ABSTRACT

‘STAIR LIFT FOR MATERIAL HANDLING’

This topic deals with the fabrication and analysis of a stair case lift, which can be used for
Material Handling. A stair case lift is a mechanical device which is used for lifting materials as
well as human beings. For sufficiently wide stairs, a rail is mounted to the ends of the stairs and
a chair or lifting platform is attached to the rail. A person to be lifted is mounted on platform
and moved along the rail at a desired level. The old age as well as handicapped persons, goods
are also carried across the stair case, by the use of a trolley.

The Stair case lift is a type of lift that can be mounted on the stair case without altering the civil
structure. This system requires electric power supply to run and consists of a motor, belt drive,
conveyor belts for mounting material and two rails mounted on the side of Staircase. For this
project we have use 0.5HP DC motor, and voltage regulator for changing the polarity of the
power supply which makes the motor run in a required speed. A Toggle switch and push buttons
are also used to drive the electric motor in anti-clockwise direction which is required during the
reverse movement of lift.

The main advantages of this lift over the conventional lift are as-

 Alteration of the civil structure is not required.

 It has low cost and is less bulky as compared.
 It requires less power and less maintenance as less moving parts.
 It has easy design and easy installation of the equipment.

Moreover, considering some drawbacks related to the weight carrying capacity completely
depends on the capacity of motor used. The development of a new trolley is used to do multi-
purpose work. This project included various fabrication works such as grinding, welding, cutting
materials, and finishing processes.

According to the technology there is lot of scope for further modification in this project by use of
monorail instead of two, use of belt drive, chain drive instead of rope drive. Also use of
automation/timer unit will ease the use of this equipment. Rack and carrier arrangement can also
be done for using the equipment on a curved stair case.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 1

 Objectives:
The main objective of this Project is an optimal design chosen to meet all design criteria set forth
by the client. In addition, this design meets all realistic constraints with a low cost and less
fabrication as compared to other designs. The use of conveyor belts greatly reduces the friction
encountered during operation when compared to standard walker designs and make the lift easier
to use. A modified adjustable design is implemented so the lift remains usable as per the needs.

MOVING CHAIR ON STAIRS-

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 2

 Introduction:
An elevator or lift is vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between
floors (levels) of a building, or a structure. Elevators are generally powered by electric motors
that either drive traction cables or counterweight systems like a hoist or pump hydraulic fluid to
raise a cylindrical piston like a jack. Because of wheelchair access laws, elevators are often a
legal requirement in new multi-storey buildings, especially where wheelchair ramps would be
impractical.

A stair lift is a mechanical device which is used for lifting people, goods on conveyor belts,
wheelchair or trolley up and down stairs. For sufficiently wide stairs, a rail is mounted to the
ends of the stairs. A chair or lifting platform like conveyor is attached to the rail on which person
to be lifted is mounted to move along the rail. Stair lifts are also known as chair lifts, stair gliders
and by other names. This type of chair lift should not be confused with the chairlift used by
skiers. As the name suggests stair case lift is a type of lift that can be mounted on the stock stair
case without altering the civil structure.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 3

This lift runs on electric power supply and consists of a motor two rails and conveyor belts or a
sliding chair. This stair case lift can be mounted especially for domestic use at homes where the
civil structure is not be altered and handicapped old age persons are to be lifted on the stairs. It
also has an industrial oriented application to lift materials and goods across the stair case.

The first elevator lift worked on the hydraulic system by using plunger below the chair to raise
or lower the elevator on applying pressure to a plunger by use of a pump inside a vertical
cylinder. Increasing the pressure caused the elevator to increase its height and raise the chair.
Later a rope-geared elevator with multiple pulleys was developed. The development of elevators
was led by the need for handling and transportation of raw materials in the industrial as well as
commercial sector.

Stair lifts are special type of home mobility equipment used to carry an individual or material up
and down the stairs without any effort. Mostly, the feature a trolley or chair that is attached to an
aluminum track called rail. There are also some new models introduced which allows the user to
stand as they go up and down the rails.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 4

Lifts are invented long back ago by brilliant engineers, but the installation of lift, elevators
involves ample amount of cost including of rails, motor honk, civil structures and installation
cost which may be not economical. If lifts are to be installed in the stalk structure then it has high
alteration cost. Thus, to overcome all these factors including construction cost the concept of
stair case lift is introduced which reduces extra costing associated with the lift mechanism; and
makes the concept simplify and flexible for operation.

