You Were
Brought Here By Elliott Bucket
Here Are The Essentials On Lift
Truck Bucket Reconditioning/Replacement And Accessory
Selection As A Companion To
Elliott Bucket
It is
interesting that many have found while often
checking into Elliott Bucket, 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, they generally may
not provide the best protection for
the user or the company owning the aerial lift truck.
For instance, there are both structural needs and electrical insulating properties that may not be addressed if the repair
just takes into account the physical repair. Nor will that
company likely have proper liability insurance in case
something does go wrong that may result in legal
actions. Moreover, it can be a tremendous
problem for a larger operation that has more exposure
over time because of higher volume of activityand the
resulting revenue it can generate. (For
those doing an analysis of Elliott Bucket, the comments contained
within this article may be more applicable to to whomever
carries the responsibility for field vehicle
operations.)
So, if you find yourself facing these types of
refurbishments, in a competent and
nothing
else
but rigorous manner:
What are the
technical needs to safely insulate the two sections of
the boom from one another, and how these needs can be
interfered with in a variety of field-induced
situations and potentially some in the repair
facility itself.
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.
The
requirements for correct
mounting of the bucket to
the boom..
If You Are Already
Thinking About Elliott Bucket, It Is A Short Step Over To An Evaluation Of Vendor Capabilities
So, here is a potentially life-saving
checklist to evaluate any group that undertakes
an aerial lift
overhaul:
Does the product liability insurance carrier
used by this group know that it is doing repair or
replacement work on aerial manlift components?
Like any
professional, those who
actually do the work, they should have the proper
training and carry the proper certifications. A
notable source for this type of accreditation is known as
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.
Experience and knowledge of this applicaiton are
critical.
In addition to maintaining
physical integrity, after a repair has been made, a final
electrical insulation test should be performed to ensure
that the refurbishment process has not also created a potential for dangerous
circuit completion that could effect the operator. (For
situations relating specifically to Elliott Bucket, a consultation
with those in your organization who actually purchased your aerial lift products are a
good idea to gain their perspective on this important
checking phase.)
Moving
Away From Elliott Bucket: 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.
As a manufacturer of
buckets, we have seen
all of these situations come into being.
Sometimes You Have
To Look A Bit Deeper Because ,
There Is Often Not Much That Is Apparent
Your local fiberglass rehab
supplier is contacted. 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.
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. If the
analysis reveals a problem, the company should call the
ownerand discuss the steps needed to solve it.
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 -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 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
The top most section of a telescoping lift arm with some apparent cracks is brought in.
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. 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.
3. The boom should then be cosmetically
refinished and dielectrically tested and returned to
the owner.
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. 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
Another
situation 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 these mounts are cracked or badly worn, it
can compromise the actual boom mounting assembly. While there are repair
techniques that can be used, the recommendation to the owner would be for replacement rather than remanufacture.
Now You Can Have A Bucket Or
Similar Item For Repair That Has Cosmetic Damage
A fiberglass lift platform comes into this particular shop:
1. The
mount side is not damaged, but the front corners are
cracked through.
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: Elliott Bucket
