Variable Frequency Drive for Elevators

Vitalijus Šimkus
June 17, 2026

Elevators are an essential part of modern infrastructure, and therefore, high demands are placed on their precision, safety, and comfort. From commercial skyscrapers to residential buildings, elevator operation must be flawless – they must ensure precise stopping, comfortable travel, and reliable performance at every stage of movement. For elevators to operate smoothly and efficiently, it is crucial to select high-quality electronic components, such as variable frequency drives and automation systems.

Invertek Drives variable frequency drives can economically meet these requirements for all elevator systems, ensuring quiet, smooth, and safe operation in commercial and residential buildings.

World-class elevator control requirements:

Ride Comfort: The elevator must move smoothly, adhering to strict acceleration limits to avoid jerking.
Starting/Stopping: Some elevator systems are designed to perform up to 240 starts/stops per hour, so special attention is paid to motor thermal management.
Accurate Leveling: The elevator must stop very precisely, usually achieving 1–2 mm accuracy.
Feedback: Speed and position feedback are essential to ensure precise speed control, stopping accuracy, and ride comfort.
Electric Braking: Electric braking is required for precise speed control, while mechanical braking is used as a parking brake.

Benefits of Modernizing Elevators with Variable Frequency Drives:

Increased Efficiency: Variable frequency drives allow for variable speed control, which regulates motor power according to real-time demand. This saves significant energy.
Extended Service Life: By providing smoother acceleration and deceleration, variable frequency drives reduce mechanical stress on older components and increase their longevity.
Reduced Costs: Repair is more economical than replacing the entire elevator system, allowing companies to improve efficiency and reduce capital expenditures.

User Experience: Enhance Quality with Variable Frequency Drives

Variable frequency drives improve the quality of elevator travel, making passengers feel comfortable, the elevator operate more quietly, and respond faster to instructions.

Smoother Acceleration and Deceleration: Traditional systems often cause jerky movements during startup and stopping. Variable frequency drives regulate motor speed, ensuring smooth transitions and improving passenger comfort.
Quieter Operation: By optimizing motor control, variable frequency drives reduce operating noise, especially in busy or residential buildings.
Motor Control: Variable frequency drives regulate motor speed in real-time, making elevators more responsive to load changes and ensuring fast yet smooth travel.

Sustainability: How Variable Frequency Drives Contribute to Eco-Friendliness?

Variable frequency drives are an essential component of industrial automation. By optimizing energy usage, variable frequency drives reduce the overall energy consumption of elevators, which directly lowers carbon emissions. In a typical high-rise building, an energy-efficient elevator system can save several thousand kilowatt-hours annually and significantly reduce CO2 emissions. In the future, variable frequency drives will become even more important, as their technological advancements, such as the integration of smart technologies and regenerative braking, will further reduce environmental impact and increase efficiency.

You can find more about sustainability and eco-friendly manufacturing in our article: Sustainability in Automation: How Variable Frequency Drives Contribute to Green Manufacturing.

Elevator Control with Optidrive Elevator Core Variable Frequency Drives:

Optidrive Elevator Core – a variable frequency drive specifically designed for elevators from Invertek Drives, created to ensure smooth and reliable lifting control in all elevator systems.

Compact external dimensions facilitate installation, while additional position sensor interfaces, such as EnDat and SinCos encoders, allow compatibility with various motors. Invertek Drives products are renowned for their excellent motor control capabilities, which ensure maximum elevator comfort under all conditions. Five independent S-ramp curves and a special motor brake control algorithm ensure extremely precise system tuning. The Optidrive Elevator Core also features an integrated “Safe Torque Off” function and a host of other elevator-critical functions, including emergency rescue mode, light load detection, and short floor mode.

“Mezolift” solar elevators in Northern Greece specifically adopted the “Optidrive Elevator” elevator standby mode. The power requirement for Invertek Elevator drives in standby mode is less than 10 W, compared to 30 W typically required by other manufacturers’ VSDs under similar operating conditions. The software and parameter groups are easy to manage, and single-phase input operation means that elevator drives can operate in various buildings, including those using domestic power supplies. More about this application analysis: Variable frequency drives create smooth and comfortable elevator operation in “MEZOLIFT” elevators.

Simeksa is ready to help you optimize elevator operation throughout Lithuania! Contact us and we will implement your unique needs with the help of our specialists.