A stair lift also consists of trolley; conveyor belts mounted on the rollers with L shaped stands
for placing of the goods, or a Chair for sitting of the handicapped persons. A modern day lift
consists of a cage mounted on a platform within an enclosed space called a shaft.

In past, the entire lift drive mechanism for lifts and elevators were powered by steam or
hydraulic pistons. The chair is also pulled up by the means of rolling steel ropes over a deeply
grooved pulley i.e. commonly called as sheave in the industry. The friction between the ropes
and the pulley furnishes the traction which gives flexible movement to the lift.

The type of roped hydraulics uses a combination of both ropes and hydraulic power to raise and
lower the trolley at time of loading and unloading near the floor space. Some recent innovations
in lifts also include permanent magnet motors, trolley mounted without gearless machines, and
microprocessor electrical controls. Hydraulic lifts are usually slower than traction lifts and are
harder to install due to the extension height of the cylinder.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 5

 Working Principle:
This project has details of final design of a sequential analysis and modification of various stages
of a domestic stair lift which uses conveyor belts for material handling. Stair lifts are easily
installed into any situation where the condition and construction of the stair tread is good and the
railing is attached to the stair tread. A chair lift for stairs can be both battery operated and AC
power operated, depending on the application and availability of the factors. Stairs present a
mobility challenge and often danger for the elderly or physically disabled people who are
struggling with mobility issues. Falling down through stairs are a major and leading cause of
serious injury among the physically challenged and old people.

The Purchasing of chair lift can significantly reduce concerns about falls and injuries occurring.
A chair lift is not only a safer method for up and down movement on stairs by the people with
mobility issues but also securing an important degree of independence.

With some reference we tried to find out some appropriate dimensions related to the
manufacturing and fabrication work of Stairs.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 6

 The above figure shows a stair lift which uses a chair type trolley for the movement of the
materials. It uses wire rope belts for the power transmission with the help of various mechanical
components like gears, pulleys and an electric motor.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 7

The rails are two in numbers and are mounted on the stalk stair case with clamping the shafts in
the pedestal bearings or by the use of C-Channels and roller type wheels. Inside these C shaped
cross sectioned rails slides are mounted throughout the length of rails mounted on the frame of
staircase. These staircases are fixed to each other with the help of structural mechanisms for
various supports to motor and other components like pulley, platform, chair, bearings, and shaft
with entire casing, and control panel.

The motor mounted is out scale model of 0.5HP DC type with 2400 rpm and has a dimmer
(Voltage regulator) for voltage variation to obtain required speed and inversing torque. On the
output of the motor guide pulley is mounted for power transmission to the shafts. This output
shaft is held between the pedestals bearing of 1 inch diameter and is mounted on both sides of
rails. The power is transmitted to the shaft 1 and further to shaft 2 by the use of belt drive. The
belt drive used is of Grade B which transmits power to the conveyor belt over the stair case lift
by moving upward and downward.

The AC supply is given to the dimmer which has a rectifier circuit for converting this AC
voltage into DC Voltage to run the DC motor. The motor can run in a required speed as per the
operation by controlling the voltage. As motor shafts and pulleys have power transmission in the
output form of rotation of shaft, it tends to rotate the conveyor belt along the platform, and slides
on rails which move the entire unit in upwards and downwards direction.

Reversing the supply to the DC motor on changing the polarity of the power supply will make
the motor run in reverse direction connected with the earlier, while the later will form the entire
assembly run to in downward direction then by making the entire / single must be use for the
future purposes. The direction of the motor of stair case lift can be changed with the help of a
toggle switch mounted on the control panel, which can be also mounted on the chair at self
making the use of stair case lift very carry the power cables are protected with a cable carrier.

