
The safety factor for elevator wire ropes used for passenger transportation is 8-10. Below are specific introductions to automotive safety factor indicators: 1. Braking system: Also known as the brake system, it is divided into disc brakes and drum brakes. Disc brakes have the advantages of fast heat dissipation and light weight, especially exhibiting excellent high-temperature resistance during prolonged braking. Drum brakes, as the earliest type of brakes, have now become a technology on the verge of being phased out in the market. 2. Number of airbags: When a car collision reaches a certain severity, the in-vehicle sensor module deploys soft airbags at a speed of 1/100th of a second, protecting the head and chest, reducing head injury rates by 25% and facial injury rates by approximately 80%. Entry-level to mid-range cars are typically equipped with 1-2 airbags, mid-range B-segment cars often have 4 airbags, while more than 6 airbags are found in high-end cars renowned for their safety. The more airbags, the higher the protection level. 3. ABS+EBD configuration: ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) prevents wheel lock-up during braking, significantly reducing the likelihood of vehicle loss of control. EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), as an auxiliary function of ABS, adds a control software to the ABS control unit and is generally used in combination with ABS to enhance its effectiveness.

Regarding the safety factor of passenger elevator wire ropes, there are clear stipulations in national standards. The safety factor for elevator wire ropes is generally no less than 12, which may seem like a large number but is absolutely necessary. A safety factor of 12 means that the wire rope can actually withstand a maximum tension that is more than 12 times the heaviest load. Why is it set so high? After researching, I found that this accounts for many unexpected situations, such as the impact force when an elevator suddenly stops or is overloaded. Additionally, newly installed elevators must undergo static load testing, where the car is loaded to 150% of its capacity and suspended mid-air to check if the wire ropes show any issues. Regular maintenance also includes periodic inspections of wire rope wear and broken wires. For example, my neighbor, who is a property maintenance worker, mentioned that if more than 15% of the wires in a single strand are broken, the rope must be replaced. These measures are all in place to ensure our safety when using elevators.

The safety factor of passenger elevator wire ropes is typically greater than 12, as this concerns human lives and cannot be taken lightly. Specifically, the safety factor is the ratio of the wire rope's breaking force divided by the maximum working load. The 12-fold safety margin primarily accounts for two hazardous scenarios: one is the potential occurrence of sudden overload, and the other is the impact load generated during emergency braking. In practical applications, it is also required that each elevator be equipped with at least three independent wire ropes, ensuring that even if one fails completely, the remaining ropes can still prevent the car from falling. Special attention must be paid to the balanced force distribution among the wire ropes during use, as uneven tension can lead to premature wear of individual ropes. Last time during the maintenance of our residential elevator, the technician used a tension gauge to measure the tension of each rope, ensuring the error was controlled within 5% to meet the qualification standards.

The safety factor of elevator steel cables is generally around 12 times. Simply put, the actual strength of the steel cable is more than 12 times the strength required for daily use. This requirement mainly accounts for unexpected situations, such as the impact force generated when an elevator suddenly stops. When riding an elevator, the most important thing to pay attention to is whether the annual inspection mark is within its validity period, as the safety factor decreases over time. Maintenance personnel inspect the condition of the steel cables every month, paying special attention to small details: whether there is rust, wear deformation, or too many broken single strands of wire. They use calipers to measure the cable diameter and feel the surface with their hands. If they find that the wear exceeds 7% of the original diameter, they must report it for replacement. In fact, the lifespan of steel cables is closely related to the frequency of elevator use. For example, the elevator in our office building had its cables replaced in less than five years.


