Vertical Transport Equipment / Material Handling Guide

6-3. Freight Elevators and Vertical Material Conveyors (VMC)

1. Overview and Legal Regulations of Freight Elevators

A freight elevator in a logistics facility is a fundamental transport equipment for vertically moving pallets, cage carts, and heavy items between floors. The biggest difference from other equipment like automated conveyors is that a worker (a person accompanying the load) can directly board it and perform loading/unloading tasks.

1.1 Main Features and Specifications

• Human Boarding is Possible: It is equipped with a safety structure (safety devices similar to passenger elevators) that allows not only the loading of cargo but also forklift drivers and workers to board and travel with it.
• High Load-Bearing Capacity and Spacious Design: Generally, load capacities range from 1.5t to 5.0t or more, and large sizes (car widths of 2.0m to 3.5m or more) that can accommodate multiple pallets or an entire forklift are mainstream.
• Robust Floor and Door Structure: The inside of the car and the door threshold area are reinforced with steel plates to withstand frequent passing and impact from forklifts and heavy carts.

1.2 Related Legal Regulations and Procedures

Because freight elevators are strictly subject to application as "elevators" under the Building Standards Act and the Industrial Safety and Health Act, legal procedures and regular maintenance are mandatory.

Law / Regulation	Required Obligations and Responses
Building Standards Act	・Building confirmation application at the time of new installation and completion inspection are mandatory. ・Obligation of an annual periodic inspection report (inspection by an architect, etc.).
Industrial Safety and Health Act	・For load capacities of 1.0t or more, an installation notification and performance inspection are required.
Fire Compartmentation (Building Law)	・The entire hoistway must be enclosed with fireproof walls, and fire dampers, fire shutters, or fire doors must be installed at entrances and exits.

2. Structure, Classification, and Introduction Merits of Vertical Material Conveyors (VMC)

A Vertical Material Conveyor (VMC) is a material handling equipment that fully automatically vertically elevates only cargo within a warehouse. Unlike a freight elevator, because it is designed with a structure that "absolutely prohibits people from riding," it is treated as a type of material handling equipment.

2.1 Basic Structure and Flow of Operation

An "elevating carrier (loading platform)" is built into the inside of the hoistway, and it automatically links with conveyors placed at the entry and exit ports on each floor.

1. Automatic Carry-in: A worker or AGV places the cargo (pallet, cage cart, etc.) on the waiting conveyor.
2. Safety Interlock Confirmation: The shutter closes, and it automatically detects a safe state where there are no people inside the hoistway.
3. High-Speed Vertical Elevation: The carrier ascends or descends to the destination floor at high speed (2 to 3 times the speed of an elevator).
4. Automatic Discharge: Upon arrival at the destination floor, it automatically pushes out and discharges to the receiving entry/exit conveyor.

2.2 Main Classifications and Types

Classification by Elevation Method

• Reciprocating Type (Lift Type): A type where a single transport carrier reciprocates up and down. Optimal for transporting pallets and large heavy items (load capacity 1t to 2t).
• Continuous Circulation Type (Conveyor Type): A type where multiple transport carriers continuously circulate in a loop on a chain. Can transport cardboard boxes and foldable containers seamlessly at high speed.

Classification by Transport Layout

• C Type (Front in, Front out): Pulled out to the same side as the direction the cargo was put in.
• Z Type (Front in, Back out): Discharged in a way that passes through to the opposite side from where the cargo was put in (straightening the traffic line).
• L Type / Double-sided Type: Layout capable of discharging in a 90-degree direction or to either the left or right.

Compatible Types by Cargo Shape

• Pallet Compatible Type: Elevates carrying a standard 1.1m x 1.1m pallet as is.
• Cage Cart (Roll Box) Compatible Type: Has guides on the bottom surface, allowing cage carts to self-propel in and out as they are.
• Case / Small Parcel Compatible Type: A compact, ultra-high-speed type exclusively for cardboard boxes and foldable containers.

2.3 Comparison Between Freight Elevators and Vertical Material Conveyors (VMC)

Comparison Item	Freight Elevator	Vertical Material Conveyor (VMC)	Merits of Introducing VMC
Human Boarding / Legal Positioning	Possible (Building Standards Act "Elevator")	Strictly Prohibited ("Transport Equipment (Machine)")	Physically blocks the risk of human bodily accidents.
Confirmation Application / Statutory Inspection	Mandatory (Confirmation application / Annual inspection)	Unnecessary (Exempt from administrative procedures)	No confirmation application procedures or examination period needed, shortening construction time.
Transport Capacity / Speed	Medium (Speed limits exist because people ride)	Very High (Continuous conveyor transport)	Eliminates cargo waiting time and significantly improves transport capacity.
Material Handling Linkage	Manual entry/exit is primary	Full linkage with AGV/AMR and Automated Warehouses	Connects with transport lines allowing for complete unstaffed operation.

