Testing static line systems at the 10 year recertification

Video transcript

Welcome to the next Tek Talk.

This time we’re going to be going over what needs to be done on static lines when it gets to its 10th year for certification or recertification. (Refer to maintenance checklist in installation and operation manuals.)

The main difference between every other year,  in that static lines need to be certified or recertified every 12 months, on the 10th year of use we need to do a pull test on the swaged ends for any connections on a static line system.

So, just to recap the main difference between the inspection annually and the difference between the 10th year recertification is the pull test that has to be done on the system.

So, I’ll be going over this a little bit, in not much detail, just to show the basics otherwise the main instructions are shown in the in the manual.

So, apart from the 10th year inspection on static line systems what Australian Standards say is that from every 5th year thereafter is when this certification will need to take place. So any friction type connections, that is any of the swageless fittings, will need to have an inspection for every 5 years thereafter.

So it doesn’t mean to say that the static line system needs to be removed from service after 10 years, however Australian Standards does say that servicing and components may be changed or reinstated to get it up to the right criteria for the system.

What we have here is the Hydrajaws tester for doing an in line test on the static line system and we’re going to be testing this end swage unit here to 10kNs, so as per the instruction manual. 10kNs on the swaged ends. You’ll notice we’ve taken off this hand tightener here and we’ve got to put on this long nut. There’s only one way that it can go on onto the end so that’s replacing this unit with this one here and then on this end we’ve disassembled the complete hood assembly so that it can go into this pull testing assembly here.  The other thing is we’ll now be placing it onto the cable. You’ll notice the knurled sections in there, and then the knurled on the bottom here so that gets placed onto the cable. And then we put on the top tightening plate.

Alright, so before tightening it right up we’re going to make sure this is right up against the swage end on this turnbuckle here. Hold it in place and make sure this is also pushed up and then we’re going to tighten that onto the cable. Evenly tighten the screws as you’re going around just to put even pressure on the cable.

Ok, so now we have the Hydrajaws unit. Set this all the way down and we’ve got to locate that hooked section in there into this part here of the Hydrajaws. Remember to set the gauge to zero and then we’re putting this on and tightening this up.

Ok, so we’re looking at the black marks there and we’re getting it up to 5kNs and we keep going, up to 10kNs. OK, so there we have it 10kNs and we’re going to let it sit there for 3 minutes and make sure that the load hasn’t dropped.

Ok we left it on the line for 3 minutes. We’re just going to release the tension and you’ll notice there’s been no slippage of the swage end connection whatsoever.

So, there we have it. We’ve tested our end connections.

So, just to recap. Certification is done every 12 months on a static line system. At the 10th year of service it has a full recertification, as well as a pull test on the cable as we’ve shown here. After the 10th year you’ve got to do a pull test for every 5 years after that, so every 5 years of use. So the system can continue to be used for however many years provided the service is kept up every 12 months and then every 10 and 5 years respectively.

Thank you.