Hydraulic Elevator Modernization – Itasca, IL – Freight Elevator – In Memoriam Ray Zomchek 1935-2023

In 1963 Ray Zomchek did the engineering for a project at the Itasca Country Club – Itasca, IL for Gallaher & Speck Elevator[Dover/Rotary Rep at the time].  In 2023 Craig Zomchek did the engineering for a modernization project at the Itasca Country Club – Itasca, IL for Colley Elevator.  We came across the original construction drawings a number of years ago when we did a site visit to the building that have RAZ[Raymond Anthony Zomchek] listed as the draftsman.

[Title block of final engineering drawings listing RAZ]

[Original blue print for construction]

Existing elevator & project scope – The elevator is/was a very small freight elevator installed in 1963 with manual gates and doors.  This elevator is the heart beat to the building that has events and functions all year long.  Over the years we had seen a decline in the elevator’s ability to service the building reliably.  We recommended a full overhaul of the elevator system with exception of keeping the hydraulic power unit that was replaced within the last 5 years.

New equipment providers

Controllers – Smartrise Engineering

Door equipment & Cab – EMS Freight doors

Sling, platform & cylinder - EECO

Fixtures – Innovation Industries

Power unit – Quality w/Maxton valves[existing]

Elevator controller – The existing Rotary/Dover relay logic control system was having some challenges keeping up with the building’s demand. We installed a new Smartrise Engineering hydraulic elevator controller that will be a good fit for now for the next 25-30+ years.

 

[1963/64 Rotary/Dover Elevator hydraulic elevator controller]

[2023 Smartrise Engineering hydraulic elevator controller]

Elevator door equpiment – I’m not quite sure whose door equipment was in prior to modernization but it was replace with new EMS freight door equipment & cab.

 

[Old elevator interior]

[New EMS cab and gate]

[Old hoistway doors]

[New EMS Freight elevator hoistway doors]

Elevator fixtures – We installed Innovation Industries hall and car fixtures to replace the original Dover/Rotary.   Notice the A17.1 2019 Visual display on the new car station.

 

[Old CJ Anderson car station]

[New Innovation Industries car station w/A17.1 2019 visual/text communication]

Hydraulic power unit – We removed the Rotary dry power unit with a new Quality submersible power unit with a Maxton UC4 valve[2019].

[Old elevator machine room]

[Machine room after modernization]

Elevator cylinder – We removed the Rotary/Dover elevator cylinder and installed a new EECO jack unit.

[Elevator pit and cylinder before modernization]

 

[Elevator pit and cylinder after modernization]

Take away – We encourage building owners take a proactive approach to equipment replacement.  This old beat worked well for the building for many many years and was fine.  We were encountering brittle wires and general fatigue in the control system.  The building decided to do an “everything but the rails” approach so they can have a reliable elevator for many years to come.

Team work– The sales person and the project team who finishes typically get the glory on a project.  In between the initial contract sale and the final acceptance are many other people who work on the project to make it successful.  From the truck driver to the engineer to the billing department to the assist when needed 14 Colley Elevator employees where involved in the project and we had tremendous team work on it.  Thank you everyone without you we would not have had such a successful delivery!  Let’s not forget our great material supplier participation!

In memory of Ray Zomchek 6/13/35 to 5/18/23.

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.