Are
You Searching For Items Similar To This Set At This Time For: Lift Aerial
Seeking Lift Aerial? We Would
Like To Give You A Bit
Of Perhaps Needed Inspiration Regarding
Aerial Platform Repairs, Upgrades And Options To
Best Serve You And Your Equipment
Introduction: While you may not have thought about it
much in your search
for Lift Aerial, this complimentary or
supporting issue of concern has triggered
questions 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. For instance, physical repairs must
take into account the underlying structure. If damage has
been done there and is merely patched over (or dealt
with in any less than structurally responsible manner)
by a repair source such as a body shop, mechanical/engine
repair or even a custom molder, then the bucket could
give way at a critical time it is being loaded, often
high above the ground. There can, as an
example, be breaks in the electrical insulating
properties of the bucket that are created during type of repair. While this may or may not seem important to those
who are currently investigating Lift Aerial, this issue is
critical enough that it is our profound hope and
counsel that you forward it to those
whose primary task is the maintenance of
bucket truck lift mechanisms. Titles may include
safety officer, maintenance and repair, field operations,
training, general management or even the legal
department.
Because this
situation involves human life,
this is not something that can be put in the category of
basic mechanical repair or restoration. It is
incumbent upon any operator to approach this situation
with more than simple production goals. So, some of
the special considerations involved in fiberglass repairs
and rebuilds of aerial manlift components
include:
The requirements for insulating
capabilities of upper booms and lower boom insulators .
The structural strength requirements for
fiberglass upper booms and lower boom insulators .
The real insulating
capabilities provided by the fiberglass bucket
itself.
Correct boom-bucket mounting
procedure.
If You Are Already
Thinking About Lift Aerial, Now
How About Evaluation Of Vendor Capabilities
The following questions should be asked
of any company on the list 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?
It is important that 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.
There are other steps that
should be taken, if one was serious about this potential
problem.:
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 Lift Aerial, a consultation
with those who purchased your aerial lift products are a
good idea to gain their perspective.)
Moving
Away From Lift Aerial: How Repairs Can And Should
Unfold
Look here to see how this might play
out.
No Obvious
Damage, Now What?
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. Start 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. 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 . 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 -at a load of more than
double its rating. If it passes, 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 .
The top most section of a telescoping lift arm with some apparent cracks is put in an inspection area.
1. The cracks should be reviewed using the repair manual guidelines of the manufacturer. If the
cracks are judged to be repairable, the repairer
should quote the cost of the repair .
2. Once the go ahead to do the work is
received, the repair company
should complete the structural repairs, then do a structural test on the boom.
3. If the repairs are
acceptable, the boom should then be cosmetically
refinished and dielectrically tested.
Using An Instructive
Example To Illustrate The Dangers Of Proceeding With
Improper Repair And Returning A Component To Full Field
Use
There are not a lot of backup
systems with a bucket style lift mechanism, especially when it concerns the
attachment of the boom to the bucket itself. In this case:
The main attachment
was accomplished through threaded rods into the side of the bucket.
It was clear
that there were fissures in the actual fiberglass
that supported
these mounting rods.
Without even checking
further it is apparent that no amount of
reinforcement would make for a safe operating position.
When The Basic Bonding Gives Way
While the
owner ultimately makes the call as to repair, they
depend on expert repair depots to
provide the advice on how successful the operation may
be. So here is
a piece of advice we gave.
First we noted that the
fiberglass lift platforms can sometimes be attached by
creating an assembly out of the actual fiberglass,
formed from thick, redundant layers of fiber and
resin. It is possible that layers of resin and the glass strands gaps or stress lines where material has pulled apart can form weakness in critical areas. And finally, under
this scenario, it is often pretty difficult to
ensure that the further damage won't occur. Therefore, the competent consultant would
recommend replacement.
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 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: Lift Aerial
