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Low- to mid-rise residential
Budget-conscious apartments with a machine room — often economical to about five floors; through mid-rise depending on traffic and speed.
Motor type
Geared elevator
A geared elevator uses an electric motor and a gearbox to reduce speed and raise torque, then drive the traction sheave. It still suits low- and mid-rise residential buildings that already have a machine room. Atlas Asanbar Arsh designs and installs in Tehran, Karaj, and cities across northern Iran.
- Reasonable first cost
- Versus comparable gearless
- Mid-rise
- Typical market height guide
- Gearbox service
- Periodic oil and inspection
System anatomy
What is a geared elevator and how does it work?
A geared lift is classic traction: an electric motor feeds a gearbox — typically worm — speed drops and torque rises, then the sheave pulls the ropes and counterweight. The car does not rise on oil pressure; it moves by sheave friction. Motor and gearbox usually stay in a machine room, not in the shaft the way most Iranian MRL jobs do.
- 01
Electric motor
Produces rotation and feeds the gearbox. Project power and supply — three-phase, or single-phase on some small models — are settled here.
- 02
Gearbox
Typically a worm gearbox. It reduces motor speed and increases torque so the sheave can move the car. This is the part that needs periodic oiling.
- 03
Traction sheave
The gearbox output turns the sheave. Groove friction on the ropes moves the car and counterweight together — classic traction.
- 04
Ropes and counterweight
The car sits on one side of the sheave and the counterweight on the other. Without that pair, a geared machine is not a traction lift.
- 05
Machine room
The motor and gearbox usually sit in a separate room above or beside the shaft. Some small and villa models are more compact — that is not a rule for every job.
This is a market guide, not a code rule: up to about five floors, geared is often the more economical call; between five and fifteen stops, budget and traffic decide; for towers and high speed, gearless usually wins. Geared rated speed is often up to about 1.6 m/s; some sources allow up to about 2.5. Above that, gearless is usual. Some small and villa models run on single-phase power — limited output and capacity; do not count on that for every job.
You pick the cabin separately from the machine — catalog or custom. The quote comes after the site visit; stops, motor and gearbox brands, cabin finish, and machine-room condition move the number.
Use cases
Which projects suit geared elevators?
Geared fits a building that sits in the low- to mid-rise range and already has a machine room, or can have one. A five-floor apartment on a tight budget, a modernization on an existing traction shaft, a moderate-speed service lift — those are usually the jobs.
02
Modernize with an existing machine room
When the machine room and traction shaft are already in place, swapping a geared machine is usually simpler and cheaper than converting to MRL.
03
Worm geared machine
Electric motor and worm gearbox in the machine room — sheave on the gearbox output. Service means oil, noise, and temperature of that assembly.
04
Service and freight at moderate speed
A service or light-freight lift where top speed is not the priority and a machine room fits — geared is often the practical answer.
If a machine room is already there, price the cost of tearing it out for MRL before you switch. Do not push this system on a tower, or where the lift must run fast and quiet — gearless is the better fit. Iranian MRL work usually pairs with gearless, not a bulky gearbox.
An honest picture
Geared elevator advantages and limits
Geared machines are not obsolete. They still make sense for some heights and budgets: you have a machine room, travel sits in the low- to mid-rise range, and first cost matters more than the quietest ride. Those points hold when you have already ruled out a tower, MRL, and high speed.
Advantages
Lower first cost than gearless
Buying and installing a geared machine usually costs less than a comparable gearless unit. For a tight budget it is still a common choice.
Familiar service in Iran
Many service technicians already know gearbox oiling and sheave setup. Parts and repair know-how are usually available in larger cities.
When a machine room already exists
Modernizing a traction shaft that already has a machine room is a practical path. Do not price in demolishing that room for MRL unless the space is truly tight.
Moderate traffic and speed
Low- to mid-rise apartments and moderate-speed service lifts usually work with geared machines. Do not push this system if you need tower peak-hour performance.
