KRAUSE mobile scaffolds of the STABILO Professional series - safety and efficiency at height
Project report wupsi GmbH - Leverkusen
Product:
Stationary roof work stand with electrically driven extensions and extension control for the maintenance of E-buses
Customer:
wupsi GmbH - Leverkusen
wupsi GmbH is a local transport company that provides transport services for Leverkusen and parts of the Rheinisch Bergischer Kreis in the Rhein-Sieg transport association. With 200 of its own buses and almost 600 employees, the company serves 90 routes. The vehicles are serviced and maintained in the workshops of the depots.
This year, the first ten electrically powered solo buses were added to the fleet. The operation of the vehicles with a new drive technology required the adaptation of the charging and workshop infrastructure at the depots. For the work that has since been carried out in the roof area of the electric buses, especially around the battery system and the air conditioning systems, a roof work stand was therefore installed to increase work safety and facilitate the work involved.
The spatial conditions of the workshop hall proved to be a challenge during the planning phase. The workshop hall can only be accessed from one side, which makes it impossible for buses to pass through. Furthermore, the entrance to the hall is not in the middle of the lane, which meant that a solution adapted to these special conditions had to be designed.
In a first on-site appointment with a KRAUSE field service representative, the requirements of the wupsi GmbH in the daily maintenance operation were discussed together in addition to the complete measurement of the hall. Information from which the KRAUSE designers subsequently designed the working platform adapted to the situation.
Thus, an 18-metre-long roof work stand was created in a 19-metre-long workshop hall, where every centimetre was utilised. The extensions mounted on both sides of the roof work stand were designed with different widths to compensate for the off-centre entrance gate. A visual support indicates to the drivers when they have reached the final parking position. The stairway was laid out at the front behind the working platform.
More flexibility and safety with KRAUSE working platforms
The roof working platform used on the wupsi premises has a sophisticated safety concept, which does not allow vehicles to enter or leave as long as there are still employees on the working area. Only when a bus has reached its final position and the electrically extendable extensions with pressure-sensitive contact strips have been docked to the outer skin of the vehicles, does the safety door open and the work platform can be climbed. Traffic lights for drivers and maintenance staff visually support this process.
Furthermore, two emergency ladders that can be extended from above were mounted on the side of the work stand without stairs, in case the descent via the stairs should not be possible in a dangerous situation. These were fitted with swing doors to ensure the safety of employees from falling.
The lighting concept of the hall was adapted with new lamps on the underside of the structure to illuminate the area darkened by the enclosed work surface. The work surface was provided with power and compressed air connections on both sides.
Railings can be individually adapted if required!
The side railings with foot rail are all individually removable and allow only a certain working area on the roof of the buses to be opened and individually adapted as required. The railing at the rear of the buses was mounted on the ceiling of the maintenance hall by means of a running rail and can be flexibly adjusted to different bus lengths with a flick of the wrist. This makes the use of the roof work stand suitable for both solo and articulated buses, which was particularly important to those responsible at wupsi GmbH. The modular design of the construction also allows for relocation to another workshop hall or expansion of the facility in case of future changes in requirements.
After delivery and assembly, which were carried out according to the plans, as well as a structured briefing of the workshop staff, the roof work stand could be put into operation on the agreed date and has since supported inspections and repairs on the roof areas, especially of the electric buses.
This is what our customer, wupsi GmbH, says:
"Despite difficult initial spatial conditions, KRAUSE succeeded in producing a roof work stand that fully meets our technical and safety requirements. We would like to thank them for the good cooperation and support during the entire implementation period of the project."