Parts · PRT-05
Elevator Guide Rails
T-profile machined and cold-drawn rails, brackets and fishplates aligned to ±0.5 mm plumb.
In short
An elevator guide rail is a T-shaped steel section fixed vertically in the hoistway that guides the car and counterweight and provides the gripping surface for the safety gear. Common sizes are T70, T75, T82, T89/B, T90, T114/B, T127 and T140, chosen by rated load, travel and whether a safety gear acts on that rail.
Engineering overview
Guide rails define ride quality. They constrain the car and counterweight in the horizontal plane, absorb eccentric load moments, and — most importantly — act as the braking surface when the safety gear grips during an overspeed event. Rail selection is therefore a strength calculation, not a catalogue pick.
Liftech Global sizes rails to EN 81-50 §5.10: buckling under safety-gear operation, bending from eccentric car loading, and permissible deflection of 5 mm for car rails and 10 mm for counterweight rails. Bracket spacing (typically 1 500–2 500 mm) is then set from the same calculation and fixed to the shaft with chemical or expansion anchors sized for the pull-out load.
Machined rails (cold-drawn plus milled) are used above 1.75 m/s where surface finish dictates vibration; cold-drawn rails are economical for low-rise and counterweight duty. Installation tolerance is held to ±0.5 mm plumb over the full rise with DBG (distance between guides) within ±1 mm.
Types & variants
T89/B machined
The workhorse car rail for 630–1600 kg passenger lifts up to 2.5 m/s.
T127-1/B, T140
Heavy-duty car rails for freight, hospital and high-rise duty with progressive safety gear.
T70 / T75 / T82 cold-drawn
Counterweight and light-duty home-lift rails.
Hollow / formed rails
Light counterweight guides where deflection limits allow.
Brackets & fishplates
Adjustable two-part brackets, splice fishplates with dowel pins, rail clips and shims.
Technical specifications
| Common profiles | T70, T75, T82, T89/B, T90, T114/B, T127-1/B, T140 |
|---|---|
| Standard length | 5 000 mm (also 3 000 / 4 000 mm) |
| Material | Q235B / SS400 cold-drawn or machined steel |
| Surface finish | Machined ≤ Ra 3.2 µm for ≥ 1.75 m/s |
| Plumb tolerance | ± 0.5 mm over full travel |
| DBG tolerance | ± 1.0 mm |
| Bracket spacing | 1 500 – 2 500 mm (per EN 81-50 calculation) |
| Max deflection | 5 mm car rails · 10 mm counterweight rails |
Gallery
Where it is used
- New passenger and freight installations
- Modernisation where rails are re-used and re-aligned
- High-speed towers requiring machined rails
- Counterweight guiding in MRL shafts
- Escalator-adjacent goods hoists
Frequently asked questions
Need elevator guide rails in Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad?
Send us the model, rail profile or car dimensions and our engineers will confirm compatibility, lead time and pricing.