Ground_Support_August_2020 - 16

COVER STORY

As a transmission supplier and a driveline solutions provider, officials at Powertrain Control Solutions (PCS) typically
focus on abuse to the drivetrain of motorized assets.
"Areas of abuse that we are involved
in is typically when a vehicle comes to a
stop, the operators - unlike your car that
you drive every day - they don't typically
come to a complete stop using the service
brake and then shift into neutral and then
apply the parking brake and then step
out," says Dan Boucher, president at PCS.
"Typically, before the vehicle comes to a
stop, they apply the parking brake or they
apply reverse or something that shocks the
driveline into coming to a stop, and then
they hop off."
Boucher says many operators do not
appreciate how shifting before coming to
a complete stop - even at a slow speed - can
cause significant damage.

"What they don't realize is, because of
the gearing, the output shaft of the transmission is spinning like you were going 30
mph," he says. "You would never apply the
parking brake when going 30 mph, or shift
into reverse when you're going 30 mph.
"If you don't have abuse protection built
into the transmission, it will damage the
transmission."
Garcia Sanz, commercial manager of
aviation services at Undagrid, notes additional operator abuse can include cornering harshly or braking late, putting undue
duress on parts such as tires, tow-bars and
brakes. Excessive idling of motorized GSE
leads to additional fuel consumption and
maintenance needs as well.
Abuse of equipment often provokes more
abuse, warns Sanz, and accidents are more
likely to happen with abused equipment.
These types of accidents can negatively
affect the commercial position and the

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16 GROUND SUPPORT WORLDWIDE

AUGUST 2020

reputation of the ground handling agent,
according to Sanz.
Moulinier adds vandalism, tinkering
with equipment out of boredom or unprofessional activities like speeding present
ground handlers with the risk of injuries
and even fatal accidents.

Safety Through Components
In an ideal world, every ground service
provider would operate equipment while
following all guidelines and safety procedures. Realistically, however, improper
usage - whether intentional or unintentional - takes place on the ramp.
To reduce the amount of damage
incurred by improper use, manufacturers
are producing abuse prevention technology.
At AERO Specialties, for example, the
company provides a warning system on
its JetGo GPUs that alerts users if a cable
or connector is stored incorrectly before
the unit's tow-bar can be lowered. Additionally, tow-bars come equipped with an
elastomer material to provide cushioning
during towing.
"Our patented SiPsHitch tow force
monitoring device can be fitted to any traditional tow tractor and will prevent the
overstress of tow equipment and aircraft
NLG," Gray says. "This device will also
teach the operator to be more careful during
towing missions, which will in turn protect
the equipment from damage.
"For safe towing, SiPsHitch will actively
measure the towing forces and display
these to the operator during the towing
mission," he continues. "The device will
also act upon the power of the tractor and
reduce power if the system reaches a predetermined force that could damage the
equipment and aircraft."
Both visible and audible alarms will
function when too much stress is detected
and a recording of the event is initiated for
retrieval of data.
Additionally, the operator can be locked
out of further towing until an inspection
and safe release by a supervisor has been
performed.
Immediate benefits, Gray explains, are
reduced equipment downtime, less personnel hazards and less inconvenience to
customers and dispatch.

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Ground_Support_August_2020

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