Look After Your Roller Brake Tester and it will look after you.
V L Test Systems Roller Brake Testers (RBTs) are manufactured using the best quality steel, components and techniques, but even they need to be properly maintained. Below are a few tips to help you extend the life of your Roller Brake Tester and get an even higher return on your investment.
We have many original Roller Brake Testers still in the ground and working from 1990’s. One of them installed in 1995 in Norfolk has its bi-annual service coming up in January 2019 and just to make you feel old, in 1995: Blur, Oasis and Michael Jackson were fighting it out for the Number 1 single, John Major was Prime Minister, Toy Story (the original) was the top film and Jonathan Edwards was Sports Personality of the year. Since then, all through key world events, this V L Test Systems Roller Brake Tester has been working hard, giving a massive return on its investment and it’s not done yet, the forecast is for many more years’ loyal service.
We have many original Roller Brake Testers still in the ground and working from 1990’s. One of them installed in 1995 in Norfolk has it’s bi-annual service coming up in January 2019 and just to make you feel old, in 1995: Blur, Oasis and Michael Jackson were fighting it out for the Number 1 single, John Major was Prime Minister, Toy Story (the original) was the top film and Jonathan Edwards was Sports Personality of the year. Since then, all through key world events, this V L Test Systems Roller Brake Tester has been working hard, giving a massive return on its investment and it’s not done yet, the forecast is for many more years’ loyal service.
So, how can you achieve such longevity from your Roller Brake Tester? Like most things, some of it is common sense, some of it though is easily forgot. Below are some tips for extending the life of your machine.
- Location, Location, Location ~ if you position your Roller Brake Tester at the bottom of a slope or next to a jet wash, then you can guess where the grime, rubbish and water will end up; in the Brake Tester Pit.
- Safety First ~ always be aware that with moving machinery and vehicles correct procedures need to be maintained. If you are cleaning your Roller Brake Tester ~ use the approved equipment and follow the correct processes.
- Properly trained staff are essential to the longevity of your Roller Brake Tester. Make someone the champion to take ownership of the equipment and they will look after it and ensure it is not abused and it is treated as it should be. Someone who regularly works with your V L Test RBT will have pride in it and you will find you are repaid by a machine that lasts well past the equipment life time you expected
- Before Testing a Vehicle, ensure that there is NO tyre damage, other than reasonable wear.
- Ensure your vehicle is balanced correctly, before testing it. Check that the load is to at least 65% of design axle weight and that for example one side of the vehicle is not wet and the other side is dry ~ this may impact your results.
- Do not let mechanics dump oils, hydraulic fluids or antifreeze over the Roller Brake Tester. We actually had one Bus company dump the waste from the on-board toilet over the Roller Brake Tester.
- Regularly clean out the Roller Brake Tester trays.
- Check for even wear across the Rollers and make sure that rollers are clean, in good condition and well gritted
- Where needed ensure the Cover Plate Bolts and the Chains are greased.
- Check there is no water at the bottom of the pit. If there is some present, get it removed
- Always follow the Service and Calibration schedule, don’t be tempted to bounce them along by a few weeks or a month
If in doubt, always call the experts. V L Test Systems service team have years of expertise to support you. We still have staff here at V L Test Systems that were around when the Roller Brake Testers mentioned earlier were installed!