How to ensure the uptime of your rental fleet
23 March, 2022
Needless to say, it’s essential for your business that rental units are always ready for the next customer. A unit can be rented worry-free when it is safe to use and fully operational. By regularly checking a few key boxes, you can be sure that the next customer’s experience will be a positive one – no matter who used the aerial last.
Juha Pietilä, Service Manager at Bronto Skylift, explains how you can increase the rental hours of your aerials through routine checks and maintenance.
Perform daily checks
The aerial platform should be checked daily according to instructions in the manual. The inspection includes, for example, a visual inspection of the structures, the welds and, of course, checking the fault register. A clear sign of the need for maintenance is rust spreading from a welded seam, a new dent, or seized bearing in the pins.
Your own personnel can perform the daily and weekly inspections after a Bronto training session. Operator training is a cost-efficient investment in the long-term because every hour is valuable in contracting. If a simple fault occurs during operation, the operator can fix the issue themselves without contacting remote service.
Replace wear parts sooner rather than later
When it comes to wear parts, it is typical that the sooner you replace what’s worn or broken, the cheaper the repair is.
Replace broken protective covers as soon as you notice them. If there is a hole in the protective cover of the panel or in the joystick rubber, moisture will accumulate in the electrical system over time, causing costly problems. If you change the cover, the maintenance will be much cheaper and the device will quickly be ready to rent again.
Tip: Duct tape does not make it waterproof.
Replace seals regularly, because cylinders leak when seals age. Typically, you’ll notice a leak from drops under the cylinder rod, and there’s a clear need for replacement.
Remember to lubricate the axle joints. A very common issue found during inspections is that the lubrication of the axle joints has been deficient for a couple of months. As a result, bearings have stopped functioning, and the bolts that lock the axle are broken.
A professional operator or service expert will notice all the above-mentioned issues when they follow a daily inspection routine, which includes a check that the bolts are in good condition. When operators perform daily inspections by themselves, they become familiar with the unit they are using and therefore can more easily find out if something is not in as good condition as it was before. Training your operators and personnel until they have extensive knowledge of the equipment will benefit your business in the long run by reducing costs and increasing safety.
Beware of possible collisions
Always check the aerial platform after use in case something has been damaged or broken. Rental equipment is used in various circumstances, and it is not uncommon that the aerial is overloaded or damaged by hitting the cage on the ground or an object.
The bottom of the working cage will often give you a clue about the need for repair. If you see a dent, the load sensor will probably need to be recalibrated. The cage mount may have bent or twisted into the wrong position, causing the sensor to give an inaccurate reading.
If the vehicle has crashed in traffic or the aerial has hit something during operation, the aerial must be inspected as soon as possible. For safety reasons, never operate a damaged aerial.
Tip for winter (snow) conditions: reversing into a large pile of snow can change the stabilisation of the aerial platform, and the sensors must then be calibrated.
Please note that in most countries it is a statutory requirement that aerials must be inspected annually by an accredited inspector.
The daily checklist goes through the basics and should always be completed before the aerial is used. You can find a free downloadable checklist here.
This list does not replace the actual manual for the Bronto Skylift Aerial Platform. Always familiarise yourself with the manual related to your unit(s) as well as the local regulations.