected separately is a distinct control decision. This example is a counting illustration, not a JAFITA model specification.
State the entrance side beside each floor label. Otherwise, two offers described as “four stops” may include different quantities of doors, landing fixtures and associated wiring. The door-system and control-system pages explain the related interfaces.
A coordinated elevator drawing should show the car, doors, guides, counterweight or alternative arrangement, shaft envelope, pit and overhead. It should also identify entrance supports, structural reactions, machine or equipment access and the required building openings.
Pit depth and overhead are not interchangeable with car interior height. Each is measured from a defined landing or structural reference and accommodates equipment, movement and required clearances. A reduced-space arrangement must be reviewed as a specific design; it cannot be created by simply shortening a catalogue dimension.
Landing coordination is equally important. Check approach routes, wheelchair or bed turning, freight staging, floor levels, finished sill relationships and door-frame interfaces. Confirm that the largest supplied assembly can pass through the delivery route and that suitable storage and lifting arrangements are available.
A bed or long trolley can fit inside the car and still fail at the landing. It may need to turn before entering, pass through a lobby door, or clear a corner while part of the load remains outside the elevator. Plot the complete loaded envelope through the approach, entrance and exit. Include the operator’s position and any equipment that projects beyond the carrier.
For a home, the same reasoning applies to a wheelchair or walking aid. Increasing internal car depth will not resolve a landing that prevents the user from aligning with the doorway. The right change may be an entrance relocation or a revised approach, which is why layout review should precede final finish selection.
The selected elevator requires safety functions appropriate to its drive, use and destination. These include controlled landing access, permitted movement conditions, protection against the relevant motion hazards, travel limits and provisions for emergency communication or response where applicable. Their implementation must be established by the equipment documents and qualified project review.
For passenger and goods-passenger lifts within its scope, ISO 8100-1:2026 is a published international reference. The legally applicable requirements depend on the destination and adopted edition. Accessibility, fire-related operation and other special conditions can require additional provisions. A home-elevator label or a glass cabin does not itself identify the applicable standard.
Company management-system documents and product evidence answer different questions. Request the relevant manufacturer declaration, certificates or assessment records for the actual configuration, together with the local acceptance requirements. Certification Scope explains how JAFITA distinguishes those documents.
The option schedule can address entrances, fixtures, finishes, lighting, handrails, mirrors, access functions and agreed building interfaces. It should distinguish the base package, selected options and custom deviations.
Different applications need different priorities. A residential cabin may emphasize privacy and sightlines. A hospital cabin needs workable bed clearances and cleaning-compatible surfaces. A freight cabin may need replaceable protection where goods or handling equipment contact the walls. The same decorative panel is not automatically suitable for all three.
Operating options also need precise descriptions. A control function changes what the elevator does under a defined condition; a display merely communicates information unless it is part of an identified control interface. Treating both as “smart features” obscures the difference.
| Function under discussion | Practical behaviour to resolve | Related party or system |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted floor access | Which users can request which destinations and how visitors are admitted | Building access-control team and elevator controls |
| Priority use | How an authorized request is accepted and how ordinary traffic is handled | Building operator and approved function specification |
| Coordinated group operation | Which cars share calls and how separate zones or entrances are served | Traffic designer and compatible controller platform |
| Power-loss provision | Whether the arrangement supports a limited rescue action or an approved alternative power mode | Elevator manufacturer and building electrical designer |
Emergency and protective functions take precedence as defined by the approved system and local requirements. Record the intended operating sequence and interface ownership before adding the feature to the order.
Define acceptance around the supplied configuration. Mechanical checks may concern identified dimensions and interfaces; electrical and functional checks concern the supplied controls and operating functions. Finish checks should use the approved material and sample basis. The responsible manufacturer establishes the detailed factory checks, and the contract identifies required records or witnessing.
Installation introduces another set of conditions: alignment, site connections, door operation and the completed system’s behaviour must be addressed through commissioning and local acceptance. A factory record cannot demonstrate conditions that only exist after installation.
