Articulating Boom
Here Are The Essentials On Lift
Truck Bucket Reconditioning/Replacement With
Articulating Boom
While we certainly
respect the fact that you are spending your time on the
internet
with a clear focus of attention at this time on
Articulating Boom, this
subject of thought
may come up as well:
While a
body shop or a custom molder
of fiberglass
parts
could launch a restorative effort to
make a
repair look
cosmetic or artistically acceptable,
they will likely not have people with
the specific, detailed knowledge needed to make
aerial
lift components truly safe (enough to really protect
the lineman). Nor will they likely have the
economic and risk management resources that are
needed by most reputable operators like
product liability insurance (to protect the company).
[Added
note:
Understandably, even
though the priority is for
Articulating Boom,
please do
tell the right people.]
So, here is what needs to be
addressed in a competent and
decidedly 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 level of tension and damage the insulators for the upper and lower boom can safely withstand without compromising their insulation properties.
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.
Specifications must be
strictly followed for the reliable union of the bucket
and the telescoping or articulated arm.
You Have Considered Articulating Boom,
So Now How Do You Restore A Lift?
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?
Have the
workers been adequately trained and experienced for this type of work,
carrying the appropriate certifications
such as those offered by the ACMA?
There are other steps that
should be taken, if one was serious about this potential
problem.:
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?
Electrical insulation continuity
can be disturbed by the repair process itself. Therefore
a post-check must be performed. This
of course presumes that Articulating Boom-related needs have
electrical insulation properties. If you are unsure,
the owners manual is a great place to start
checking.
Beyond Articulating Boom:
Examples of Specific Component Repair/Rebuild Issues and
How the Repair Company Should Handle Them
Let us take a look at
some 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.
We have seen
all of these situations come into being.
Just Doing Your Job May Mean Taking A Bit Of Extra
Time
Your local fiberglass rehab
supplier is contacted. Through either shipping or
pickup, they are in possession of an
upper boom in fairly good condition 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
problems require the action indicated in the manual.
2. If the boom is dirty inside, the shop should
call and ask permission to pressure wash
the inside. should
then be dielectrically tested . If there is a dielectric
problem, the boom should be analyzed with a conductivity
meter to identify the problem. If the
analysis reveals a problem, the company should call the
ownerand discuss the steps needed to solve it.
3. If there are no additional problems, 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 ,
and shipped back to the owner. The final phase is
creating some type of secure package in which it is
placed .
The top most section of a telescoping lift arm with some apparent cracks is put in an inspection area for evaluation.
1. The cracks should be reviewed using the repair manual guidelines of the manufacturer and the judgment and experience of those doing the actual work. If the
cracks are judged to be repairable, the repairer
should provide a detailed work plan including time and materials .
2. Once the go ahead to do the work is
received, the repair company
should complete the structural repairs using the proper reinforcement and resin, let the repairs cure, then do a structural test on the boom to make sure that the repair procedures worked.
3. If the repairs are
acceptable, the boom should then be cosmetically
refinished and dielectrically tested and returned to
the owner.
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.
Structural
Issues
Another
situation is when the
enclosed platform that holds the operator is formed into reinforced arches
into which studs or bolts are fitted that in turn
are used to connect the boom arm. When these mounts are cracked or badly worn, 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 or some other type of restorative repair.
Where It Looks Worse
Than It Is
Now, a more normal state is when field
use has not yet pushed the item out of its service
range. Consider a series of
material separations on the edges of the bucket retainer,
but no apparent problems with the actual bucket-boom
connection area. It is very likely that this apparatus
can be returned to many years of active service. In this
case, providing levels of pricing for each approach
action, structural only or structural plus
cosmetic, is the appropriate response.
Tags: Articulating Boom
