Traction Elevator Modernization – Evanston, IL

We recently turned over cars #6 & #7 for a building owner who has a campus in Evanston, IL.  This was a very daunting task due to spatial constraints in the elevator machine room.  The first time anyone walked into the machine room, there would be quite a bit of apprehension of how this would be completed.  The project team knocked it out of the park!

Existing elevator & project scope – We replaced the machine, elevator controller, fixtures, door operators and the associated door equipment on both elevators.

New equipment providers

Controllers – Motion Control Engineering

Door operators – GAL MOVFR w/new GAL equipment

Fixtures – Innovation Industries

Machine – Hollister Whitney

Cab interior & door frames – Eklunds

Hatch and car doors – Peelle Company

Elevator controller – The existing Otis Elevators were from 1952 and had served the building well.  However it was time for proactive upgrades to a newer, more reliable, elevator system that had more safety features.  The biggest upside here is we got to remove the Otis pie plate selectors which freed up a lot of room in the machine room.

[Old Otis 1952 traction elevator controller]

[New Motion Control Engineering[MCE] Traction elevator controller]

Elevator door operators – We replaced all of the existing Otis door equipment and door operator with new GAL components.

[Car top prior to elevator modernization]

[Car top after elevator modernization]

Elevator fixtures – We installed Innovation Industries hall and car fixtures to replace the original Otis/Adams fixtures. 

[Old elevator Adams car station push buttons]

[New Innovation industries car station push buttons]

Machine – We removed the Otis machines and installed new Hollister Whitney foot mounted motor machines. 

[Old Otis 1952 traction elevator machine]

[New Hollister Whitney traction elevator machine]

[Old Otis 1952 traction elevator machine]

[New Hollister Whitney traction elevator machine]

Elevator interiors & Door frames – Eklunds completed the cab interior work and door frames, Colley Elevator installed new car and hoistway Peele Doors. 

[Elevator door frames and doors before elevator modernization]

[Elevator door frames and doors after elevator modernization]

[Elevator interior after elevator modernization]

Building/GC relationship – The facility is part of a larger campus system that hired a GC/CM to work with us on this elevator project.  We have a great building owner and a great CM that helped our project team complete their project.

Take away – We encourage building owners take a proactive approach to equipment replacement.  When equipment gets to be 20-30 years old[in this case 70 years old], and a building’s expectations are that the elevators continue to run reliably, it is a good idea to start planning for the equipment's replacement and developing a plan.

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 crane assist we had 17 Colley Elevator employees who 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!

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.