JAFITA coordinates the agreed evidence and open-item process within its supply scope. A useful discrepancy record identifies the unit, the requirement, the observed difference and the agreed resolution. “Door finish differs from approved sample” needs a sample reference and location; “incorrect door” may conceal a different opening width, mechanism or appearance issue. Specific records allow the responsible party to resolve the actual problem and preserve the decision for repeat orders.
Read Quality Management and Inspection and Testing when preparing an inspection requirement.
For a residential enquiry, a comparable reference should explain the building arrangement, entrance direction and confirmed supply scope. For a freight enquiry, the load and handling method are more informative than a photograph of the finished car. For a hospital enquiry, circulation and operating functions need context.
An illustrative hotel scenario shows why category selection matters: guest luggage, housekeeping trolleys and kitchen goods may share the same floors but require different routes and operating priorities. Passenger elevators, a service-capable goods-passenger arrangement and a dumbwaiter can each address part of that task. Comparing the routes exposes where a shared entrance or overlapping service period would create a conflict.
Use Project References to understand the available records, then request a reference matched to your application and JAFITA’s verified role.
Start with product information suited to the decision. An initial category discussion needs the application and configuration options. Building coordination needs a general arrangement with status and revision. Procurement needs the technical schedule, included functions, component identity and agreed compliance evidence.
For initial selection, request the relevant product presentation and configuration information. For engineering or maintenance, identify the equipment and revision so the correct manual, dimensional schedule and drawings can be matched to the enquiry. Dumbwaiter enquiries can draw on dedicated operation, installation, dimensional and control-system documentation for the applicable equipment.
The Document Request Guide explains the information needed to identify a file. Include the quotation, project, unit or component reference whenever available.
An elevator delivery includes many related items that must remain identifiable. Packing lists, unit markings and component references help the receiving team connect each package with its installation. Agree protection for finished surfaces, glazing and electronics, as well as storage responsibilities before the site is ready.
The Installation Support scope can address technical information and coordination with the qualified local team. Commissioning and statutory acceptance follow the agreed responsibilities and destination requirements. Programme dates should reflect the readiness of the building and the technical approvals that precede shipment.
At handover, retain as-supplied drawings, component identities, manuals and agreed records. Technical Training helps the designated parties understand their role, while After-Sales Support uses those records to identify parts and review technical questions.
The records should also distinguish equipment that looks identical. Two cars in one building can have different entrance schedules, control revisions or supplied accessories. Keep the building’s unit designation linked to the manufacturer’s serial and component information. Later service can then begin from the installed configuration instead of reconstructing it from a general project name.
Not necessarily. Intended use, speed, enclosure, operation and destination can place them in different regulatory and technical categories. Begin with the users and building classification, then confirm the equipment route.
No. It describes a viewing characteristic. The car shape, glazing, structure and drive arrangement still need to be defined, together with the environment and maintenance access.
Consider quantity alongside traffic demand, separation of uses, operational continuity and the building layout. Increasing the speed of one car does not answer every waiting-time or availability requirement.
Only when the selected equipment is designed and approved for the intended occupancy. State the need explicitly. A goods-only lift or dumbwaiter must not be treated as a passenger elevator.
It can reduce reversing and separate entry from exit, but only if both landings and the loading route support it. Additional doors also affect the shaft, controls and maintenance scope. Review the complete movement before choosing it.
Provide a competent survey showing clear dimensions at relevant levels, floor heights, pit, overhead, openings, structure and obstructions. Include photographs and permitted building changes. An old plan alone may not reflect the available space.
Send the project location, building use, quantity, intended users or goods, travel, stops, entrance arrangement and current drawings. Include the traffic or loading pattern and identify constraints that cannot change. Appearance references are useful once the required usable space and operating task are understood.
For freight planning, explore loading time and the full elevator cycle and the freight elevator cost guide. For supplier comparison, use the elevator import guide. Continue with Project Planning, Cabin Design or the relevant category page to develop the equipment brief.
