Seeking Boom Lift Equipment? We Would
Like To Share Some Information About
Aerial Platform Repairs, Upgrades And Options To
Best Serve You And Your Equipment For The Long
Haul
It is
interesting that while often
checking into Boom Lift Equipment, 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 (where
applicable) electrical insulating properties which can
be overlooked. Nor will that
company likely have proper liability insurance in case
something does go wrong that may result in legal
actions. (For
those doing an analysis of Boom Lift Equipment, the comments contained
within this article may be more applicable to to whomever
carries the responsibility for field vehicle
operations.)
With all of the personal
and professional issues to consider,
this is not something that can be put in the category of
basic mechanical repair or restoration. So, some of
the special considerations involved in fiberglass repairs
and rebuilds of aerial manlift components
include:
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.
Correct boom-bucket mounting
procedure.
More Than Boom Lift Equipment: The Critical Assessment Of The
Abilities Of A Repair Facility For The Most Important Fixup
You'll Ever Do
The following questions should be asked
of any company that claims authority 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.:
Is the company familiar
with the special needs of fiberglass components in aerial
man lift units?
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 Boom Lift Equipment .
Please consult manufacturer specs to determine
applicability.)
Further Than Boom Lift Equipment: Repair Scenarios And The Right Way
To Deal With Them
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.
The bottom line is as a manufacturer of
buckets, we have seen
all of these situations come into being.
Just Doing Your Job May Mean Taking A Bit Of Extra
Time
Scenario: The repair facility is shipped the
upper boom section that connects to the worker
basket for basic rehab . Most shops should include a cleaning. This enables correct dielectric
testing, which should be done. If problems crop up, further
operations should be done with
such equipment as a conductivity meter. Problems should be noted for later
review with the owner. Even though they have not
been specifically asked to do this, the boom
should be inspected to see if any type of cracks or dents. The specifications for that particular boom section
should be consulted directly from the lift platform
OEM and the
damage evaluated against those guidelines. If there
are specific remedies suggested by those
guidelines, they should again be noted
for discussion with the owner. Structural testing,
usually at twice the rated load is next. If it
withstands this test and no other issues are found, a
final waxing to protect the boom should occur.
It should then be sealed and protected for shipping with tamper-proof certifications with the results from the testing phases.
An Obvious Cause For Concern
The right diagnostic
approach:
Strip away
protective coatings that could in effect form
a cover over any type of structural or other critical, underlying
concerns.
Internal and external visual and
sometimes touch inspection.
Check of
manufacturer mandates
concerning remanufacturing.
Determination of
repair suitability per guidelines.
Repair using approved means
to increase overall strength and appropriate
material adhering properties.
Stress testing to required standards.
Similar electrical
testing.
Putting a protective and visually
appealing coating and perhaps identity
on.
Make sure
the item is carefully protected for delivery.
A Case Where The Risk Is Too High
1. A well used fiberglass enclosed operator containment platform comes in.
2. This particular design uses bolts to mount it to the arm. A simple
inspection reports a bolt from this assembly has punched
through the side of the operator area.
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
The flip side of the above is when the
enclosed platform that holds the operator 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. If
this is the case, it is more than a concern for the
safety conscious operator. 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, But It Really May Not Be That
Bad
Now that we have created
circumstances where critical repairs should be made
and/or where it is beyond being reasonable to move into
that direction at all, a more normal state is where
wear and tear have taken their toll, but have not yet pushed the item out of its service
range. Recycling in effect is a good potential for
such occurrences, particularly if the ownership is
willing to trade functional for cosmetic differences and
allow the vendor who is tasked to offer trade-offs
between these poles. 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-
depending of course upon the loading and general
treatment of the restraint in the field. In this
case, providing levels of pricing for each approach
action is the appropriate response.
Tags: Boom Lift Equipment
