A hefty weight can cause metal fatigue in a loading area.
When you are dealing with metal components, you need to be aware of something known as metal fatigue. Each metal component has a maximum amount of weight that it can handle being loaded on top of it and then unloaded in cyclical waves. However, even when you keep the weight below the maximum allowable amount for safety, metal fatigue can still occur. Over time, the metal will become strained, even though you're not going over the maximum weight, and will eventually break. There are some things you can do to help reduce metal fatigue.
Instructions
1. Avoid adding additional weight to the metal when possible, such as the unloading equipment or personnel. Changing weight patterns cause the material to expand and contract in reaction, in effect bending the metal and creating fatigue.
2. Lower the weight amount of the load when possible. The less you load onto the metal area at a time, the longer the metal will last without experiencing metal fatigue.
3. Match the temperature of the metal component to the temperature of the room. For example, if you move the component from a cold room to a hot room and immediately start putting weight on it, it will not have had enough time to adjust, therefore increasing fatigue. Once the component is back to room temperature, you can begin loading.
4. Load items carefully. If you slam the load down onto the metal component, metal fatigue is more likely to occur. This is because the load seems heavier to the metal if it's dropped or slammed, rather than loaded gently. When this occurs, gravity forces more pressure that if it was just the weight of the load.
5. Reinforce the components. For example, if the metal components in your loading zone include metal springs, add more springs to help with the weight of the load. If the metal is the platform, use a thicker platform base.
6. Take care of the metal components. Do not expose them to excessive amounts of moisture, for example. This can cause corrosion. When you take good care of the metal, it's much more likely to last longer and reduces the chances for metal fatigue. If corrosion does occur, have the component fixed before adding any weight, since more fatigue will make it even harder to repair.
