IUEC Safety stand down 4/28/20

This is a blog post that stands on its own.  We have a viral outbreak that makes our high risk jobs, even more high risk.  We are very excited to be part of the Elevator Contractors of America and able to support the IUEC in their Safety Stand Down on 4/28/20, this Tuesday.  Be part of it, take a moment to talk to your coworker or call you coworker and engage in remembering someone who passed while working or just talking safety.  We work in an environment where complacency and not doing best practices is taking lives.  Take the extra moment, get the right tool, communicate the process, whatever it takes to make sure that we are doing things as safe as we can to have successful repairs and projects.  Most importantly we want to make sure we each make it home every night.  It is not hard to be safe, but it is difficult to recover.

In a collaborated alliance to focus specific awareness on the extreme hazards associated with the conveyance industry and concerted efforts to make our profession evermore safe for our beloved tradesman and woman across the country, the Elevator Contractors of America (ECA) is pleased to join forces in a unified coalition with the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) in establishing April 28th as the official IUEC Safety Stand Down Day. This date was purposely selected to promote concentrated safety in the workplace as it coincides with the Workers Memorial Day in the United States and the National Day of Mourning recognized by our neighbors across the border in Canada.

We strongly encourage all members to mark this date on your calendars and inspire all collective bargaining field and supervisory personnel to stand in unison as the IUEC General President Frank Christensen delivers a dynamic video memorandum emphasizing the vital importance of workplace safety to the entire union assembly, closely accompanied by recorded phone in safety messages provided by his fellow General Officers.   

Stand Up for Safety by Standing Down with the IUEC on April 28, 2020. Please keep a watchful eye for text message instructions issued by International representatives and/or subscribe to the links below for specific details pertaining to participating times and directions necessary to partake in this show of solidarity in recognition of jobsite safety and special tribute in honor of all fallen colleagues. 

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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.

Elevator freight door manufacturer feature – Peelle Company

Colley Elevator experience with Peelle Company –  Colley Elevator has been working with Peelle Company for a very long time.  Peelle has a long history of making quality freight doors.  Whenever I place an order with Peelle I feel like I am a small part of the rich elevator history that our long time industry giants have created. Colley has worked with Peelle on projects at Oakton Community College, Nestle, BASF, O’Hare Airport, Electromotive, Water Reclamation District of Chicago, Citgo Petroleum, Eastman Kodak chemicals and many other projects on the freight side and have ordered several passenger door packages through them in the last several years. We have an exceptional resource with Brad Hunt who is always willing to help and assist in our projects.  If you don’t know Peelle Company, get to know them!

History

Since 1905, The Peelle Company has been family owned and operated. We are currently on the cusp of entering into an unprecedented 5th Generation of Peelle ownership. Our current manufacturing location is in Canada just outside of Toronto. We have sold blast doors, airplane hangar doors, swing doors, dumbwaiters, and even escalators in the past. Freight and passenger elevator doors are our expertise and that is what we focus on in 2020.

What is the company’s philosophy on the freight elevator market?

It’s simple. We are the freight elevator experts and evangelists! We preach the importance and necessity of freight elevators, and their role in goods transportation. We celebrate the success of the freight market and the success of our competition when they are able to provide the correct solution of a freight elevator versus a service elevator to an end user.

What competitive advantage/strength does your control system have versus the competition?

With only 32 wires, our wireless control system installs in 30% less time than a standard control system. We run anywhere from 10 -15 teams in the Local 1 Market and we have personally realized the time savings by utilizing our wireless system. Our wireless controller offers closed loop, plug and play, self-learning technology, it is machine-room-less with a VVVF drive.

What markets do you service besides freight equipment?

We offer a complete line of passenger elevator entrances and replacement door panels. We are excited to provide the passenger elevator market our top level of service, knowledge and manufacturing capabilities, allowing for a very short lead-time on doors.

What is your controller’s primary platform[PLC, Microprocessor, etc]?

Our Primary control system is our wireless controller (microprocessor based). We still offer our earlier line of PLC controllers, but wireless is standard.

What do you like most about the Chicago market?

I personally used to live in Chicago in the 1980's I’m in love with deep pan pizza, Chicago style hot dogs and I wish I could say the Cubs, but as sad as it is I am a Mets fan. When I am blessed with the opportunity to travel there for business it's like coming home. I only live 700 miles away so if a customer needs an immediate visit, it is just a small plane ride away.

What challenges do you have in the Chicago market?