Limits
Oiling and mechanical wear
The gearbox needs oil and periodic service. More moving parts mean more wear than gearless. A clean install reduces that risk — it does not remove it.
Typically noisier than gearless
Market sources usually describe geared machines as noisier and more prone to vibration than gearless — a qualitative comparison, not a decibel figure. If quiet luxury is the priority, gearless fits better.
Lower efficiency
Gearbox friction usually means higher energy use than gearless. That is a qualitative direction; there is no single efficiency percentage for every machine.
Poor fit for MRL, towers, high speed
A gearbox is usually bulky; Iranian MRL jobs are usually gearless — not an absolute never, but not the default. For towers, high speed, or quiet luxury, gearless is the more common call.
Better to name the limits in the first meeting. The gearbox needs oil and its parts wear. Noise and vibration are usually higher than gearless; efficiency is usually lower — with no marketing percentage. If the shaft must finish without a machine room, or the lift must run fast and quiet at peak hours, switch to gearless from here.
Choosing a drive
Geared or gearless — which fits your project?
If you have a machine room, height sits in the low- to mid-rise range, and first cost matters, a geared elevator is a strong option. If you want MRL, you are building a tower, you need speed above about 1.6 m/s, or quiet luxury is the priority, go gearless.
Height and stops
Geared
Often economical to ~5 floors; 5–15 depends on budget
Gearless
Mid-rise to tower; the high-rise default
Machine room and MRL
Geared
Usually needs a machine room; typically too bulky for MRL
Gearless
With a machine room or MRL; Iranian MRL is usually gearless
Speed
Geared
Often up to ~1.6 m/s; some sources up to ~2.5
Gearless
Above that range, gearless is usual
Cost and upkeep
Geared
Cheaper to buy; more gearbox oiling and service
Gearless
Dearer to buy; no gearbox service load
Read the table against your building, not against which motor is “newer.” A five-floor apartment with a ready machine room almost always tips toward geared on cost. The same building as MRL, or with a lift that must run fast and quiet at peak hours, tips toward gearless. Gearless is not only for MRL; it also installs with a machine room.
Project path
From survey to geared elevator handover
A geared install does not start with picking a cabin finish. First we see the shaft, machine room, three-phase or single-phase supply, capacity, and speed. Without those measurements, two quotes cannot be compared — and you cannot tell whether geared stays or the job must go gearless.
- 01
Survey and system selection
Shaft survey, machine-room check, capacity and speed, and a geared-versus-gearless call on the project sheet.
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Design and quote
Execution drawings, cabin and geared-machine selection, and a transparent quote with the motor model and a rough timetable.
- 03
Supply and installation
Motor and gearbox in the machine room, sheave, rails, doors, and cabin; ropes and controller wiring per approved drawings.
- 04
Testing and handover
Safety tests, speed and leveling adjustment, gearbox oil check, inspection prep, and owner handover briefing.
After the survey, drawings and a phased quote follow: design, supply, install, handover. Exact timing depends on shaft readiness and machine lead time. After testing we also coordinate the technical inspection. Handover means the lift works, gearbox oil is at the right level, and inspection paperwork is moving — not just a cabin on rails.
How quotes are built
How is geared elevator pricing calculated?
There is no fixed geared price. Two eight-stop apartments can get very different quotes; usually one has a smaller machine and a simpler cabin, the other a dearer gearbox, more landing doors, or a tighter machine room.
- Stops and travel
- Stop count and travel height change motor power and gearbox ratio.
- Capacity
- Passenger or freight load drives motor, gearbox, sheave, and shaft structure choices.
- Motor and gearbox brands
- The geared traction machine is a large share of cost and the service path. Put the model on the quote — not just the word “geared.”
- Machine-room condition
- An existing room, ventilation, machine delivery access, and distance to the sheave move install cost.
- Cabin and doors
- Cabin materials, size, and landing-door type change the quote directly.
- Shaft and site access
- Existing vs new shaft, equipment delivery, and site access move the number. Accurate quotes only after a survey.
