What this video shows
An Otis 219 elevator machine at Marina City in Chicago had a worn bearing seat on the shaft. The bearing ran short of grease, seized, and destroyed the seat it sits in.
We cut the seat with the machine in place, working tight to the machine room wall. Then we made a sleeve, fitted it, and installed the new bearing.
The video also covers why this kind of wear happens: sheave grooves worn to different depths tension the ropes unevenly, and the bouncing that causes loads the bearing. Keeping the grooves even with elevator sheave regrooving takes that load off.
In this video
- 0:00 – On the roof at Marina City
- 1:35 – The machine: Otis 219
- 2:03 – Machining the worn bearing seat
- 2:25 – What caused the wear
- 3:03 – Setting up tight to the wall
- 4:07 – Groove depth and rope tension
- 6:05 – The sleeve and the new bearing
Learn more
- Elevator sheave regroovingOn site in the machine room or in our shop.
- Second opinionNot sure the last regroove was done right?
- Machining servicesOn-site and in-shop machining from IRM in Chicago.
Elevator machine problem?
Talk to the machinist who does the work, not a salesperson.