Major
Areas This Search Applies To: Boom Equipment
Here Are The Essentials On Lift
Truck Bucket Reconditioning/Replacement And Accessory
Selection As A Companion To
Boom Equipment
Introduction: While you may not have thought about it
much (or even really considered it) in your search
for Boom Equipment, this alternate topic has generated viable 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. That choice can have tragic consequences.
There are many ways to cosmetically repair the bucket
that leave the lift truck owner open to potential
catastrophes. There can be breaks in the electrical insulating
properties of the bucket that are created during a
surface only type of repair. While this may or may not seem important to those
who are currently investigating Boom Equipment, this issue is
critical enough that we suggest you forward it to those
responsible. Titles may include
safety officer, maintenance and repair, field operations,
training, general management or even the legal
department.
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.
How strength must be retained
in the fiberglass boom insulators
Sometimes
the final line of defense in preventing electrocution is
the bucket itself. And while there are no formal
standards for this level of dielectric separation,
this critical, baseline ability must be checked
during any refurbishment.
A certain component for
preservation of human life is the 100% dependable linkage of the
bucket and the boom.
More Than Boom Equipment: The Critical Assessment Of The
Abilities Of A Repair Facility For The Most Important Fixup
You'll Ever Do
So what capabilities are needed ?
Is there any way of verifying that they currently
have the full level and type of liability insurance that is specifically
underwritten for the after
repair problems that can occur with regard to bucket
truck lift repair area?
It is important that 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.
In addition
to the above:
Aerial man lifts are a very
specialized subset of the fiberglass products industry.
Are those who are doing the repair specialists
or very familiar with this application?
How does a customer know
if the insulating properties of bucket and boom have been
maintained during repair? By using an approved testing
device. In this situation it becomes the next
evaluation point to check. (Again, we realize your direct interest is in Boom Equipment .
Please consult manufacturer specs to determine
applicability.)
Further Than Boom Equipment: Repair Scenarios And The Right Way
To Deal With Them
Look here to see how this might play
out.
Sometimes You Have
To Look A Bit Deeper
Those responsible for repair have been in some way notified. They have in their shop an
upper boom in fairly good condition for surface
refinishing and rehabilitation. Here are the
steps:
1. Start 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
ask to pressure wash
the inside. 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. If the
analysis reveals a problem, the company should call the
owner.
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 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 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
Touch
Looking once more at the top
section of the support boom. It has fractures confirmed by an initial visual inspection. There
is usually a cosmetic and visual coating on the boom
itself. This protective layer should be
stripped off and inspection made
both on the outside, and also on the hollow
inner core of the boom itself. 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. 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, as noted above, on calibrated
equipment .
Appropriate electrical testing would follow the same
pattern, but this is 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
1. A bucket is received for
repair.
2. The bucket mount consists of a
number of studs protruding from the bucket wall. 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.
This One Involves The Fiberglass Mounting Holes
Themselves
Here is how this
encounter unfolded:
1. A bucket is received for repair. The bucket mount consists of vertical
fiberglass ribs protruding from one side of the bucket.
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
So, the bottom line is there are cases where competent skills can be applied 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 like stresses, localized
pulling apart, etc.
Yes, this can be
saved.
So moving forward with any
refurbishment is a go or no go decision, weighing the economics of both options, ,
and to await further instruction.
Tags: Boom Equipment