2.4 Demerits and Precautions of VMC

• People cannot ride: When workers move to upper floors, they must use a separately installed passenger elevator or stairs.
• Handling Irregularly Shaped Items: Cargo that exceeds the loading platform size or is highly prone to collapsing will cause conveyor detection errors, so standardization of cargo shapes (palletization, boxing) is required.

3. Retrofitting Construction and Installation Restrictions for Existing Warehouses

When retrofitting a Vertical Material Conveyor (VMC) or a freight elevator into an existing logistics warehouse, "the necessity of a building confirmation application," "creating an opening in the existing floor (slab)," and "securing a vertical passage area" are the main points of consideration.

3.1 Retrofitting Construction Comparison Summary

Item	Freight Elevator (Retrofit)	Vertical Material Conveyor (VMC / Retrofit)
Construction Period (On-site construction period)	Approx. 2 months to 4 months	Approx. 2 weeks to 1 month
Overall Lead Time	Half a year to 8 months (Several months for application/consultation)	2 months to 3.5 months (Application unnecessary)
Legal Examination / Procedures	Building confirmation application is mandatory	Unnecessary (Only equipment notification)
Pit (Underfloor excavation)	A deep pit (1.2m to 1.5m or more) is necessary	A thin pit (about 30cm) or pit-less (slope installation) is possible
Restrictions on Existing Building	Treated as an extension, recalculation of floor-area ratio and building coverage ratio may be required	Can be processed as "equipment installation" with only an opening in the existing floor

3.2 Main Installation Restrictions and Hurdles in Retrofitting Construction

1. Floor Slab Opening and Structural Reinforcement: Because pillars and main structural beams cannot be cut, openings can only be made in positions avoiding existing beams. When cutting the concrete floor, noise, vibration, and dust occur, and reinforcing steel materials must be assembled around the opening.
2. Securing the Pit (Excavation on the lowest floor): For elevators, digging a pit deeper than 1m below the floor causes interference with underground beams to be a constraint, whereas VMCs can be of "pit-less specifications (slope installation)," giving them a high degree of freedom for retrofitting.
3. Measures for Penetrating Fire Compartments: Because it is an opening spanning across floors, the hoistway must be enclosed with fireproof walls, and there is an obligation to newly install automatic closing fire shutters or fire doors at the entrances and exits.

3.3 Precautions for Warehouse Operation During Construction (Construction While Operating)

• Compartmenting the Construction Area: To open a penetration hole, the construction areas on upper and lower floors are completely blocked off with sturdy temporary walls to ensure safety and prevent dust scattering.
• Temporary Restriction of Work Traffic Lines: For carrying in large frames or crane work, there will be a period where truck berths or parts of main traffic lines are temporarily occupied.

4. Installation and Maintenance Cost Comparison and Judgment Criteria

This is a comparison of the initial costs (main unit + construction costs + architectural/application fees) and running costs involved in introducing a freight elevator versus a vertical material conveyor (VMC).

4.1 Initial Cost Comparison Summary (Load capacity 1.5t-2.0t, 3-story building, lift height 10m-15m approx.)

Cost Item	Freight Elevator	Vertical Material Conveyor (VMC)	Factor of Cost Difference
Equipment Main Unit Price	12 million to 18 million yen	15 million to 22 million yen	VMCs come with front and rear conveyors and safety control devices, making the main unit expensive.
Architectural / Application Fees	2 million to 4 million yen	0 yen (Unnecessary)	Elevators require building confirmation applications and periodic reporting compliance.
Hoistway / Fireproofing Work	3 million to 6 million yen	1.5 million to 3 million yen	Elevators require strict fireproof structures and pit excavation.
[Total] Initial	17 million to 28 million yen	16.5 million to 25 million yen	Overall initial cost is slightly cheaper to equivalent for VMC.

4.2 Comparison of Running Costs (Maintenance Costs)

Item	Freight Elevator	Vertical Material Conveyor (VMC)
Statutory Periodic Inspection Cost	Mandatory (Once a year, approx. 100k-200k yen/year)	Unnecessary (No obligation for statutory inspection)
Maintenance Inspection Contract	High (Approx. 500k-1M yen annually)	Cheap to Standard (Approx. 300k-600k yen annually)
Electricity Costs / Repairs	Standard (High frequency of replacing safety mechanisms)	Parts replacement according to operating frequency

4.3 Criteria for Deciding Which to Choose

• Cases where Vertical Material Conveyor (VMC) should be chosen:
  • Cases where you want to shorten the construction period and omit the hassle of confirmation applications and administrative consultations.
  • Cases where emphasizing transport speed and processing capacity to perform continuous automatic transport of pallets.
  • Cases aiming for complete unstaffed operation by connecting the system directly with AGV/AMRs and automated warehouses.
• Cases where a Freight Elevator should be chosen:
  • Cases where workers need to move and ride along with cage carts and cargo.
  • Cases where the cargo shape is not standardized (palletized), such as loose items or extremely irregular shapes.