Edinburgh-based crane rental company Bernard Hunter Mobile Cranes has installed a VL Test Systems roller brake tester for mobile cranes at its main workshop.

The new roller brake tester has a 20 tonne axle testing capacity and a 24 tonne maximum drive over weight. Equivalent to a VL Test Systems 20733 model, it has bi-directional brake testing capacity with twin source remote control allowing one-man operation. Combined in-ground scissors fitted to the roller brake testers can provide a 13 tonne axle weight to simulate load for applied brake testing to a height of 180mm. It can also accurately weigh axles to ensure that each mobile crane and LGV does not incur overloading.

“The installation of heavy duty roller brake test equipment is to pre-empt forthcoming industry regulations, which will require mobile crane operators to provide certificates of maintenance and regular brake testing,” said Mark Rafferty, managing director of Bernard Hunter. “Multi axle mobile cranes are currently exempt for annual MOT testing as they are classed as plant equipment. We have always deployed rigorous repair and maintenance schedules for our entire vehicle fleet and the new roller brake tester takes compliance and professional operating standards to a new level.”

“Our larger capacity mobile cranes can be set up in a wide variety of lifting specifications to suit each individual job which requires careful monitoring of each axle load,” said Raffery. “Our largest mobile crane currently is a Liebherr 500 tonner and we can now check weigh the entire eight axle rigid in just over ten minutes.” 

“Standard roller brake test equipment within DVSA approved Authorised Testing facilities (ATfs) do not have the capacity to cater for large multi-axle mobile cranes. We have therefore decided to offer a roller brake testing and axle weighing service to third party customers.”

In addition to the new roller brake testers, Bernard Hunter is currently installing VL Test Systems’ 9152 shaker plates with eight-way operation and 100mm travel in all directions to test steering linkages on vehicles with individual axle weights up to 16 tonnes. 

“The new equipment means we are able to present customers with certificates of brake testing, axle weighing and maintenance, to provide proof of compliance and operating standards,” he said. “The new roller brake tester equipment has also been inspected and approved by DVSA and we are exploring the possibilities to offer that organisation its use when conducting roadside checks in the area.”