Major
Areas This Search Applies To: Aerial Man Lift
Here Are The Essentials On Lift
Truck Bucket Reconditioning/Replacement And Accessory
Selection With
Aerial Man Lift
Introduction: While you may not have thought about it
much in your search
for Aerial Man Lift, this complimentary or
supporting issue of concern has generated viable -and at times even
urgent- explorations by many into other
areas of inquiry. What
follows is an example of one of these issues that you may
need to consider in the future:
Since there
are times when these devices are in extremely high
demand, a
temptation to make the repair as cheaply as
possible is always there. Not often a great
decision.
There are many ways to cosmetically repair the bucket
that leave the lift truck owner open to potential
catastrophes. For instance, physical repairs must
take into account the underlying structure. If damage has
been done there and is merely patched over
by a repair source such as a body shop, mechanical/engine
repair or even a custom molder, then the bucket could
give way at a critical time it is being loaded, often
high above the ground. There can, as an
example, be breaks in the electrical insulating
properties of the bucket that are created during type of repair. And finally, if the
repairing company does not carry insurance for this
specific type of application, liability for any accident
could rest solely upon the bucket truck owner/operator.
While this may or may not seem important to those
who are currently investigating Aerial Man Lift, it is our profound hope and
counsel that you forward it to those
whose primary task is the maintenance of
bucket truck lift mechanisms. Titles may include
safety officer, maintenance and repair, field operations,
training, general management or even the legal
department.
It is apparent,
this is not something that can be put in the category of
basic mechanical repair or restoration. It is
incumbent upon any operator to approach this situation
with more than simple production goals. So, some of
the special considerations involved in fiberglass repairs
and rebuilds of aerial manlift components
include:
The requirements for insulating
capabilities of upper booms and lower boom insulators .
The structural strength requirements for
fiberglass upper booms and lower boom insulators .
Sometimes
the final line of defense in preventing electrocution is
the bucket itself. And,
this critical, baseline ability must be checked
during any refurbishment.
A certain component for
preservation of human life is the safe physical
connection between the
bucket and the boom.
If You Are Already
Thinking About Aerial Man Lift, Now
How About Evaluation Of Vendor Capabilities
Given these important
considerations, here is a potentially life-saving
checklist on aerial lift
recondition:
Can they prove that they
have liability insurance that is specifically
underwritten for the risks associated with bucket
truck lift repair area?
For those who
actually do the work, they should have the proper
training and carry the proper certifications. One that is helpful is the CCT certification of
the American Composites Manufacturing Association.
Here are
some other considerations as well:
Is the company familiar
with the special needs of fiberglass components in aerial
man lift units?
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 literal and figurative potential for dangerous
circuit completion that could effect the operator. (For
situations relating specifically to Aerial Man Lift, a consultation
with those in your organization who purchased your aerial lift products are a
good idea to gain their perspective on this important
checking phase.)
Further Than Aerial Man Lift: Repair Scenarios And The Right Way
To Deal With Them
Look here to see how this might play
out.
No Obvious
Damage
Scenario: The repair facility is shipped the
upper boom section that connects to the worker
basket for basic rehab . Most shops should include a cleaning, particularly if there is noticeable dirt buildup inside
the actual boom. This enables correct dielectric
testing, following recommended
procedures. If problems crop up, further
operations should be done with
such equipment as a conductivity meter and/or an
ultrasonic tester. Even though they have not
been specifically asked to do this, the boom
should be inspected to see if any type of cracks or dents. The specifications for that particular boom section
should be pulled from the manufacturer guidelines and the
damage evaluated against those guidelines. If there
are specific remedies suggested by those
guidelines that may require extra effort, the
customer should be consulted. Structural testing is next. If it
withstands this test and no other issues are found, a
final waxing should occur.
It should then be sealed and protected for shipping.
An Obvious Cause For Concern
What happens when you know there
has been damage?
Strip away
protective coatings that could potentially get in the way of any type of structural or other critical, underlying
concerns.
Internal and external visual and
sometimes touch inspection.
Check of
manufacturer dictates for proper repair.
Can it be repaired back
to factory spec?
Repair using approved means
.
Stress testing to required standards.
Similar electrical
testing.
Putting a protective and visually
appealing coating and perhaps identity
on.
Make sure
the item is carefully protected for delivery, and include
all appropriate reports concerning the repairs and
testing.
Using An Instructive
Example To Illustrate The Dangers Of Proceeding With
Improper Repair And Returning A Component To Full Field
Use
There are not a lot of backup
systems with a bucket style lift mechanism, and that
goes double with the
attachment of the boom to the bucket itself. There are
various ways that this main support can be
accomplished. In this case:
The main attachment
was accomplished through threaded rods into the side of the bucket.
It was clear
that there were fissures in the actual fiberglass
layering that supported
these mounting rods.
It is apparent that no amount of
reinforcement would make for a safe operating position.
Structural
Issues
While the
owner ultimately makes the call as to repair, they
depend on expert repair depots to
provide the advice on how successful the operation may
be. So here is
a piece of advice we gave.
Buckets can be
attached by creating an assembly out of the actual
fiberglass.
Gaps, damage
or stress lines where material has pulled apart
can form in these material-based attachment
points.
Under
this scenario, it is pretty difficult to ensure the operator of the the equipment will not be
compromised.
A competent facility would recommend replacement.
So, there are cases where competent skills can be applied on an aftermarket basis with good results such as in this case:
Bucket displays no damage on the actual physical connection side of the
bucket
However, there is deterioration
on non-supporting side
Here it is more a matter of preference
from those who are paying the bills. Question: Does the department in authority want to have something that merely works , or do they wish to go further and have a cosmetically appealing effect as well?
So moving forward with any
refurbishment is a go or no go decision, weighing the economics of both options, and making the first contact with their assessment of the
situation to whomever has sent them the component,
and to await further instruction.
Tags: Aerial Man Lift
