Seeking Aerial Lift Trailer? We Would
Like To Become Involved
As Your Advisor Concerning
Lift Platform Repairs, Upgrades And Add-On Types Of Equipment
If case this applies
to your operational, safety and maintenance
needs,
here's the best method
for this type of
admittedly
critical repair.
(This should
be of value even to those who were attracted to this page
by
Aerial Lift Trailer.
No? Then we would ask that you find someone to give this information to because of its critical safety importance.)
First, There is a need to establish the very basic
requirements the for evaluating boom insulators, and what can, in effect, potentially degrade or impede the capability to protect the operator/user/worker. The repair organization may
not be aware of it unless they are focused on this
particular type of evaluation and restoration process,
however there do exist formal standards issued by the government
on this type of device, for which repair practices must be
followed.
Second, we move to the physical strength of the entire
insulator structure since the primary function of the device is to lift
and control aerial loads. Loads that we need to
remember are special human cargo, and deserve the highest
quality protection available. Specifically, how much
stress and strain they can withstand over time without
breaking down. And the bucket
itself, although no standard for insulation
exists, and how it can be important to maintain a high
level of electrical separation, is still a
large part of the safety equation against personal shock.
It then becomes even more critical that a three-stage [inspection-repair-inspection] process must also
be included. The idea of having a conductive
bucket in situations where power line exposure is a
potential is not wise, and - in fact - that is using a non-conductive personnel enclosure versus a wire or
other metalized platform may be a contingency. There are many cases where
there is no
expectation of actually coming in contact with an
unprotected or exposed electrical
obstruction, but this can unintentionally
happen over the course of the use of the
equipment.
Third, a point of common wear, are the
mountings that in a sense form the primary
structure bridging the bucket to the boom. No slacking here
lest a potential decoupling of the lift
superstructure occur in the
future. (Again, if you were brought here by
researching Aerial Lift Trailer, and this does not apply directly to
your area of responsibility, to make a priority to express its importance to the correct person in your organization.)
So, here is what needs to be
addressed in a competent and
without any type of
doubt rigorous manner:
What the official
specifications are for making sure the upper boom is
dielectrically separated from the lower boom, and how
this separation can be compromised.
The structural strength requirements for
fiberglass upper booms and lower boom insulators .
Also, 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..
You Have Considered Aerial Lift Trailer,
So Now How Do You Restore A Lift?
So what capabilities are needed ? Here are some of the key ones to look
for:
Is there any way of verifying that they currently
have the full level and type of liability insurance that is specifically
underwritten for the bucket
truck lift repair area?
Are any of its people certified by the American
Composites Manufacturing Association as Certified
Composites Technicians?
In addition
to the above:
Aerial man lifts are a very
specialized subset of the fiberglass products industry.
Experience and knowledge of this applicaiton are
critical.
In addition to maintaining
physical integrity, after a repair has been made, a final
electrical insulation test should be performed to ensure
that the refurbishment process has not also created a potential for dangerous
circuit completion that could effect the operator. (For
situations relating specifically to Aerial Lift Trailer, a consultation
with those in your organization who actually purchased your aerial lift products are a
good idea to gain their perspective on this important
checking phase.)
Beyond KW2001:
Examples of Specific Component Repair/Rebuild Issues and
How the Repair Company Should Handle Them
Look here to see how this might play
out.
No Obvious
Damage
Those responsible for repair have been in some way notified. They are sent an
upper boom for surface
refinishing and rehabilitation. Here are the
steps:
1. Start to visually examine the boom for any evidence
of damage. Any such evidence should be compared with
boom damage criteria shown in the OEM manual.
2. If the boom is dirty inside, the shop should
call and ask to pressure wash
the inside. After cleaning, the boom should
then be dielectrically tested . If there is a dielectric
problem, the boom should be analyzed with a conductivity
meter to identify the problem. and discuss the steps needed to solve it.
3. If there is nothing else on the repair
agenda, the boom
should be cosmetically repaired and refinished as needed.
4. Then, the boom should be dielectrically tested
again and structurally tested -at a load of more than
double its rating. If it passes, the boom should be waxed properly to help
shed water and dirt, to ensure its insulating effect,
and shipped back to the owner. The final phase is
creating some type of secure package in which it is
placed along with certificates showing the results of
the dielectric and structural strength tests.
Here Is A Time When More Care Is Needed From The
Very Beginning, And The Training And Procedures
That Call For More Of A Specialist Organization
Touch
We will continue with
boom repairs since a failure at that level can be
catastrophic. Looking once more at the uppermost member of a structural support boom. It has fractures that have been flagged in the field and also are confirmed by an initial visual inspection. There
is usually a cosmetic and visual coating on the boom
itself. In order to ensure that all damage can be
identified, this protective layer should be
stripped off and a full end to end inspection made
both on the outside, and also on the hollow
inner core of the boom itself. Next determine if it can be repaired and the boom
restored to full and safe operation. This is done by
consulting what the manufacturer has declared proper, and
also comparing the damage to the capabilities of the
repair materials. These typically include physical
reinforcement, using similar OEM products and suitable
bonding materials which are impregnated into the repair
base. There will be a suitable timeframe for these
materials to setup and reach their full operational
resistance and use. At that point in time, a full
mechanical stress/tension test needs to be performed at
over the rated loading for the boom section. This
must be done, as noted above, on calibrated
equipment that can be shown to measure and record the
amount of loading placed on the repaired member.
Appropriate electrical testing would follow the same
pattern, but this is done
after surface finishing or layers are restored. Full
documentation needs to accompany the device back to its
owner/user.
Cutting
Losses
When there is
quite an obvious or intrinsic structural defect, there may be pressure on the repair entity to attempt
servicing and
return it to use. There are many scenarios where this is very
clearly the wrong choice. For instance, where the actual bucket mounting bolts have pulled away from the laminations in the bucket itself. This is put back in shape by recompressing and then
gluing or remolding the mounting into the fiberglass laminations as perhaps someone might effect a repair on a boat . These connections are primary and must be an integrated
part of the platform integrity. Our professional
opinon would be to opt out of any type of attempts to return this item to the field.
Structural
Issues
The flip side of the above 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 damage has
occurred, 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, the recommendation to the owner would be for replacement rather than remanufacture or some other type of restorative repair.
So, the bottom line is there are cases where competent skills can be applied with good results:
Bucket comes in
with no problems on the actual physical connection side of the
bucket
Yet you can see fissures, cracks or
other issues elsewhere.
Yes, this can be
saved.
So it is very appropriate for the repair
group to essentially ascertain it is safe to restore this component
Tags: KW2002
