Residential Elevator VFD Applications

As the United States’ population ages, mobility within the home can become a challenge for individuals. Relatively simple tasks such as going upstairs and downstairs become increasingly difficult as we age.

For some, the only option is to move to assisted care facilities that can cater to specific mobility challenges. However, this can be very costly and can put undue hardship on individuals who have to move out of their homes. As long term care costs continue to increase, home elevators have become a cost competitive solution that can allow seniors and those with mobility restrictions to stay in the comfort of their home.

Related Article: Brakes for Residential Elevators

KEB America’s extensive experience and expertise in the commercial elevator market has translated into a simple and cost effective VFD for home elevators. The same F5 series elevator drive that has proven itself in the commercial market can be used for residential home elevator applications.

The KEB F5 can be used for winding drum or traction applications where an open loop geared induction motor is typically used. It can also be used with more advanced permanent magnet machines that feature encoder feedback. The F5 supports TTL, Endat, Sin/Cos, UVW, and other encoder feedback options. Sizes range from 0.5Hp to 3Hp and are capable of either single phase or 3 phase AC input. Higher power ranges are available upon request. Sourcing (PNP) and sinking (NPN) style inputs are available on all drives. A standard heatsink or optional ‘flatback’ heatsink can be used for space saving applications.

KEB’s inverter software Combivis can be used to program and set up the drive. Customized parameter lists can be created and saved making setup quick and easy. Relay outputs can be programmed to control the brake, indicate drive status, and motor control. In addition, Combivis can be used to take scope traces when advanced troubleshooting and adjustment is necessary.

KEB America offers a variety of accessory pieces such as braking resistors and encoder cables that can be used for residential elevator applications. KEB’s braking resistors feature a thermosensor that can be used to detect overheating. Encoder cables feature twisted pair wires with heavy duty outer shielding to reduce noise and disturbance.

Author Information

Sher Xiong is an Application Engineer Support in the Elevator Group at KEB America. He has been with KEB since 2018 and has a Diploma in Automation Robotics Engineering Technology from Hennepin Technical College – Minnesota.