A shaft is what makes a goods lift expensive. It has to be built into the building, it takes floor space on every level, and it usually brings a deep pit and a machine room with it. A cargo lift without a shaft avoids all of that: the platform travels on guide rails bolted to the wall or carried by a free standing frame, and the lifting machinery sits in a cabinet at floor level. This guide explains how the machine works, what your building has to provide, and how to tell whether it is the right answer for your site.
What is a shaft-free cargo lift and how does it work?
A cargo lift without a shaft is a goods-only lifting platform that moves between floors on two vertical steel guide rails instead of inside an enclosure. The rails are anchored to a floor flange at the bottom and held vertical with cross beams and triangular brackets above. Where there is no suitable wall to fix to, the same rails are carried by a free standing four column frame instead.
The platform is bolted to a lifting frame that runs on guide wheels inside the rails. Two 90 x 60 hydraulic cylinders drive that frame through an LH1244 leaf chain, and the chain arrangement doubles the travel of the cylinder stroke, which is how a compact power unit lifts a platform through five metres or more. On our standard build a 7.5 kW pump station sits in a floor level cabinet, four leveling ropes and pulleys keep the platform square and level as it rises, and a PLC panel handles floor to floor calling, arrival levelling and the two travel switches that stop the platform at the highest and lowest position. The control voltage is 24 V, and the platform travels at 4 to 5 m/min.
Which configuration fits your building?
There are three ways to carry the platform, and the choice follows the load and the space you have rather than the price.
| Configuration | How the load is shared | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single guide rail, one cylinder | One rail | Narrow openings and light loads | Most compact footprint |
| Double guide rail, two cylinders | Two rails and two cylinders | Warehouse, workshop and food plant goods transfer | Holds level with off-centre loads; wider platforms |
| Four column | Independent four post frame | Heavy loads, large platforms, outdoor and yard use | Free standing, does not rely on the building wall |
What your building has to provide
Everything in the table below is settled before manufacture, and most of it belongs to you rather than to us. Answer these ten points and a shaft-free lift can be quoted accurately the first time.
| What | What to check | Figures from our standard build |
|---|---|---|
| Travel height | Finished floor level to finished floor level | 5 m on the standard model; other heights built to order |
| Platform size | The longest and widest load, including its pallet or trolley | 1600 x 2200 mm as standard, or 2000 x 2500 mm |
| Pit | How deep the lower floor can be cut down | 2200 x 2250 x 300 mm for the 1600 x 2200 mm platform; a pitless version is possible |
| Wall or frame | Sound masonry or steel for the rail anchors | Rails fixed to a floor flange at the bottom, stabilised with cross beams and brackets at the top |
| Floor opening | Room for the platform plus the guardrail | Guardrail of 70 x 70 x 5 mm square pipe, 1000 mm high |
| Loading direction | Whether the trolley enters and leaves on the same side or opposite sides | 180 degrees, through type |
| Power supply | A three phase supply at the pump station | 380 – 400 V, 50 Hz, three phase, 7.5 kW pump station |
| Landings | Gates or doors that stop anyone stepping into the opening | Interlocked gates on every landing |
| Drainage | Keeping the pit dry | A small sump pump or drain where groundwater is present |
| Approach | Clear floor in front of each landing for the trolley to turn | Layout decided on the approval drawing |
How it compares with a freight elevator
Buyers usually arrive at this decision from one of two directions: they have been told a lift needs a shaft, or they have priced a freight elevator and found the building work is the expensive part.
| Double guide rail cargo lift | Passenger or freight elevator | |
|---|---|---|
| Shaft | Not required, rails fix to the floor and wall | Required |
| Pit | 300 mm shallow pit, or pitless version | Deep pit and machine room |
| Goods only | Yes, never for carrying people | Passenger versions carry people |
| Installation | By your own team from our drawing and manual | Specialist lift installer |
| Typical lead time | About 25 working days plus shipping | Longer, and building work comes first |
| Cost | A fraction of a shaft installation | Highest of the options |
The practical rule is simple. If the goods move between two or three levels inside an existing building, if no passengers will ever ride, and if nobody wants to break out a shaft, a guide rail cargo lift is the cheaper and faster answer. If the building is new, if people travel with the goods, or if local rules require an enclosed lift for the height involved, then a shaft is part of the project. Confirm the requirement that applies on your site with a competent local engineer before you commit to either.
Two installations from our own orders
We built a 2.5 t double guide rail cargo lift for a warehouse project in Bosnia: 5 m of travel, a 1600 x 2200 mm platform, 180 degree through loading on two floors and a 300 mm pit. The rails were fixed to the existing wall, so no shaft work was needed, and the customer’s own fitters installed the lift from the assembly drawing that shipped with it.
A project in Ningbo needed the opposite scale: a 1.3 x 1.3 m platform serving three levels, through loading again, with an extra protection mesh around the landing openings. Same principle, much smaller footprint, and a reminder that the platform size follows the goods rather than the other way round.
Frequently asked questions
Does a shaft-free cargo lift need a pit?
Not always. Our standard build for the 1600 x 2200 mm platform uses a shallow pit of 2200 x 2250 x 300 mm, which is a fraction of the depth a freight elevator needs. Where the floor cannot be cut, the same lift can be supplied in a pitless version and the lower level is served over a ramp instead.
Can it be fitted to an existing mezzanine or a building with no lift shaft?
Yes, and that is the usual case. What has to work is the floor opening for the platform and its 1000 mm guardrail, sound masonry or steel for the rail anchors, and a landing gate or door on each level. Send a photograph of the wall, the floor to floor height and the heaviest load, and the rail positions can be set on a drawing before anything is manufactured.
Can people ride on a shaft-free cargo lift?
No. These machines are built for goods. There is no car, no enclosed travel and no passenger safety gear, and the platform is specified for the load rather than for people. If staff have to travel between floors, a passenger lift with the appropriate approvals is the correct machine.
Next step
Send us the floor to floor height, the heaviest load that will ever travel, the platform size you need and whether there is a wall to fix the rails to. We will confirm the model, the pit or ramp arrangement and the landing protection, and return a drawing for your approval before manufacture. Start from the double guide rail cargo lift specification or the cargo lift range overview, and for the installation sequence itself see how a two floor cargo lift is installed in an existing building.