VT150
Vertical Crawler™
Document: UMDW013977.docm
Revision: A07
Created by: MDM
Date: 26 Sep 2019
3075042-A07
Source Location: C:\ePDM\ISLEng\products\dw-versatrax150mkii\manuals\UMDW013977.docm
Page 15 of 31
User Ma
nual
6. Run the tether through the level wind as follows:
a. There is an access slot which must be opened by lifting up on the two exposed screw
heads to raise the tether support shafts.
b. Pull up on both sides of the axle on the top wheel and slide the tether beneath it - failing to
lift up on the wheel can scuff and damage the tether.
c. Make sure that the two wheels that sandwich the tether top and bottom in the level wind
are tracking properly as the tether is paid out - this tells the controller how much tether the
reel has unwound and how far your vehicle has travelled.
Tether Handling
The tether should be considered the most important part of the vehicle system.
It feeds power and
control signals to the vehicle and returns data from the sensors. If the tether becomes damaged from
improper use, poor handling or an accident, the vehicle may become crippled or inoperable. This is a
serious situation because of the cost for tether repairs, as well as significant downtime and loss of
production. For maximum tether life and reliability, we offer the following tether handling tips:
•
Never step on the tether.
Trampling the tether may crush conductors, leading to premature
failure. Trampling is also abrasive to the tether jacket. Trampling fosters the wrong attitude toward
the tether. Remember, this is an expensive multi-conductor tether, not a common electrical
extension cord.
•
Never allow vehicles, trucks, cars, etc. to drive over the tether.
This will do concentrated,
immediate and permanent damage. Set up cones or blockades to keep vehicles away.
•
Do not bend the tether beyond its minimum bend diameter.
If the tether has difficulty bending,
you have bent it too far. If the tether is bent beyond its minimum diameter on pulleys or around
corners, wire fatigue will be accelerated. It is important that any pulleys or tackle support the tether
at or beyond its minimum bend diameter. For an extended fatigue life, the minimum bend diameter
should be considered larger.
NOTE:
For a standard Versatrax
™ system, the minimum tether bend diameter six (6) inches.
•
Never kink the tether.
A kink will permanently bend a cable and may break a wire internally. Take
precautions to never allow the tether to kink. Kink situations may occur when there is slack tether
with closing loops, or when coils slip off a full drum.
•
Do not snap load the tether.
Your tether has a maximum safe working load of 400 pounds of
tension. Loads may peak at a very high value when the tether snaps taut. Snap loading may easily
occur when a slack tether is reeled onto a motorized spool, or when the vehicle is suspended from
a swinging deployment crane.
•
Avoid loading the tether unnecessarily.
Unnecessary large loads will only shorten the fatigue
life of the tether.
•
Always use the Kellems grip strain relief on the vehicle.
The
Versatrax 150™ is powerful and
can generate a lot of pulling force. Even though the tether termination is designed to withstand full
tension, it is best to protect it with a strain relief.