The project model makes use of 6V DC power supply which is managed using a 220V AC
adapter giving output of 6V DC, 1 amp and a battery backup in advance supplied that gives 6V
DC, 4 Ah output. The project model is constructed out of G.I pipes of 1 inch for the fabrication
of staircase model. The material for rail is 2-1 G.I pipe which is welded over the stair at
approximate distance, first plated with various required designs according to its applications and
type of operation to be carried out.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 8

 POPULAR TYPES OF STAIR LIFTS ARE:-

 Straight-rail stair lifts-

These are the most common type of stair lifts used in private dwellings with straight stairs and
have a straight rail (track) which is attached to the steps of the staircase. The Straight-rail stair
lifts can usually be installed within days of being ordered and, having a rail which is simply cut
to length from a stock part, they are the least expensive as compared to other stair lifts. They are
used for domestic purpose at offices, homes, and industries for material handling in a straight
inclined direction which has a low installation cost. It is available mostly in compact size and is
easy in operation.

 Curved-rail stair lifts-

These are made to follow the shape of an individual curved stair case with intermediate flat
landings which eliminate the need for multiple straight stair lifts by providing a continuous ride
up the entire length of the staircase. As the rail is custom-made to follow the staircase, and
because the chair is more complex that on a straight-rail stair lift it must be able to remain level
while traveling along a track which changes direction. The curved-rail stair lifts are usually more
costly than stair lifts for straight stairs. Specifying a curved-rail stair lifts usually involves careful
measurement, design and manufacturing, and the installation process usually takes longer than
for a straight domestic stair lift.

Some manufacturers provide curved-rail stair lifts made from modular parts, which requires
more analysis of design and construction at the place of use. They have advantage of quick
delivery time though the rail may not follow the shape of the stairs as closely as a factory-made
stair lift. Modular stair lifts have more installation as well as maintenance cost. It takes longer
time period to install that custom-made stair lifts.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 9

  Wheelchair platform stair lifts-
This stair lifts come under the general definition of stair lift and is usually of much heavier
construction than a domestic stair lift.

Most platform stair lifts are used in public access buildings or private homes. The platform is
large enough to accommodate a wheelchair its user and conveyor belt for material handling, and
may have folding edge flaps which drop down and act as ramps to allow for variations in floor
levels. These flaps also prevent the wheelchair, trolley from going over the edge of the platform.

The rails are necessarily of heavy construction to support the load and the drive system is usually
accommodated within a tubular section rail of Aluminum. Some models have steel cables inside
the tube, others have chains; yet others may use rack and pinion system.

 Pre-owned stair lifts-

This is most common with straight rail of domestic types. The rails can be cut to length if too
long, or extended with a standard available "joining kit". Most models allow the carriage to be
"re-handed" so it can be used on the left or right side of the staircase. During the early days of
curved rail stair lifts, there was no second user market because of the difficulty of matching rails
to a different layout.

Recently, some curved rails have been produced to a modular design so components can be
unbolted and used elsewhere during migration, subject to design and safety considerations, with
easy facilities to assemble and dissemble.

It provides a lower cost solution than buying a totally new system. Some insurance companies
also offer various breakdown policies for stair lifts, with considerations to safety. Manufacturers
and installers also offer extended warranty, rather like those available for domestic purposes.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 10

  Outdoor stair lifts-
Outdoor Stair lifts come with seats, footplates or platforms and are sold worldwide. They are
similar to indoor stair lifts but with improved weatherproofing facilities and are more reliable.

 Goods stair lifts-

Some manufacturers produce stair lifts with trays instead of seats for moving goods between
different levels, usually in commercial or industrial buildings. The chair is replaced with a
trolley, cart, or Conveyor belts for material handling in industries, as well as in constructional
sites. Some businesses have purchased normal domestic stair lifts purely as goods transporters
and put items such as boxes of stationery, heavy materials, cartons, machineries etc on the
conveyor, cart to move it at the required destination with considerations to safety on the seat.
According to the survey, it is observed that this stair lifts are found more economical for the
purpose of material handling as compared to other equipments used for the same purpose.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 11

 COSTING:-

Stair lifts are highly individualized units that vary in price significantly. However, many base
units as per applications and capacity they begin between Rs.90, 000 and Rs.1, 50, 000.
Many options and accessories may affect this base pricing including-
* Length of railing
* Curves in Stairs (includes fabrication work)
* Seat upgrades and models
* Motor upgrades and capacity seat
* Seat and foot pedal folding and power type Chair/Trolley.