Obviously, not being able to live in the market is a challenge, but probably the most significant challenge I have is trying to convince some of the more senior field staff of the benefits of our outstanding wireless controller and the tremendous advantage it provides in both installation labor savings and overall door performance. Those that have installed the wireless controller sing its praises.

What are some marquis, challenging or fun projects you have done in the national market and more importantly the Chicago market?

We provided 30 foot wide doors for a customer in Texas. We worked on a job that required a 100,000 Lbs. capacity, providing doors that were able to withstand the extreme load. We were happy to work on one of the largest elevator modernization projects in New York City, the Empire State Building! We are proud of the many doors provided for the Chicago Post Offices as well. And a fun note, Peelle has a freight elevator door installed on every continent!

What is on the horizon for the company?

I would be remiss if I did not mention our current global situation due to the Covid-19 virus. This has really forced us as well as every company worldwide to take stock and reassess their place in the global market. Looking to our immediate future, we face new challenges for promoting business.  We take these challenges and turn them into opportunities. These new opportunities for communication and support will solidify our place as the number one choice for elevator entrances and related equipment.  

Anything additional that makes your company unique, fun facts, etc.

The level of expertise we offer is vast, while we have many new faces at Peelle, we also have many older faces. I myself have been with The Peelle Company for more than 30 years and I am not the only one, people love to work here, and it shows in the quality products we produce and the outstanding customer service we provide.  

I would like to thank Brad Hunt and the Peelle Company for taking the time to answer my questions!

Hey! Sign up for our mailing list!  We are doing emails once a month.

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.

Elevator picture Hall of Fame 2020 – 1st 4 months

We get to review a lot of pictures of elevators when we go survey them for sales, shut downs or engineering.  Here are a few gems that we pulled out of the vault.

I dumped you for a reason, but I forgot, now I remember – The first picture is from a building that went through a lot with a company who could have done a better job.  If you want to know, ask me and I’ll tell the whole story.  Anyway.  About 10 years after we did some work at the building and they recently called us back and we found this.  Surprisingly they had a bad traveling cable 2 days before we started on the new PM agreement.  “The water wasn’t there during my last PM”, dry rot on a new traveling cable doesn’t happen in 30 days…  Good news, the building signed back up, we replaced the traveling cable and the elevator is ACES now. 

I would like some answers! – This is from a building that has been though a lot with a different vendor.  We came in, cleaned all the cars, reduced shut downs but… The Village is still very interested in any elevator issue based on the past.  Each time an elevator shuts down we need to notify the Village on the resolution.   No elevator company could have prevented this one.  Yes, that is a shoe mark on the car door.  Nothing like a snap kick to shut the elevator down.

Something is better than nothing, but… Where did it go – I don’t see too many of these around. I applaud the effort, but where is the old one?

We go every month – This is from a building that has “monthly service” with an elevator maintenance company.   The building ownership did not like our price to clean the pit, sounds like the building owner and the elevator company are a match made in heaven.

You come here often? – I found this little guy in a disconnect during a visit to engineer a project.  He never got to tell his family about his adventures trying to get in the elevator machine room.  Should be a Pixar movie.

Hey! Sign up for our mailing list!  We are doing emails once a month.

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.

Colley Elevator – Covid 19 fundraiser

Colley Elevator is getting in the game to help our communities and health care workers.  We will be fundraising for the Northern Illinois Food Bank, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Loyola Health Care workers and Elmhurst, IL Health Care workers. 

Food – We have a lot of people that are out of work – 10 million signed up for unemployment in the last two weeks.

Northern Illinois Food Bank 

Great Chicago Food Depository

Health care workers – These are the front line people helping battle this devastating virus.  We can help feed them during their shifts.

Loyola - Maywood, IL 

Elmhurst Hospital - Elmhurst, IL

For any donation of $10.00 of more we will send you a Colley Elevator hand sanitizer and match your donation.  We have $2,500.00 in matching funds.  The $2,500.00 would come from Colley Elevator's managing partner, Craig Zomchek.  We will also subsidize all credit card fees associated with the Gofund me site.

Your $10.00 donation gets matched and will equal $20.00.  Your $50.00 donation gets matched and will equal $100.00.  Each day Colley will match the day’s donation and send funds out to the 4 areas we are supporting.

After you donate send your contact information to Covidsupport@colleyelevator.com so we can send out the hand sanitizer.

Remember each donation is matched [up to a total of $2,500.00] and you will get you a Colley Elevator hand sanitizer while supplies last.

