A goods lift moves palletised powder, bins, and trolleys between plant floors inside a guided cage running in a structural shaft or self-supporting tower. Hydraulic or traction driven with SWL from 250 to 2,000 kg and travel to 12 m, it links warehouse, dispensing, and process levels while keeping personnel and material flows compliant with GMP zoning.
The cage runs on guide rails driven by a hydraulic ram with chain rope-off or by a traction machine. Landing doors interlock so the cage moves only with all doors closed and stops level at each floor within leveling tolerance. Call stations at each landing and inside the cage sequence movement, and an overload sensor blocks travel above rated load.
Challenges
Cross-Contamination Between Floor Zones
An uncontrolled vertical shaft connects rooms of different cleanliness classes, transmitting dust and pressure differentials.
Floor Levelling Error at Landings
Cage-to-floor steps at landings tip pallet trucks and spill open containers during transfer.
Shaft as a Fire and Smoke Path
The shaft can carry smoke and fire between floors if not properly rated and sealed.
Unauthorised Riding on Goods-Only Lifts
Operators riding non-passenger-rated goods lifts create a serious regulatory and safety exposure.
Powder Accumulation in the Pit
Spillage collecting in the lift pit builds a combustible dust layer at the lowest plant point.
Solutions
- Airlock Landings with Pressure Cascade Design: Landing lobbies designed as airlocks, with the HVAC pressure cascade maintained across each door set, hold zone segregation through the shaft.
- Auto-Relevelling Drive Control: Hydraulic relevelling or VVVF traction control holds landing accuracy within 5 mm under load change, removing the transfer step.
- Fire-Rated Shaft and Landing Doors: Shaft construction and landing doors to the applicable fire rating, with sealed penetrations, contain the fire path.
- Goods-Only Controls and Access Discipline: External-only controls, cage sensors, signage, and enforced procedures on goods-only units prevent riding; passenger-rated units are specified where riding is operationally needed.
- Sealed Pit with Cleaning Access Regime: A sealed, drained pit with safe access provisions and a scheduled cleaning routine keeps the dust layer below hazardous accumulation.
Applications
- Warehouse to Process Floor Transfer: Moving palletised raw materials from ground-floor stores to upper process levels.
- Dispensary to Granulation Movement: Transferring dispensed material bins between dispensing and granulation floors.
- Finished Goods Lowering to Dispatch: Bringing packed pallets from packing floors to dispatch level.
- Multi-Floor IBC Logistics: Vertical movement of IBCs between blending, compression, and packing levels.
- Mezzanine Feed of Machine Platforms: Serving machine mezzanines with bins, change parts, and consumables.
Model Range and Capacity: JBM-GL Series
Basis: Hydraulic drive to 6 m travel, traction above, GMP-finish cage interiors in SS 304.
| Model | SWL (kg) | Cage (mm) | Travel (m) | Speed (m/min) | Drive | Construction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JBM-GL-250 | 250 | 1000 x 1000 | 3 – 6 | 6 | Hydraulic | SS 304 cage / MS shaft |
| JBM-GL-500 | 500 | 1200 x 1200 | 3 – 8 | 6 | Hydraulic | SS 304 cage / MS shaft |
| JBM-GL-1000 | 1000 | 1500 x 1800 | 3 – 10 | 8 | Hydraulic / Traction | SS 304 cage / MS shaft |
| JBM-GL-2000 | 2000 | 1800 x 2400 | 3 – 12 | 10 | Traction | SS 304 cage / MS shaft |