SR.NO NAME QUANTITY PRICE

1 Pedal Bearing (1 Inch) 04 Rs.840

2 Square Pipe (1 Inch) 06 Rs.250

3 Motor (0.5HP DC) 01 Rs.5000

4 Pulley 03 Rs.480

5 V-Belt
(B grade 32mm) 1 Rs.60
(B Grade86mm) 1 Rs.120

6 Shaft (1 Inch) 02 Rs.200

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 12

 COMPONENTS USED-

PEDESTAL BEARING DOUBLE GROOVE PULLEY

SINGLE GROOVE NUT, BOLT AND WASHER

PULLEY

ELECTRIC MOTOR SQUARE PIPE CIRCULAR

DC SUPPLY 0.5HP 1 INCH SHAFT

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 13

 RAILS

Straight rails for use on domestic staircases are usually made from extruded aluminum or steel
and come in various cross-sectional shapes. We have used 2*1 inch hollow pipe for rail with
drilled holes for mounting of Pedestal Bearings. These rails were typically weighing over 7kg
depending on the length. In most applications they are attached to the steps with metal brackets,
or welded joints for higher strength. If the conveyor trolley reaches the end of the stairs, it causes
an obstruction a hinge can be fitted so the end of the trolley can be folded back out of the way
when not in use.
The Curved rails are made from materials such as steel or aluminum and come in various cross-
sectional shapes according to the purpose. Individual designs vary a lot and probably the key
criterion is to make the curves with the smallest radius possible so they will wrap tightly around
objects such as newel posts. The sections of curved rails usually packaged well to prevent
damage in transit and are unwrapped and assembled on site.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 14

 Impact of Engineering Solutions:-

Creating, testing and designing a stair lift for the needs of an individual and industry allow a
model for not just individuals with this specific disorder, but also an entire community of people
who lack mobility in lower extremities, and physically challenged people, senior citizens of the
nation. The patients suffering from major Injuries to the spinal cord, paralyzed, stroke victims
and paraplegics can all benefit from this equipment at an economic cost. There are a variety of
related products on the market for both the stair lift for handicapped people and material
handling equipment for domestic as well as commercial purpose.
Many of the stairs lift products available in very high price and not suited for a split-level home
to be affordable. The increased cost of taking care of a person with a disability often puts many
families in a position where they cannot afford the devices they need. Our stair lift has much
more reasonable cost, increasing accessibility to many families who may really need it, and
afford at a economical rate by the society and the nation. The idea implements different methods
than traditional stair lifts, as it uses a compact design with more flexibility and alternative.
This method drives down cost and uses a proven device to ensure longevity, customer’s
satisfaction and reliability of the product. A walker like this has yet to be designed, and with its
relaxed breaking system, can be used for patients suffering from various ailments that result in
decreased leg mobility. A much smaller operation could satisfy the changes that need to be made
during modification and assembly. The impact of the optimal designs has the potential to
improve the quality of lives of many at a reasonable cost and with little harm to the environment.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 15

 AC and DC Power Supply

Early stair lifts mostly had (AC) alternating current drive motors which ran at full mains voltage
without speed control. An "energy chain" ran alongside or through the rail to carry the power
cable from the supply point to the carriage.

More recently, domestic stair lifts have been powered by DC Motor from rechargeable batteries
and direct current (DC). One of the selling points is that a DC stair lift will continue to function
during a power outage, provided the batteries are sufficiently charged. Most stair lifts have a
'charge point' where the unit will 'park' to charge its batteries. Some straight stair lifts have the
ability to charge continuously no matter where they are left along the track. With most DC
models the batteries are accommodated within the carriage and travel with it.

Some models are designed with use of 3HP motors and the batteries (three in total) were housed
in a cabinet which is mounted near the top or bottom of the rail. An inverter system was used to
convert the DC energy to three phase AC supply.

The power rating of drive motors for domestic straight rail stair lifts may be around 250 watts.
The power requirement will be greater for heavy loads, very steep inclines, and wheelchair
platform stair lifts.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 16

 Controls of Equipment:-

Stair lifts are largely operated using a control on the arm of the lift, trolley, conveyor rails or
chair. This is either a switch or a toggle type lever with direction control of the motor. This larger
toggle switch enables users even with limited mobility or painful condition to use stair lifts very
easily and safely.