Click below to donate


https://www.gofundme.com/f/colley-elevator-covid-19

4/6/20 update - Match of $1035.00 + the initial $100.00 makes $1,135.00 from CZ to match all donations.   Total 4/5-4/6 draw is $2,170.00 which equals $542.50 to each of the 4 causes to be donated tonight.  Lets fill up the bucket and give some more to those who are in need and those helping save lives!   Thank you to everyone who donated so far!

4/7/20 update - Donations of $1,445.00 today and match of $1,445.00 from brings us to a total donation of $2,890.00 today and a total of $5,060.00 distributed to the four causes.  Thank you so much to everyone who donated!  The matching portion is completed!  Feel free to donate more and I will make sure it gets to the correct place.  I am honored to be surrounded by so many great people!

4/9 update - An additional 750.00 has been distributed between Greater Chicago Food Bank and Northern Illinois Food Bank tonight.  6.7 million more people applied for unemployment this week.  Thank you for your donations!!

4/13 update - An additional $300.00 has been distributed between Elmhurst Hopsital, IL and Loyola Hospital - Maywood, IL. Total donations = $5,910.00! Thank you!!!

*Jeff Jeager's $500.00 donation was on behalf of Motion Control Engineering!  Thank you for being good friends of Colley Elevator for over 30 years!

Give back to those who are less fortunate and those who are putting their life on the line to save our loved ones.

Hope, support & prevail

Craig Zomchek
Colley Elevator

Traction Elevator modernization – Chicago, IL

This is a very exciting elevator modernization for Colley Elevator.   The building is located in Chicago’s famous Gold Coast and is an old mansion that was converted into condominiums in the 1970’s.  The elevator was originally installed in 1929 and had been modernized in the 1970’s by one of our retired partners when he worked at Gallaher & Speck.  The elevator worked well for its age but had to be modernized again to comply with the Chicago FEO Phase II mandate.  

Existing elevator & project scope – The existing elevator was originally manufactured by Haughton Elevator and Machine Company in 1929.  The car had manual doors during the original installation.  Sometime in the past it was modernized to have automatic doors.  In the 1970’s the elevator had a new CJ Anderson Elevator controller in.  The original machine was still there and is still there, works great, decent condition for the age.  We installed new controller, new motor, new door equipment, new fixtures, new counterweights, rope gripper, brake, governor and electrical on this elevator.  The machine would have been replaced but the location in the building would have been difficult to get a new machine in and the machine has been maintained well and still operates well.

New equipment providers

Controllers – Smartrise Engineering

Motors – Imperial

Door equipment - GAL

Fixtures – Innovation Industries

Traction safety & Misc equipment – Hollister Whitney

Flexible motor coupler - EMR

Traction elevator controller & machine room – The machine room is lined with lead and the old controller is in the middle of the room.  We removed the old controller and put the new controller on the far wall to give some room for the mechanics to work. One of the complaints was that the elevator was too noisy.  I met with the person complaining and it so happened his bedroom was on the same wall as the controller and he heard the contactors engaging.  The new Smartrise C4 should eliminate this issue.

[Old machine room]

[Old controller]

[Old controller moved out]

[New Smartrise C4 controller moved in]

  

Elevator machines– This is a very old Haughton machine that had its original brake.  We opted to keep the machine, replace the motor and brake.  Over the years the building has undergone several construction projects which would have made installation of a new machine nearly impossible without ripping out walls in residents units.  The project team did an incredible job with making the new equipment work with the existing machine space.

  

[Old Machine]

[Waiting for motor & brake - Lots of field modification]

[New motor, rope gripper, brake]

 Elevator fixtures – We installed new ADA compliant Innovation fixtures. Nothing splashy or fancy, just looks good and works good.

[1970 hall button]

[New ADA 2020 hall button]

Car top – This car top was small, it was a challenge to put all of our new equipment on it.  I believe the project team had chisel the dinosaur bones off the car top.  New look, great look!

[Old car top]

[New car top]

Counter weights – We removed the existing sash weight counterweights for new Hollister Whitney counterweights.

[Old sashweights]

[New cables & counterweights]

Door equipment – We put all new GAL equipment on the elevator doors which was a challenge due to the center opening 2 speed small doors.  Take a look at the first picture and how small the doors are.

[Tiny 2 speed center opening doors]

[Old hatch doors]

[Freshened up hatch doors]

Take away –The field team who did the installation moved mountains on this one! This was a total team effort on Colley’s part, we had 15 people from the company who worked on the project from the first phone call to the final inspection.  We had some great support from EMR on the motor coupler fitting the 1929 machine and 2020 motor correctly.

