Indexed Under: Altec Parts
A Field Note: While You Are Making A
Investigatory Run At Altec Parts - The Following Is Provided Because There Exists Interchange On Making Lift
Bucket Repairs And Upgrades Within The Reach Of Any
Organization
If case this applies
to your operational, safety and maintenance
needs,
here's the best method
for this type of
troubleshooting sequence or cycle.
(This should
be of value even to those who were attracted to this page
by
trying to find information about
Altec Parts.
If in this situation that is not the case, we would ask that you find the most appropriate person in your organization to give this information to.)
First, There is a need to establish the very basic
requirements the for evaluating boom insulators, and what can potentially degrade or impede the dielectric performance of the boom itself . 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, no
competent testing and repair approach can be complete,
without looking at the material integrity of the
insulating members of the lift which carry loads as
well. Loads that we need to
remember are special human cargo, and deserve the highest
quality protection available. Specifically, we are
looking at the insulators themselves and how much
stress and strain they can withstand over time without
breaking down. And the bucket
itself, and how it can be important to maintain a high
level of electrical separation( which is the main
reason for the choice of a non-conductive material like
fiberglass from which it is fabricated), is still a
large part of the safety equation against personal shock.
The idea of having a conductive
bucket in situations where power line exposure is a
potential is not wise, and using a non-conductive personnel enclosure versus a wire or
other metalized platform may be the next best thing
possible. There are many cases where
there is no planned or anticipated potential of actually coming in contact with an
unprotected or exposed electrical
hazard, but this can unintentionally
happen over the course of the use of the
equipment.
Third, a point of common wear, are the
mountings that connect 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 Altec Parts, we hope you feel it is important
enough for you to pass it
along to the correct person in your maintenance or
management group.)
Looking at the situation , these are some of the
issues that this type of repair requires:
The requirements for insulating
capabilities of upper booms and lower boom insulators and what affects the performance through
which the boom must operate optimally.
The level of tension and damage the insulators for the upper and lower boom can safely withstand.
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.
One of the most critical
aspects of the repair is the safe physical
connection between the
bucket and the boom.
More Than Altec Parts: 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 being considered for aerial manlift
fiberglass work:
Does the product liability insurance carrier
used by this group know that it is doing repair or
replacement work on aerial manlift components?
Are any of its people certified by the American
Composites Manufacturing Association as Certified
Composites Technicians?
In addition
to the above:
The components in aerial man lift units must perform
as life preserving conveyances with high levels of
criticality, often beyond other uses for fiberglass. Does
this supplier understand this unusual way of applying
fiberglass?
How does a customer know
if the insulating properties of bucket and boom have been
maintained during repair? By using an approved testing
device. (Again, we realize your direct interest is in Altec Parts ,so there may be varying levels of need for this.
Please consult manufacturer specs to determine
applicability.)
Moving
Away From Altec Parts: 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. With
broadly interpreting them, you can get a grasp of the
best practices of repair that should be applied.
We have seen
all of these situations come into being.
Sometimes You Have
To Look A Bit Deeper
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 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 prior to any charges being incurred.
A thorough cleaning inside and outside, followed by a
visual inspection with instruments that can help to
view 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.
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 and attachment of
certifications prior to shipping.
A Package Arrives
With An Obvious Cause For Concern
The right diagnostic
approach:
Remove anything that could in effect form
a cover over any type of structural malformations.
Internal and external visual and
sometimes touch inspection.
Check of
manufacturer guidelines on returning the
component to factory grade.
Can it be repaired back
to factory spec?
Repair using approved means
.
Stress testing.
Electrical
testing.
Resurfacing/painting, and related tasks.
Make sure
the item is carefully protected for delivery.
When It Is Not Safe To
Even Consider Repair
There are not a lot of backup
systems with a bucket style lift mechanism, especially when it concerns the
attachment of the boom to the bucket itself. In this case:
The main attachment
was accomplished through threaded rods that are in
effect integrated into the side of the bucket.
It was clear
that there were fissures in the fiberglass
layering that supported
these mounting rods.
Without even checking
further it is apparent that no amount of
reinforcement would make for a safe operating position.
A Similar Problem, But
This One Involves The Fiberglass Mounting Holes
Themselves
The flip side of the above is when the
actual
bucket base material is formed into reinforced arches
that in turn
are used to connect the boom arm. When damage has
occurred, it
can compromise the actual boom mounting assembly. 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.
Where It Looks Worse
Than It Is
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.
3. A quotation for the cost of the
repair should then be given to the customer, the
customer needs to express their wishes and wants back
first, and then the appropriate repair action should
be taken.
Tags: Altec Parts
