outrigger switch

April 15, 2017

CPI Switches Won’t Kick The Bucket On Bucket Trucks

CPI Limit switches for outrigger safety

In vehicles requiring added stability during operation such as cranes, bucket trucks, backhoe’s, fire trucks, and all kinds of powered lifts, it is common to use an outrigger mechanism.  Typically, hydraulic, outriggers can provide additional “legs” to a vehicle, making it less likely that extreme loads at odd angles will create a situation where both man and material is put in jeopardy.

fire truck outrigger safety limit switch

Outrigger limit switches for safety by CPI

Some typical outriggers are shown above.  In some cases the position of the leg is variable like on a backhoe, and locking is a function of the integrity of the hydraulic system.  Operation of an outrigger in other vehicles involves the extension of the leg into a fixed position for maximum stability either by mechanical motor or even man made movement. If the leg is locked, certain operations can proceed, otherwise a warning light is typically activated and this safety indication may even be wired to prevent operation of the crane or lift until locking is verified.

CPI Waterproof Limit Switches on Outrigger applications

Major manufacturers of lift equipment and bucket trucks have tended to gravitate to CPI waterproof limit switches over the years, owing to their reliability, and the ease with which they integrate into the outriggers used on this equipment.  Many times, this isn’t their first attempt at a solution, rather an attempt to replace low reliability parts suffering a high rate of in-warranty field failures.

Versalift Bucket Trucks

Versalift Bucket Truck using CPI Limit SwitchesVersalift Chose our E1092 limit switch as outrigger locking detection on their line of articulated telescopic “bucket trucks”. The customer evaluated our switch for over 3 months in a phased rollout. Ultimately they realized significant improvements over what they were using before saying “Your switches work very well, easier to install, and no field complaints.” Versalift is now moving into broad production deployment using our switch

Dur-A-Lift

In a similar application, Dur-A-Lift has also chosen the E1092. One of the primary design advantages of the E series limit switches from CPI the ease of application compared to off the shelf parts from other manufacturers.  With CPI switches the entire assembly is provided to your specifications including  the wire leads, harness, and termination/connector.  All sealed and ready for installation insuring 100% waterproof performance right from the factory.

The Advantages of a CPI Waterproof Limit Switch In Outrigger safety detection

CPI’s E1092 Interlock SwitchThe E1092 is a great example of a robust limit switch with a simulated lever actuator. Completely made of high grade stainless steel it is truly waterproof, and completely customizable with almost countless mounting and actuator combinations available. This switch can be designed to meet operational standards for military use (B2 series) as well as heavy duty industrial applications (B3 thru B9 series). Parameters such as travel length, current rating, and electromechanical endurance are customizable. CPI has achieved endurance qualifications over 5 million cycles with this basic roller limit switch design.

Original content posted on https://www.cpi-nj.com/blog/cpi-switches-wont-kick-the-bucket-on-bucket-trucks/

January 25, 2016

Outrigger Switches for Utility Trucks and Boom Loaders

Outrigger supports are a critical part of the safety proposition on all kinds of commercial vehicles. A short list of trucks and vehicles that employ outriggers includes:

  • Bucket Loader trucks that carry servicemen to the top of the telephone poleOutrigger limit switches for safety by CPI with an extensible boom.
  • Backhoe/Loaders that must deploy the outriggers for stability during digging operations.
  • Fire Engines deploy outriggers to stabilize the truck when ladders are deployed.
  • Cranes deploy outriggers for platform stabilization during loading operations.
  • All kinds of construction vehicles like diggers, hoe’s, and mining shovels

In all these applications, the usage proposition is similar: Put the outrigger down before you deploy the bucket/ crane/ backhoe/ ladder, or you will almost certainly tip over. To make sure of this, you need a reliable, robust, waterproof safety limit switch.

One Customer’s Story – Versalift Outrigger Switch Solution

Last year we spoke with Versalift East (http://versalifteast.com ) who is the largest east coast distributor for Versalift Utility trucks, in particular their bucket loader trucks. Versalift East provides the trucks primarily to utility company’s and acts as an integrator of the various major parts of the final vehicle.  For instance after installing the Boom / Bucket kits on the trucks, Versalift East then personalizes each truck for the specific customer with such things as paint schemes, logos, and any specialized equipment that the customer may require for their fleet.

The Boom /Bucket kits are supplied with outriggers to fit to the trucks as well as outrigger safety limit switches. The original switches used in these kits were not made by CPI and Versalift East had excessive warranty replacement issues on the non-cpi switches mainly due to weather resistance as well as physical damage to the switches during operation. This is because they were forced to mount the stock outrigger limit switches in a vulnerable area that is exposed to the elements because of their fairly large size. Additionally, the stock outrigger switches were overly labor intensive for Versalift East to install. They also were not robust in typical utility truck usage scenarios

CPI’s Solution to the Outrigger Switch Challenge

Versalift East approached CPI to see what alternatives we could offer them. Versalift East settled on CPI’s E1127 for some applications and E1092 for others. The CPI switches have a number of characteristics that made them perfect for this application.

  1. CPI switches were small enough to be mounted inside the outrigger tube there by protecting them from outside damage.
  2. CPI switches are truly waterproof thereby protecting the switch from a harsh and potentially wet outdoor environment.
  3. CPI switches are pre-wired and available with a waterproof connector thereby greatly reducing assembly time and failure modes and further increasing durability.

Can CPI solve Your Outrigger switch problem?

In addition to these qualities, CPI limit switches present one of the most robust switch designs in the world, surviving repeated operation in harsh conditions and over a very wide temperature range, with models available that  are guaranteed to operate down to -40F without freezing up.

Flexible stock mounting brackets and compact size complete the value proposition.

Can we solve your outrigger switch problem?

We’re pretty darn sure we can.  Call us today, lets talk. For more information, visit www.cpi-nj.com.

 

This content was originally posted at https://www.cpi-nj.com/blog/outrigger-switches-for-utility-trucks-and-boom-loaders/