Hydraulic elevator modernization - Chicago, IL

This was a building that their elevator was shut down for over a year before they got around to modernizing it.  The existing elevator equipment was 1960’s Montgomery Elevator vintage.  The elevator has been running for about 9 months, the shiny new look has worn off but it has been providing the building with reliable elevator service since turn over.

Elevator controller – Smartrise

Fixtures – Innovation

Car door operator – GAL

Car and hatch equipment – MAC

Power unit – MEI

Elevator cylinder - EECO

Machine room – When I first went to the building I found the machine room jammed with non elevator related equipment.  We removed the existing Montgomery Elevator controller which serviced the building for 50+ years with a new Smartrise control system and MEI hydraulic elevator with Maxton UC4 valve.  In the elevator machine rooms it is always a challenge to keep non elevator related equipment out.

[Machine room my first visit]

[Old Montgomery work horse for over 50 years]

[Old dry elevator hydraulic power unit]

[New Smartrise controller & MEI power unit]

[New Maxton UC4 control valve - pump and motor below]

Elevator fixtures – We worked with Innovation Industries on this installation and I believe the fixtures turned out great.

[Old Montgomery car operating panel w/carpet walls]

[New car operating panel by Innovation Industries and new cab interior]

[Old look of the 1st floor elevator lobby]

[New look at 1st floor with ADA elevator fixtures - lobby was also painted and new floors]

Door equipment – We always use a GAL MOVFR II operator on our modernization projects and in this case we used MAC car and hatch equipment to save the building some costs with converting over to GAL tracks.

[Old MAC door operator with leveling system wreckage]

[New GAL MOVFR door operator]

Elevator cylinder – The elevator was pre 1972 had did not have a safety bulk head so this needed to be replaced per City of Chicago mandate which required all single bottom cylinders to be removed prior to 1/1/13.  There are still many single bulk head cylinders out there.

[Old MAC cylinder pre 1972]

[New EECO cylinder replaced due to Chicago mandate]

Other modernization items – When we do a modernization there are some items the building has to take care of i.e. electrical disconnects, fire alarm panel, various machine room items. 

[New mainline disconnects and fire alarm panel w/updated fire extinguisher]

[Creative way to reduce potential issues with water pipes]

[Machine room GFCI]

If you have any questions or would like additional information feel free to contact me at CraigZ@colleyelevator.com or 630-766-7230 ext. 107.

Also check us out on Instagram @Colleyelevator see what we have been up to.