Electronic controls are used extensively. Many stair lifts have radio frequency or infrared remote
controllers. It is known that radiation from devices such as fluorescent lights can interfere with
infrared stair lift controls. Control circuit design varies greatly among the different
manufacturers and models. Curved rail stir lifts have more complex controls than those with
straight rails.

The seat of a curved rail stair lift may have to be tilted so it remains horizontal while going
around curves and negotiates different angles of incline. This requires an additional motor and
link system. The carriage is slowed down on bends but travels faster on straight runs. This means
a more complex control system. This assists service engineers on maintenance calls.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 17

 Safety issue:-

A huge component of this project is safety. Many fail-safes have been implemented to ensure
that the stair lift device ceases to operate in a predictable manner if any sort of failure were to
occur. We can also install remote controls located on the chair, as well as on the top and bottom
of each staircase which will ensure that the lift can be stopped at any time the user deems it
necessary, or by use of limit control switches.
There are multiple obstruction sensors in place to ensure there is nothing impeding the path of
the stairway lift or the footrest. The stairway lift has been thoroughly cleaned and refurbished to
ensure that there are no sites at which injury could occur, during the operation. Refurbishing has
also reduced the likelihood of corrosion and has resulted in an increase in the length of the time
the stairway lift can be used. In addition, the other family member’s safety will be taken into
account. The chair for the stairway lift can be made foldable and compact for installation and
maintenance so it does not interfere with their ability to traverse up and down the stairs.
The reduction in height will further lower the center of gravity to ensure the walker remains
upright. The main safety feature for this device is the braking system. Multiple safety measures
need to be taken into account in the designs of both the stair lift system for domestic and
commercial uses.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 18

 Recommendations for future researchers:-

We would always insist upon economy of the nation without compromising quality & multi
utility of the equipment with higher reliability.

In this project, there is no alteration of the civil structure for installation and thereafter shortest
cost for installation procedure as compared to that of other lift. So future seems to be very bright.
There is lot of scope for further modification in the project as follow-

1. Using mono-rail instead of two.

2. Incorporation and automation / timer unit which will ease the use of device.

3. Push button ON/OFF using timer circuit, by use of this circuit the movement would be more
accurate, precise and easy to operate.

4. A swivel seating arrangement and suspension systems to reduce the vibrations.

5. Seatbelt for future safety and folding seat arrangement which increases flexibility.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 19

 DISADVANTAGES:-
The main disadvantage of the stair lift is that they are extremely expensive which may be not
affordable by the society sometimes. The stair lifts also requires lot of electricity to run, hence
there is a rise in electricity bill.

If the stair lift gets fail, professional team for maintenance are called for the repairing work
which requires high cost and is time consuming. It also takes long time for the parts to come in at
the time of failure and damage of the staircase or the components. In certain cases, the railings
must be removed in order to install the lift.

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 20

 Conclusion:-

We feel quite contended in having completed the project on time. Designing and making this
equipment was a great experience for all the team members as well as Staff. Though this project
had some limitations, it was a pioneer project. During the test run of the project, it was realized
that this equipment was able to carry and handle heavy load without suffering any failure and
deformation.
It was observed that there were no vibrations and less noise, no fluctuation in the running of
motor. The speed of the motor was controlled by the regulator switch, as per the requirement.
The initial cost of the project seemed too high, but actual manufacturing would reduce it.
Moving from carpet to tile, this system will be an easier transition than the friction based system
currently in use, by making it more adjustable. By the development of this product the nation
would give more independence for the disabled people to move around the house independently.
As independence is a valuable characteristic in a child’s life for staying in the society.
All the credit goes to the healthy co-ordination of our team members for working together for
making this project as a successfully one.
At last, all the team members hand over vote of thanks to some special members. Undoubtedly
all the credits are for –
Prof. D.V. Lohar (H.O.D, Mechanical)
Dr. G.D Shinde (Senior Staff)
Sir R. Nikam (Workshop Staff)

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 21

 REFERENCES:-

 http://www.bme.uconn.edu
 https://www.disabilityfunding.co.nz
 https://en.wikipedia.com
 https://google.com
 https://engineeringforchange.com
 https://projectworld.com
 https://mechanicalprojects.com
 https://nevonprojects.com
 https://slideshare.com

S.H.H.J.B POLYTECHNIC CHANDWAD, (NASHIK) Page 22