What Is a Box Elevator and When Do You Need One?


A box elevator (or package elevator) is essentially just another term for a vertical reciprocating conveyor (VRC): A lift designed to move materials — but not people — between levels or mezzanines.

What Is a Box Elevator and When Do You Need One

The types of material lifts referred to as “box elevators" or “box lifts” are usually smaller than standard VRCs. Generally, they’re just big enough to handle an operation’s standard packaging.
 
However, like many logistics terms, box elevator doesn’t have a strict definition. There’s no ASME standard for box elevators (though there is a standard for material lifts in general: ANSI/ASME B20.1, Safety Standard for Conveyors and Related Equipment). 

Below, we’ll answer a few common questions about box elevators and provide tips for outfitting.

What Are the Advantages of Box Elevators? 

The primary advantage of a box elevator is that it isn’t truly an elevator. “Elevator" refers to lifts that are capable of moving personnel between levels; “material lifts" can move freight, but not personnel. 

Material lifts fall under different standards than elevators, and they require fewer safety controls (since workers aren’t actually riding them between levels). That leads to a number of advantages:

  • Material lifts have lower installation costs.
  • Material lifts require fewer inspections and less routine maintenance.
  • Material lifts typically take up less floor space, which makes them a practical option for a wide range of facilities.

A box elevator (which, again, is not a true elevator) can serve as a crucial piece of material handling infrastructure — at a much lower cost than a personnel elevator. 

Related: Vertical Reciprocating Conveyors (VRCs) Vs. Freight Elevators

Box Elevator vs. Box Lifts: What’s the Difference?

“Box elevator" and “box lift" may be used interchangeably (and as we’ve discussed, box lift is arguably a more accurate description of a material lift). 

Vertical Reciprocating Conveyor

However, “box lift" may also refer to material handling equipment that lifts packages to a working height. That includes:

Once again, there’s no standard terminology here. Different regions (and facilities within those regions) may use entirely different terms to refer to the same equipment.

Common Use Cases for Small VRCs

Box elevators are useful in environments where space is limited and efficient vertical transportation of goods is required. They’re often built to spec (and occasionally, to accommodate the size of a specific piece of packaging and nothing more). 

Use cases might include: 

  • Mezzanine access / multi-level order picking: Box elevators can efficiently move products between different levels of order picking areas, improving picking speed and accuracy.
  • Vertical line feeding: VRCs can simplify product transfer between horizontal conveyors located at different heights.
  • Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS): Integrated into AS/RS, box elevators facilitate movement of items to and from storage locations.
  • Machine feeding and unloading: Box elevators can automate the feeding of materials to machines and the removal of finished products.

Lift Tables

This isn’t a comprehensive list — box elevators can also serve as a solution for work-in-progress (WIP) storage, retail inventory management, and even put-to-light systems. 

Improve Efficiency with VRCs from BHS

If you’re sourcing equipment for a specific operation, the best practice is to describe the material flow to your MHE partner and evaluate options for each step within the system. BHS provides expert resources for custom equipment manufacturing. 

Our engineers work with you to determine specifications, then manufacture your custom VRC to meet your operation’s needs. 

To get started, request a quote online, email sales@bhs1.com or call the BHS sales team at 1.800.247.9500.