Schindler 330A elevator replacement/elevator modernization – Chicago, IL

We received a phone call to bid on the replacement of a newer Schindler 330A hydraulic elevator.  The building had a significant amount of issues with the elevator and was exploring replacement options. Their current contract was with an OEM and they could not get a good amount of clean run time and the building was frustrated.  The old elevator system was a single inverted holeless system.  We proposed a new non proprietary borehole hydraulic elevator.

Hoistway hydraulic system - Cylinder placement was in our opinion one of the largest issues with the design of this elevator.  The inverted cylinder design is also a maintenance challenge.  The rails are in the front of the hoistway and it is a type of cantilevered design.  From our experience these should only be used in special applications i.e. adjacent doors in lieu of corner posts.  We dug a hole and installed a traditional borehole cylinder.  Digging the hole went great and a new borehole system was a installed with out issue.  Cylinder by ITI Hydraulik.

Before - Schindler inverted multi stage cylinder 

After - New borehole cylinder hole dug & installed

Machine room – The building had a Schindler 330A control system and Schindler hydraulic power unit with EECO UV5A valve. The control system is fairly dependable but it has very expensive components if it needs replacement.  This control system is also proprietary.  We installed a non-proprietary Smartrise Engineering control system and a Minnesota Elevator hydraulic tank with Maxton valve.

Before - Schindler inverted single cylinder

After - Smartrise controller & MEI power unit w/Maxton UC4 valve

After - New Smartrise controller

Door frames and buttons – The elevator door frames and buttons where from the Schindler package. It was designed around the Schindler linear door operator.  The hall buttons are from Schindler and have a history for being more sensitive to normal wear and tear than other buttons, they are also very expensive to replace.  We replaced them with a Minnesota Elevator package that included Innovation Industries buttons.

Before - Schindler inverted single cylinder

After - New stainless steel frames and doors w/Innovation fixtures

Elevator door operator – We replaced the Schindler linear door operator with a more robust GAL MOVFR II operator and door system.  The GAL door operator and related equipment is heavy duty and user friendly.  If parts or tech support is required we have a great local GAL office in Elk Grove Village, IL to lean on.

After - New GAL door operator

Car station – The elevator’s car station was from Schindler and was replaced with Innovation Industries.  Innovation Industries provides great robust fixtures and their customer service is second to none!

Before - Schindler plastic car station

After - New stainless steel car station form Innovation Industries

Cab interior – The cab interior came out great from Minnesota Elevator.

Work by others – Colley Elevator also assisted the traditional “work by others” scope which included new electrical, fire panel and fire alarms. 

After - Mainline & 110VAC electrical disconnects

After - Fire panel & fireman's recall detectors from Chicago Metro Fire

Take away – This was a significant undertaking for the building but now they have a very reliable elevator that any elevator company can get technical support and parts for.  If the building does not like Colley Elevator they can call ABC Elevator or XYZ elevator or anyone in between.  This project was not without its challenges which included removing building walls, putting new inserts in existing poured CMU and a challenging construction schedule.  We had a great and patient building to work with during the project.  The design and equipment of the new elevator system in our opinion will service the building in a very reliable manner for many years to come.

This was our 2^nd full equipment replacement [everything including the rails] of the year and the design, planning, field execution[Big thanks to our IUEC team who completed the install] was a considerable undertaking for everyone involved.  This project was truly a team effort! I would like to thank everyone who had their finger prints on the project and everyone at the building who put their faith in us to provide a great product.

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.

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