Hey! Sign up for our mailing list!  We should be getting a monthly email going out sometime in Q1 of next year.

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.

Covid – 19 – Hope, Support, Prevail from an Elevator Contractor

Colley Elevator has been through World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, 9/11 and everything in between today and 1908.  We will move past the Covid-19. We should be following CDC suggestions and doing everything we can to keep everyone safe.  I do not want to underscore health and safety with this post because those are paramount.   This posts intention is to encourage thinking past the virus and to do what we can do to make things better.  

Support the medical community – If any construction firms have N95 masks, donate them.  Today all of our masks went to Loyola’s emergency room doctors & nurses.  Healthcare workers need them more than we do.  If you have them sitting on your shelf, road boxes or hiding in a closet, get them to the right people.   

Support your local businesses - The impact of this virus will be devastating to many business and individuals.  At Colley Elevator we are buying lunch for all employees left working in the office from a different restaurant.  Our dining rooms in Illinois got shut down on Monday.  We want to support our food service in our community to do what we can.  What can you be doing to help?  Bosses and Managers open up your wallets.  Food service has been there for us every day since you started working, now it’s time we are there for them.

Say thank you to the grocery store workers/gas station attendants and anyone who is generally underpaid to deal with us freaking out – These people have been putting up with us walking into stores with gas masks on trying to buy 1,200 rolls of toilet paper and 40 gallons of milk.  Register attendants and stocking clerks do not get paid well and they are one of the people that are most at risk with the volume of people going in and out of the building.  Tell them “thank you” that they came to work, they are on front line of this invisible war when most of us were sent home to work.

Stay cool – We will get through this.  We are getting good direction from our State leaders.  Listen. Stay in. Essential workers, be as safe as you can.  A suggestion to everyone; take a walk, play a board game, watch a movie, call that friend who you have been too busy to talk to for the last 2 years, check in on friends and loved ones and say hi to your neighbor from across the street.  Today life may be more complicated but it is still a beautiful thing. 

Elevator industry workers stay together – I have been on the phone with other company leaders and will make you the same offer.  If you need anything in these difficult times, reach out to me.  I will do my best to help.  Let’s keep our elevators running and let’s stay safe.

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.

End of Life/Obsolete elevator equipment – US Elevator Ascension 1000/2000

This is the 3^rd in our series of end of life/obsolete elevator control systems.  We still have a few of these in the Chicago market.  The marketing of US Ascension elevator controllers and branding was pretty slick for an elevator controller.  Unfortunately the marketing of the product, does not make it a good product.  Many of these elevators are being replaced because of their reliability. They have some typical ghosts hiding in the closet, if you know where to look you can resolve them relatively quickly.  The question always is, how long and how often do you want to deal with the inherent headaches with this specific elevator system if you depend on your elevator?

What’s the story?  Thyssen Krupp bought US Elevator and then bought Dover Elevator.  Thyssen went on to use something closer to Dover’s control platform and the US platform was scrapped.  US Elevator’s Ascension series was never very popular with the field technician.  For years there have been some very talented Thyssen field techs that have kept these elevators running.  The very talented Thyssen techs that are familiar with this platform are retiring making them few and far between.  Domain knowledge is dwindling.

Who this impacts – If you have an Ascension branded US Elevator or any US Elevator for that matter you need to begin thinking about equipment replacement. Yes, Ascension brand elevator controllers are not that old and should last longer.  It is our recommendation you need to get this scheduled to be replaced.  This elevator controller is currently considered obsolete.

Are parts still available? – There are a few outlets that sell parts or repair the boards on the US Ascension line of elevators.  If you are having boards repaired you need to understand this is not a perfect science, it is more like going to the casino.  We have some great repair shops we can send parts to, but at times, results can vary.  We used to be able to lean on some of these repair shops for hints on field repairs, but that domain knowledge is also retiring.

Trip counter Ascension 2000 – On the Ascension 2000 controllers there may be a trip counter that requires a manual reset.  This is a built in feature to require a maintenance program and monthly visits.  There was a chip set you can buy for this to remove the counter, I don’t know if they are available anymore. 

Take away – If you have any the Ascension 1000/2000 or US Elevator you should have a plan with your elevator company to replace this.  If you cannot afford to replace the elevator controller you should have an understanding of what parts are available, what the building’s expectations should be and what level of talent on this specific control system your elevator maintenance contractor has. Everyone is not good at everything. 

Hey! Sign up for our mailing list!  Next newsletter will be out shortly and you will get one about once a month.

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.