The Challenge

Although Aluminum Ladder's reputation began in 1930 with its invention of the aluminum fire ladder, today it is known worldwide for the quality of its other products, such as gangways and crossover walkways, which give companies easy access to hard-to-reach areas and help them quickly load and unload materials by the ton. For more than half a century, these products have been in use around the world, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to the Saudi Royal Family.

Back in 2001, Aluminum Ladder began discovering that bearings in some of its gangways, including their pivot points, were wearing down considerably faster than expected under certain conditions. These pivot points are critical because they enable the gangway treads to remain horizontal, regardless of the frame's angle

"The problem centered on companies that used the gangways to load and transport dry powdered cement," says Aluminum Ladder Senior Designer, Jimmy Daniel. "One reason was that their usage rate for the gangways was anywhere from 20 to 60 times greater than most companies." Another was the work environment. "The cement dust quickly dissipated the oil from the bearing's bronze bushings, causing the bushings to function very poorly under the extremely heavy loads."

This was far from a simple repair. The problem/solution would impact three major products:

• Articulating Tread Gangways, which provide safe access from a fixed platform height to vehicles such as transport trucks, barges and other platforms
• V-Groove Wheel Track Rollers, used to roll gangways along a fixed track
• B-1 Stand Treads, a variable platform with self-leveling treads designed for use by aircraft ground services

Repairing the gangway alone would require replacing four bearings in each tread side plate and four in the main pivot axis – a total of 20 or more bearings per gangway. Combined with the V-Groove Wheel Track Roller and B-1 Stand Tread, Aluminum Ladder might have had to replace a significant number of bearings on an ongoing basis – a process that would be prohibitively expensive. Clearly, a better and more cost-efficient solution was needed.

Spyraflo's Solution

Aluminum Ladder's first step was conducting in-house research. "Basically, we reviewed the products and catalogs we had available," says Daniel. "We were able to identify several alternatives, such as bronze press-fit bushings and expensive bolt-on bearings using ball-bearing assemblies." But when Aluminum Ladder saw what Spyraflo offered for its patent pending bearing assembly, its search was over.

		Benefits of Self Alignment The self-aligning feature of Spyraflo bearings allows a ±5° self-alignment, with a pivoting capability in any direction. This provides customers like Aluminum Ladder with a number of important benefits, including:
			Enhanced equipment/machine performance
			Extended service life
			Reduced costs
			Easier OEM equipment/machine assembly
		Benefits of Self Clinching Fast and easy assembly
			Permanent and secure installation
			No precision diameter mounting holes required
			No mounting blocks, bolts or screws
			Reduced panel thickness
			Minimum footprint
			Significant cost savings

"Spyraflo met all our needs from the beginning," Daniel continues. "They solved our problem with two stock products: their 3/4''-diameter Permaglide Teflon Bronze and 5/8''-diameter Delrin® AF self-clinching/self-aligning bearings." Aluminum Ladder chose the Permaglide bearing because it wears well and is designed for a wide variety of environments, including cement dust. The bearings completely eliminated failures in the field, leading to significant cost savings.

"Installation time is less and the performance is better than the bronze bushing assembly we replaced," explains Daniel. "The clinching feature provides a secure mount, and the bearings help enhance product quality. Although the bearing's self-aligning feature enables it to adapt to variances, working with Spyraflo drove us to be even more precise" in manufacturing, he adds. "They also recommended that we add thrust load capabilities."

Bottom-line Results

In the three years since Aluminum Ladder has worked with Spyraflo, "our bearing-related problems have been eliminated," notes Daniel. "Their product is great, and so is the ongoing support service. Just as important, Spyraflo is very conscious of our delivery needs Ö and they meet them. Their timely response and their product design work well for us, which paves the way for a bright future. Spyraflo's determination to meet our needs and the communications between us only enhance our desire to continue using their products."

For further information contact:

Spyraflo, Inc.
404 Dividend Drive
Peachtree City, GA 30269
t. 770-631-9990
e. sales@spyraflo.com

Aluminum Ladder Company
1430 West Darlington Street
Florence, SC 29501
t.: 843-662-2595
w. www.aluminumladder.com