We write the number after the survey. Stops and travel sit on motor power; capacity changes sheave and gearbox; cabin and doors come from the catalog and move the figure there. If you only heard a lump sum, ask whether the motor model, gearbox oiling, landing doors, and delivery are inside it.
Project proof
Mid-rise traction projects
A few mid-rise traction jobs — open a card for the details of each one. Read the machine type on that project page; this section does not claim every job is geared.
Common geared elevator questions
Before a site visit the same questions come back: what geared means, how it differs from gearless, how many floors, whether MRL works, what gearbox oil needs, where price comes from, whether single-phase exists. Short answers are here; numbers and drawings come after the shaft is measured.
What is a geared elevator?
It is a traction lift whose electric motor feeds a gearbox — typically worm. The gearbox reduces speed and increases torque so the sheave can move the ropes and counterweight. A machine room is usually required. The system is not obsolete; it still makes sense for some heights and budgets.
How does geared differ from gearless?
Gearless has no gearbox; the motor usually drives the sheave directly and has fewer moving parts. Market sources describe gearless as smoother, quieter, and less energy-hungry; first cost is usually higher. Geared starts cheaper and needs oiling. Neither is always better — stops, space, and budget decide. The geared-versus-gearless guide has the detail.
How many floors suit a geared elevator?
This is a market guide, not a rule: up to about five floors, geared is often called more economical; between five and fifteen stops either machine can fit, depending on budget and traffic; for high-rise, gearless is usually recommended. Rated speed is often up to about 1.6 m/s. The hard number comes after a traffic calculation.
Does a geared elevator work for MRL?
MRL means no separate machine room; the machine sits in or above the shaft. In the Iranian market that job is usually gearless because a gearbox is bulky. We do not say MRL never has a gearbox; the market default is gearless. If there is no room for a machine room, a cheap geared unit is not reason enough.
What does gearbox oil maintenance involve?
The gearbox needs periodic oiling and inspection: oil level, leaks, noise, and motor temperature. Gearless has no such part, so it carries no gearbox service load. Put the exact schedule on the service contract, not in a verbal promise.
How much does a geared elevator cost?
There is no fixed price. It depends on stops, capacity, motor and gearbox brands, cabin, and shaft and machine-room condition. Atlas Asanbar Arsh gives a transparent quote after survey. If you only heard a lump sum, ask whether the machine model and landing doors are inside it.
Are there single-phase geared elevators?
Some small and villa models run on single-phase power, with limited output, capacity, and travel. That is not a rule for every geared machine. Gearless usually needs three-phase. On the survey we look at the building’s meter and board first so the model matches real supply.
Related types
If a geared elevator is not the right fit
If geared does not fit the height, MRL, or quiet-ride priority of your project, look at the other drives here. Gearless is for towers and no machine room; traction is the wider rope-and-counterweight family; MRL is when there is no room for a machine room.
Gearless elevator
A gearless elevator uses a motor without a gearbox — usually a permanent-magnet synchronous machine coupled straight to the traction sheave. It is common on mid- and high-rise work, but it is not the same as MRL: it runs with a machine room or without one. Atlas Asanbar Arsh designs and installs in Tehran, Karaj, and cities across northern Iran.
Traction elevator
A traction elevator moves the cabin with steel ropes over a motor-driven sheave and a counterweight. It is the usual choice for mid-rise and high-rise buildings with heavier traffic. Atlas Asanbar Arsh designs and installs in Tehran, Karaj, and cities across northern Iran.
MRL elevator
An MRL elevator has no separate rooftop machine room. The drive usually sits in the hoistway on a support beam; the controller is often a cabinet at the top landing. It is common in Iran for mid-rise apartments and retrofits with a tight roof. Atlas Asanbar Arsh designs and installs in Tehran, Karaj, and cities across northern Iran.
Related resources
Geared elevator guides and related services
Once the motor type is clear, continue from here to installation, the geared-versus-gearless guide, or the geared-motor catalog.
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