Adjustability and Versatility: Achieving the right height with Composite Stands
Matthew Dow
Maintenance Expert "Experience operational cost savings, improved productivity/efficiency and enhanced safety with our lightweight composite support stands."
The Importance of Precision in Heavy Machinery Maintenance
When it comes to heavy machinery maintenance and workshop safety, every detail matters. One common challenge is ensuring that support equipment meets the exact height requirements for a wide range of applications. While many solutions on the market offer adjustable stands with moving parts, our approach is quite different, emphasising structural integrity and safety without compromising on versatility.
Learning from the Past: Why we redesigned jack stands
One of the first steps in our redesign process was to thoroughly research and analyse the most common incidents associated with traditional jack stands. What we discovered highlighted several significant risks:
Often, operators choose a stand that is underrated for the load it must support, leading to dangerous situations that can result in equipment damage, personal injury, or even death.
Many adjustable stands rely on height-adjusting catches or retaining mechanisms that can become faulty, worn, or even break. This can cause unplanned movements of the supported machinery, putting both personnel and equipment at risk.
Some adjustable stands use a pin between an outer and inner tubular assembly. There have been numerous incidents where technicians, when placing their fingers into the pinhole, inadvertently expose themselves to a "guillotine effect" from the inner column, sometimes resulting in severe injuries or amputations.
Beyond these immediate safety concerns, we also identified secondary issues:
Oversized Bases and Excess Weight
Many adjustable designs require a base engineered to support the stand at its maximum height, even when used at a lower setting. This results in an unnecessarily large and heavy base, making handling more cumbersome, increasing the risk of musculoskeletal strain, and requiring extra time for material handling.
Hidden Lifetime Operational Costs
Older technology stands incur additional technician time, productivity loss, and associated costs whenever they are deployed, retrieved, or stored. When analysed using the 5S methodology, the cumulative expense of these inefficient practices becomes apparent.
By optimising the required height for each use case, we have been able to streamline the design. This not only reduces the inherent risks associated with adjustable mechanisms but also enhances overall operational efficiency.
A Fixed Height Design for Optimal Use
At the heart of our composite stands is a deliberate design choice: no moving parts. This fixed configuration offers several clear advantages:
Enhanced Structural Integrity With no adjustable components, there is no risk of wear or failure associated with moving parts. This ensures the stand maintains its high load-bearing capacity throughout its lifespan, even under rigorous conditions.
Consistent Performance A fixed design guarantees that every composite stand performs exactly as engineered, eliminating variability and potential misalignments seen in adjustable systems.
Simplified Maintenance Without additional moving elements, inspections become more straightforward. Technicians can quickly check for any visual signs of damage or wear.
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Achieving Versatility Through Certified Inserts
While a fixed design maximises safety and durability, we also recognise that versatility in height is essential for different operational needs. This is where our specifically designed, tested, and certified inserts come into play.
How It Works
Certified Engineering Each insert undergoes rigorous testing to ensure it meets the same high standards as our primary composite stands, ensuring any additional height does not compromise safety or structural performance.
Seamless Integration The inserts are engineered to integrate flawlessly with the composite stand. Once attached, the combined structure maintains uniform load-bearing characteristics, even with the extra height.
Customised Configurations Whether your application requires a slight adjustment or a more significant increase in height, our range of inserts offers tailored options. This modular approach means you can quickly adapt your equipment to meet the specific demands of the task at hand.
The Benefits of a Modular Approach
By combining a robust fixed design with versatile certified inserts, we deliver the best of both worlds:
Uncompromised Safety Eliminating adjustable parts from the main structure reduces potential points of failure. The certified inserts, when used as directed, maintain the overall system’s integrity.
Enhanced Field Flexibility Operators can adjust the stand’s height to suit precise requirements without resorting to less durable, fully adjustable alternatives. This improves efficiency while reducing the risk of injury.
Cost-Effective Operation The streamlined design minimises the need for frequent adjustments and handling, cutting down on both the physical strain on technicians and the hidden operational costs over the equipment’s lifetime.
Conclusion
In heavy equipment support, safety and efficiency are non-negotiable. Composite Stands are designed with a fixed structure that maximises load-bearing capacity and minimises maintenance risks. Coupled with our certified inserts, you gain the flexibility to adjust the stand’s height as needed, without inheriting the shortcomings of traditional adjustable designs.
By learning from past incidents and optimising our design accordingly, we offer a solution that not only enhances safety but also delivers long-term cost savings and operational efficiency.
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