Run away BendPak manual disconnect box

[jpig]

I was asked to post some pics of the disconnect box I installed on my XPR-10 lift. Hope it works!

 

[manwithtools]

Very nice installation. Totally unnecessary in my opinion. In my business if we needed to install something like that we would be sued into oblivion. User safety is paramount and it is unheard of in the industrial world to have this kind of product liability. I don't understand how BendPak gets away with this.

They have obviously used a substandard part in the control circuit of these lifts. Can someone tell me what component is failing to cause this?

 

[gregtwojeeps]

Nice job. A very good back up safety.... just in case a jog button contact sticks or a micro limit switch fails on your lift. Sure beats watching your car get damaged in a runaway situation or someone getting smashed.

 

[squirrelcat]

Very nice installation. Totally unnecessary in my opinion. In my business if we needed to install something like that we would be sued into oblivion. User safety is paramount and it is unheard of in the industrial world to have this kind of product liability. I don't understand how BendPak gets away with this.

They have obviously used a substandard part in the control circuit of these lifts. Can someone tell me what component is failing to cause this?

I don't recall which part stuck, but he did have his lift runaway unattended...

 

[metaleltr]

Its really not necessary, the idea is just that if the lift control switch and the safety switch on the overhead beam were both to fail the disconnect could be an additional safety.

 

[manwithtools]

Two components fail at the same time? That is a statistical improbability unless you are using the absolute bottom of the barrel parts. I just bought a lift that would be considered to be of lesser quality than the BendPak lift. I think I'll be reviewing the control components in the package I bought....

 

[gregtwojeeps]

One can check all the electrical component's on any piece of equipment they install and deem them to be quality parts at the time of installation. I have seen new electrical parts fail on me within two weeks of installing them. Name brands too, such as Johnson Control, Honeywell, White Rodgers, SqD etc.

When dealing with a machine that if a failure of ANY of the operating/safety switches could mean injuring a person or damage to a very expensive vehicle.. a $30.00 disconnect installed within reach.... is cheap insurance to me. JMO

 

[kabinenroller]

A disconnect near the control box should be installed as a safety feature. My BendPak had a faulty push button so when I released it the lift still operated in the up position!! I had to slam the control box with my fist to release the button!
I have now installed a two pole disconnect on the control box so that if the new switch sticks I can kill the power in one quick motion.
BendPak has some real quality issues with their vender sourced parts.
As I mentioned in another thread my next lift will not be a BendPak.

 

[manwithtools]

One can check all the electrical component's on any piece of equipment they install and deem them to be quality parts at the time of installation. I have seen new electrical parts fail on me within two weeks of installing them. Name brands too, such as Johnson Control, Honeywell, White Rodgers, SqD etc.

When dealing with a machine that if a failure of ANY of the operating/safety switches could mean injuring a person or damage to a very expensive vehicle.. a $30.00 disconnect installed within reach.... is cheap insurance to me. JMO

I hear what you are saying in this post.That's why for fail safe operation in today's world their are safety controllers and circuits which monitor operation in parallel to the point that each circuit is checked on every operation and will not allow function on the next cycle unless they operated safely on the previous cycle.

This type of redundant safety control is expensive and will likely not be found on most lifts in operation today. Mine may get this level of control because I have access to safety relays and other components for very low cost. A disconnect switch does not solve the inherent safety problem because it requires a person to remember to turn it off. I would fail this test every time

 

[manwithtools]

One can check all the electrical component's on any piece of equipment they install and deem them to be quality parts at the time of installation. I have seen new electrical parts fail on me within two weeks of installing them. Name brands too, such as Johnson Control, Honeywell, White Rodgers, SqD etc.

When dealing with a machine that if a failure of ANY of the operating/safety switches could mean injuring a person or damage to a very expensive vehicle.. a $30.00 disconnect installed within reach.... is cheap insurance to me. JMO

That's why I implied it's unlikely that two components will fail at exactly the same time. Most modern safety circuits are redundant, meaning that they are designed to require two parallel circuits to produce the same results before allowing machine operation.

This can be envisioned as two of everything on the equipment operating as expected before movement is allowed. Emergency Stop pushbuttons, light curtains, safety mats, guard door switches are examples of this. Most of these now have two sets of contacts that can be monitiored to ensure they are operating as expected. If both contacts on every device don't agree then the machine should not allow the next operation. More sophisticated safety circuits send a pulse through the circuit and monitor it.

 

[GM_FFX]

A disconnect near the control box should be installed as a safety feature. My BendPak had a faulty push button so when I released it the lift still operated in the up position!! I had to slam the control box with my fist to release the button!
I have now installed a two pole disconnect on the control box so that if the new switch sticks I can kill the power in one quick motion.
BendPak has some real quality issues with their vender sourced parts.
As I mentioned in another thread my next lift will not be a BendPak.

What issues did you have? I'm thinking to buy the HD-9 and was wondering if anyone got the 120V motor option.

 

[kaffine]

Two components fail at the same time? That is a statistical improbability unless you are using the absolute bottom of the barrel parts. I just bought a lift that would be considered to be of lesser quality than the BendPak lift. I think I'll be reviewing the control components in the package I bought....

Several of the lifts I have used there is only 1 switch so if the contacts get welded closed the safety limit wont shut it off either. The lifts I have used the safety bar at the top had a rod that went through the on/off button. Under normal operation you pushed the on/off button it pushes against the rod and turns the pump on. If the safety bar is activated the rod rises up and pulls out of the switch turning the pump off.

You could always hit the lower lever. I'm not sure if it would dump fast enough to keep the car from rising or not but it would certainly slow the rise. That requires you to think and react quickly though.

 

[davejo]

thanks for your original post, I installed that square d box on my lift in response

I'm thinking of removing the cover door on mine thinking that it would simplify access to the switch in case of emergency. Any downside to that scenario?