Indexed Under: Articulating Boom Lifts
A Field Note: Granted While You Are Mostly Concerned With Articulating Boom Lifts - Yet 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,
we will take you down a
pretty serious and sometimes neglected path
for this type of
admittedly
critical repair.
(We hope you
find this pertinent, even in your search for
Articulating Boom Lifts.
If this does not apply to you specifically 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 capabilities of upper boom and lower boom insulators, and what can, in effect, potentially degrade or impede the dielectric performance of the boom itself . There is a basic but
established specification that must be consulted.
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. 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, although no standard for insulation
exists, 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.
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 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
obstruction, but this can unintentionally
happen .
Third, a point of common wear, are the
mountings that create
a secure Gibralter-like linkage from the bucket to the boom. No slacking here
lest a potential decoupling of the lift
superstructure - or its crticial support components - occur in the
future. (Should your travels have delivered you to this page from your interest in Articulating Boom Lifts, and this does not apply directly to
your area of responsibility, express its importance to the correct person in your maintenance or
management group.)
So, if you find yourself facing these types of
refurbishments, in a competent and
emphatically 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.
How strength must be retained
in the fiberglass boom insulators, no matter how much
working abuse and loads they are subjected
to.
Sometimes
the final line of defense in preventing electrocution is
the bucket itself. And,
this ability must be checked
during any refurbishment.
The
requirements for correct
mounting of the bucket to secure its attachment to
the boom..
If You Are Already
Thinking About Articulating Boom Lifts, Now
How About An Effective Evaluation Of Vendor Capabilities
Given these important
considerations, here is a potentially life-saving
checklist on aerial lift
troubleshooting:
Is there any way of verifying that they currently
have the full level and type of liability insurance that is specifically
underwritten for the risks associated with bucket
truck lift repair area?
Have the
workers been adequately trained and experienced for this type of work,
with a bonified record of testing and/or
credentials
such as those offered by the ACMA?
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?
Insulation continuity
can be disturbed by the repair process itself. Therefore
a post-check must be performed, again by an approved
testing device that itself has been calibrated. This
of course presumes that Articulating Boom Lifts-related needs have
electrical insulation properties. If you are unsure,
the official owners manual is a great place to start
checking.
Further Than Articulating Boom Lifts: Repair Scenarios And The Right Way
To Deal With Them
Look here to see how this might play
out.
No Obvious
Damage
Your local fiberglass rehab
supplier is contacted. Through either shipping or
pickup, they are in possession of an
upper boom for surface
refinishing and rehabilitation. Here are the
steps:
1. The first thing that should be done is
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
ask permission to pressure wash
the inside. After cleaning, the boom should
then be dielectrically tested to make sure that it is
still dielectrically sound. If there is a dielectric
problem, the boom should be analyzed with a conductivity
tester to identify the problem. .
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. If no flaws are
found, 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 A Specialist Organization
The right diagnostic
approach:
Strip away
protective coatings 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.
Determination of
repair suitability per guidelines.
Repair using approved means
to increase overall strength and appropriate
material adhering properties.
Stress testing to required standards.
Electrical
testing.
Putting a protective and visually
appealing coating and perhaps identity
on.
Full package documentation and
shipment.
When
It Is Not Safe To Even Consider Repair
1. A bucket is received for
repair.
2. This particular design uses bolts to mount it to the arm. One
of the studs is coming out of the side wall.
3.
The bucket probably should not be repaired because of
concerns about the possibility of the bucket later coming
loose from the boom.
When The Basic Bonding Gives Way
A glimpse into this particular
case:
1. A bucket is received for repair. The
aerial platform mounts to the boom via reinforced
fiberglass.
2. An initial examination of the mounting holes in the ribs reveals that there are cracks in the ribs.
3. The
bucket probably should not be repaired
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, and then the appropriate repair action should
be taken.
Tags: Articulating Boom Lifts
