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A Field Note: Allowing
That There May Be Topics Of Greater Interest To Your
Investigation Of Altec Bucket Truck - Yet There Exists
Communication With The Sole Purpose Of Providing
Insight/Enlightenment 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 Altec Bucket Truck, 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 over the long-haul.
For instance, there are both structural needs and electrical insulating properties that may not be addressed if the repair
just takes into account the physical repair. Plus
legal/monetary risks they can't support. And that is not a viable option for
virtually any company. (For
those doing an analysis of Altec Bucket Truck, the comments contained
within this article may be more applicable to to whomever
carries the responsibility for field vehicle
operations.)
Looking at the situation , these are some of the
issues:
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.
The level of tension and damage the insulators for the upper and lower boom can safely withstand.
Also, the lift bucket itself does provide
electrical insulation, so a check of these properties is
an important part of the repair.
Specifications must be
strictly followed for the reliable union of the bucket
and the telescoping or articulated arm.
If You Are Already
Thinking About Altec Bucket Truck, It Is A Short Step Over To An An Effective Evaluation Of Vendor Capabilities
So what capabilities are needed for the
entity that can safely complete a bucket truck lift
repair? Here are some of the key ones to look
for:
Does the company carry product
liability insurance specifically for
doing aerial lift repair?
Are any of its people certified by the American
Composites Manufacturing Association as Certified
Composites Technicians?
In addition
to the above:
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 potential for dangerous
circuit completion that could effect the operator. (For
situations relating specifically to Altec Bucket Truck, 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.)
Moving
Away From Altec Bucket Truck: How Repairs Can And Should
Unfold
Here are some real world situations that occur. They
are instructive because they illustrate the 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 that should be applied.
As a manufacturer of
buckets, we have seen
all of these situations come into being.
No Obvious
Damage
Here we find that a boom
section that connects to the bucket 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 and little else. However,
when the real uses of the component are considered by
a specialist, its clear they have a mandate that would do
more, including the following items:
Communication with - and gaining permission - from
the entity in authority 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 for any potential grounding that may
otherwise occur because of damage.
Load or stress testing (the manufacturer specifications should be consulted prior to the test).
Resurfacing and additions of protective coatings.
Final electrical testing to ensure no part of the
process caused any issues/problems.
Documentations and certifications of all tests and
servicing done.
Highly protective packaging to endure shipment and attachment of
certifications prior to shipping.
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
Looking once more at the top
section 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 inspection made
both on the outside, and inside. 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 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 done
after surface finishing or layers are restored. Full
documentation needs to accompany the device back to its
owner/user.
Using An Instructive
Example To Illustrate The Dangers Of Proceeding With
Improper Repair And Returning A Component To Full Field
Use
When there is
quite an obvious or intrinsic structural defect, there may be pressure on the repair entity to attempt
servicing . For instance, where the actual bucket mounting bolts have pulled away from the laminations in the containment bucket itself. This is put back in shape by recompressing the mounting into the fiberglass as perhaps someone might effect a repair on a boat . Repair in this
situation is not likely to produce a safe, dependable
platform. 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.
When The Basic Bonding Gives Way
Here is how this
encounter unfolded:
1. A bucket is received for repair. It mounts to the lift arm via a section of
the bucket in which a covering material made of glass
fibers in resins creates a housing for the connecting
hardware.
2. An initial examination of the mounting holes in the ribs reveals that there are cracks in the ribs at the location of the holes.
3. The prudent determination which
should be reported back from the repair group: The
bucket probably should not be repaired
Now You Can Have A Bucket Or
Similar Item For Repair That Has Cosmetic Damage
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
Yet you can see fissures, cracks or
other issues elsewhere.
Yes, this can be
saved. Question: Does the person in authority want to have something that merely works and can be serviceable from the perspective of the operator, 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, and really
depends on the economics of both options, ,
and to await further instruction.
Tags: Altec Bucket Truck
