Broken aluminum ring

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[...]

One core issue to this whole matter of failing PPE is continuous quality control, rather than individual testing. You could also batch test every nth karabiner or whatever, so long as you have a quality assurance scheme in place.

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I think QA sampling is inappropriate for life support gear. 100% inspection, 100% testing. I like the traceability thing. It's worth the extra money.
 
Fair enough, but there are many variables, it depends on how you manufacture (in-house or outsourced), the number of samples you take etc.

If you produce in house and have confidence that your production standards guarantee continuous quality I think batch testing can also be acceptable.

On the other hand, if you have components manufactured by someone else, that you then assemble in your factory, you would really have to have 100% inspection to really be sure.
 
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want a Ti ring try USHBA
ring.jpg


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I just called the wholesaler for these USHBA Ti Rings.
They are still listed on the USHBA web for "archival purposes"; but have not been available for 2 - 3 yrs.

Greg
 
Got the following email from James Pennefeather, VP of Sales & Marketing; Buckingham Mfg. Co. Inc:


Our Customer Service personnel has been receiving a high volume of telephone calls questioning whether we have been experiencing problems with our aluminum rings similar to the breakage issues being experienced by another manufacturer.

We felt it best to address this issue and are pleased to inform our customer’s that Buckingham has not experienced any product issues, breakage or otherwise, with the aluminum rings we utilize in the manufacture of our product, today or in at least the past ten years that we have been producing the same. Buckingham produces this component to our specifications and random sample tests each lot for visual characteristics, dimension, correct material, hardness and breaking strength. To enhance wear characteristics, our aluminum rings are hard coat anodized.

There are no markings on the Buckingham aluminum rings, thus eliminating the potential of creating a stress riser in the component that can lead to potential fracture. Products such as the Friction Saver, Body Belt, Two In One Lanyard, etc. that utilize this component are labeled to identify Buckingham as the product manufacturer.

Buckingham and various standards applicable to the product we manufacture, require users/employers to continuously inspect safety equipment. Components such as the aluminum ring, steel ring, etc. must be inspected for at least but not limited to, cracks, nicks, distortion, corrosion or excessive abrasion, which if found, is cause for removal from further use and product replacement.

Please contact Buckingham Customer Service should you have questions regarding the aforementioned or the product we market.
 
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The USHBA Ti Rap Rings were not marked w/ a load rating.

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I didn't know they stopped making them sorry. They have a rating of 30kn.
 
You tried

Liberty Mountain
4375 West 1980 South Suite 100
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Phone: 1-800-366-2666
Fax: 1-800-578-2705


right?
 
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You tried

Liberty Mountain
4375 West 1980 South Suite 100
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Phone: 1-800-366-2666
Fax: 1-800-578-2705


right?

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Yes, I called Liberty Mountain.

Greg
 
Sorry. Did not read the whole thread. Totaly yank my chain that i cannot buy individual rings for my petzel sequoia without completing a jump through a bunch of hoops up here in Canada. What ever happened to the saddle cut out of a cows butt?
Never wore out. Never worried i would fall to my death because some ham and egger was having a bad day. "Where is that versatile of mine?"
 
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Totaly yank my chain that i cannot buy individual rings for my petzel sequoia without completing a jump through a bunch of hoops up here in Canada.

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What hoops do you have to jump through?
 
Simple ordering of replacement rings is not possible. At least in my end of Canada. A whole new saddle must be bought. ie: Petzel Sequoia. Or take rings off Saddle and send them in for further inspection. Then rings will arrive. So im told. Sorta soured the reason for buying a friggin saddle that otherwise wears great. At least for me.
 
I was the tec. in the air this unfortunate thing happend. It happend durring the MI TCC at the work climb. The climber had just jumped back off alimb to land the bullseye, he repeld about ten feet and came to a sudden stop eather because he had missed his chance to get double bull and was going to get it on the swing back or he let go of his knot because he burnt his fingers, im not sure why or if both came into play for his reasoning. He seemed to be a profishant cliber and had made good run of the climb up to that point. beening at the top of the tree when it happent I fellt the shock of it all and was surprised. With all the force the force was at the piont of contact at the carribener and ring? I've heard of dino readindgs dune at the tie in point, does anyone know what the force would be at that point and have the fourmula to fuigering it out. He weight was oproxmently 160lb he free fell about 10ft and came to a sudden stop, He was about 60ft from his tie in point with limmited friction. the ring broke clean wich tells that its a mamufacturing problem but i'de like to know if there has been any dino testing at this point?
 
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Fair enough, but there are many variables, it depends on how you manufacture (in-house or outsourced), the number of samples you take etc.

If you produce in house and have confidence that your production standards guarantee continuous quality I think batch testing can also be acceptable.


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You're right about that, I'm a believer in statistical QA but would you agree that life support is different, that one failure isn't worth the cost?

I like to think that the reason I pay a higher price for life support gear is that I can place 100% of my confidence in it... that someone out there is just as invested in the security of it as I am.

It's like the old saying... if it costs $10 normally, it will cost $20 for marine use, $40 for aviation use and $1000 for space flight.

Why are we paying the extra money? Because the quality assurance standards are higher.

100% inspection, 100% load testing to half the breaking strength. Had they done that, those rings would not have gone to market.
 
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Why are we paying the extra money? Because the quality assurance standards are higher.

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Blinky,

yes, I'd go along with that. I'm not arguing what you are saying, far from it. My only point being these are complex issues with many aspects to them... but the solution at the end of the day is... to demand quality. Not rocket science, it'd seem to me!
 
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...He weight was oproxmently 160lb he free fell about 10ft and came to a sudden stop, He was about 60ft from his tie in point with limmited friction. the ring broke clean wich tells that its a mamufacturing problem but i'de like to know if there has been any dino testing at this point?

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I'm not aware of specific drop tests on rings, but 60 feet of doubled rope in a fall, would be roughly equivalent to 30 feet with a single rope. If he truely free fell 10 feet then that'd be a fall factor of 10 ft/ 30 ft or 0.3 - which isn't that hard of a fall.

The actual force the ring experienced would depend on what distance it took him to stop. E.g. IF he did free-fall 10 feet and weighed 160 lbs, that represents 1600 ft-lbs of energy. If he stopped in one foot, that'd mean that there was 1600 lbs of force applied to the ring, IF the force was applied only to one ring.
 
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What we need is good steel rings. Whatever shop starts selling them first wins. For a few extra ounces the peace of mind is undoubtably worth it.

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Second!
 
I spoke with Buckingham Mfg. about purchasing their aluminum rings individually for resale.

They currently offer only one size ring for individual resale (I think the larger of the two sizes). They don't sell both ring sizes because they don't want people making their own friction savers. The term "proprietary" was used.

Kind of a bummer, but I guess I can see where they are coming from.
 
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