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A Field Note: We Admit
That There May Be More Directly Related Information
To Aerial Lift Equipment - The Following Is Provided Because There Exists Facts On Making Lift
Bucket Repairs And Upgrades A More Cost Effective But Safe
Item
It is
interesting that many have found while often
checking into Aerial Lift Equipment, there are those who have asked about the following as well:
It is true that you may be able to go to
someone who works with fiberglass in many other
roles, such as a body shop, general molder or other
product producer like boats, etc., they generally may
not provide the best protection for
the user or the company owning the aerial lift truck.
For instance, there are both structural needs and (where
applicable) electrical insulating properties which can
be overlooked. Nor will that
company likely have proper liability insurance in case
something does go wrong that may result in legal
actions. Moreover, it can be a tremendous
problem for a larger operation that has more exposure
over time because of higher volume of activityand the
resulting revenue it can generate. (For
those doing an analysis of Aerial Lift Equipment, the comments contained
within this article may be more applicable to to whomever
carries the responsibility for field vehicle
operations.)
It is apparent,
this is not something that can be put in the category of
basic mechanical repair or restoration. So, some of
the special considerations involved in fiberglass repairs
and rebuilds of aerial manlift components
include:
What are the
technical needs to safely insulate the two sections of
the boom from one another, and how these needs can be
interfered with in a variety of field-induced
situations and potentially some in the repair
facility itself.
How strength must be retained
in the fiberglass boom insulators, no matter how much
working abuse and loads they are subjected
to.
While there are no formal
standards, the lift bucket itself does provide
electrical insulation, so a check of these properties is
an important part of the repair.
The
requirements for structurally sound
mounting of the bucket to
the boom..
More Than Aerial Lift Equipment: The Critical Assessment Of The
Abilities Of A Repair Facility For The Most Important Fixup
You'll Ever Do
With all that is at stake with human lift applications, there is a lot to
consider, so the following questions should be asked
of any company on the list for aerial manlift
fiberglass work:
Is there an adequate amount
of fiscal protection, against any unanticipated risk
exposure by the group, that can fully support any
errors that might be made in providing aerial lift repair?
Are any of its people certified by the American
Composites Manufacturing Association as Certified
Composites Technicians?
In addition
to the above, points to also review
include:
Is the company familiar
with the special needs of fiberglass components in aerial
man lift units?
Insulation continuity
can be disturbed by the repair process itself. Therefore
a post-check must be performed. This
of course presumes that Aerial Lift Equipment-related needs have
electrical insulation properties.
Beyond Aerial Lift Equipment:
Examples of Specific Component Repair/Rebuild Issues and
How the Repair Company Should Handle Them
Let us take a look at
some steps a
qualified repair facility would typically undergo in
order to ensure safe and proper repair of the bucket and
boom parts under question. While the situations
they represent may seem a bit one dimensional, by
broadly interpreting them, you can get a grasp of the
best practices of repair.
We have seen
all of these situations come into being.
No Obvious
Damage
Here we find that a boom
section shows up with little or no instruction from the owner except - to do a general check-over and servicing. A
lower end repair shop may do no more than a basic
visual inspection . However,
one that
is familiar with the gravity of the need would do
more, including the following items:
Communication with - and gaining permission - before commencing
repairs.
A thorough cleaning inside and outside, followed by a
visual inspection into the inner cavity of the boom itself.
Initial dielectric testing to determine unwanted
continuity.
Load or stress testing, often at multiples of the rated capacity (the manufacturer specifications should be consulted prior to the test).
Resurfacing.
Final electrical testing.
Documentations and certifications of all tests and
servicing done.
Highly protective packaging.
An Obvious Cause For Concern
An upper boom that has clearly sustained some damage is brought in.
1. The cracks should be reviewed using the repair manual guidelines of the manufacturer. It will probably be necessary to sand the
coating off the boom to evaluate the cracks. If the
cracks are judged to be repairable, the repairer
should provide a detailed work plan including time and materials .
2. Once the go ahead to do the work is
received, the repair company
should complete the structural repairs, then do a structural test on the boom to make sure that the repair procedures worked.
3. The boom should then be cosmetically
refinished and dielectrically tested and returned to
the owner.
Using An Instructive
Example To Illustrate The Dangers Of Proceeding With
Improper Repair And Returning A Component To Full Field
Use
1. A well used fiberglass enclosed operator containment platform comes in.
2. This particular design uses bolts to mount it to the arm. A simple
inspection reports a bolt from this assembly has punched
through the side of the operator area.
3.
The bucket probably should not be repaired because of
concerns about the possibility of the bucket later coming
loose from the boom.
Structural
Issues
Another
situation is when the
actual
bucket base material is formed into reinforced arches
into which studs or bolts are fitted that in turn
are used to connect the boom arm. When these mounts are cracked or badly worn, it
can compromise the actual boom mounting assembly. If
this is the case, it is more than a concern for the
safety conscious operator. While there are repair
techniques that can be used, none will likely restore
this critical supporting assembly to a viable state.
Because this design depends heavily on both the integral
bonding of the mounting fixture into the supporting
fiberglass, again the recommendation to the owner would be for replacement rather than remanufacture.
Now You Can Have A Bucket Or
Similar Item For Repair That Has Cosmetic Damage
A fiberglass lift platform comes into this particular shop:
1. The
mount side is not damaged, but the front corners are
cracked through. With proper techniques and
materials, the bucket can be repaired.
2. The
repairer should determine whether the customer just wants
the bucket repaired structurally or wants the bucket to
also be refinished to a like-new condition. In most
cases, the latter option is chosen.
3. An
estimate is made first, the
customer needs to express their wishes and wants back
first, and then the appropriate repair action should
be taken.
Tags: Aerial Lift Equipment
