This is the Akimbo

[mistahbenn]

Haha great first post! Way to make an appearance

 

[Porkbrick]

It's out for an informal break test at the moment, generously offered and much appreciated. I'm not sending out any units till I have a breaking strength.

 

[Husabud]

Jaime, again, congratulations on this. It is an incredible product as I see it. I will be happy to buy one when they are available. It has been a rough few months, so my investment in your production couldn't happen. I wish you the best of luck with this and think you will do well when it is released.

 

[Porkbrick]

So. First destructive test results are in. Thank you Paul! Just one unit tested and broken so far but very informative. First it was pulled to slipping, then it was rigged with a biner in the bottom and a biner around the top eccentric pin and pulled to breaking. It slipped around 500lbs and it broke around 3500lbs. the way it broke was the machine screw head popped off of the eccentric pin on the slot side, allowing the pin to bend out of the slot and ultimately break. easy fix for that is to machine the pins with an integrated head rather than a screw. im also thinking another test is in order with a different setup. im thinking another setup might be to set the Akimbo on a rope and spike the rope beneath the upper arms. that would come closest to realistically loading the unit. thoughts?

 

[DMc]

Those are actually very good numbers, Jaime. A 10 to 1 safety up to 350lbs. and slippage well before the failure load is reached. I have no doubt that you will bring it up the rest of the way by the changes you mentioned.

If you spike the line under the top cam it will be bearing the load as it goes above that 500lbs by itself because the bottom will not hold beyond that. I think the test you did represents a realistic load distribution.

 

[sotc]

Can you post a side by side with a good unit and the broken screw?
Those of you that have had hands on have a better grasp than us watchers.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Can you somehow increase rope friction? A sappy rope?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Thicker, softer rope on tight setting would increase friction

 

[DMc]

.... im thinking another setup might be to set the Akimbo on a rope and spike the rope beneath the upper arms. that would come closest to realistically loading the unit. thoughts?

I'm not sure that it would give a better or more accurate test but you could measure the length of rope between the upper and lower arms at the point it starts to slip. Spike the rope at that spacing for both arms. At least that way the load would be evenly distributed and not just on the upper arm.

 

[PCTREE]

IMO it's all irrelevant anyway as it cannot be broken under normal use as it will slip at 500 so is safe

 

[Levi]

Agreed

 

[Jed]

Definitely. Well done Jaime. I'll tell Kevin Peters immediately. (Just joking brother.) Can't wait to buy one of these.

 

[woodslinger]

I'm with PCtree, it won't break if it slips first, which I prefer in the case of a fall. I'm sure there's some safety certifications that I know nothing about, but I'd use it as is.

 

[Porkbrick]

IMO it's all irrelevant anyway as it cannot be broken under normal use as it will slip at 500 so is safe

Exactly. The only real world break test I can think of having real relevance would be to side load it against a limb till it bends. The more I think on it though, spiking the rope under the top arm would distribute the loads on the cams and pins closer to how they load in use. Yes the top arm/spine would be overloaded, but the results would be illuminating none the less.

 

[Levi]

Cycles to failure is what worries me more about the side loading issue on these mechanicals.

 

[PCTREE]

Thats why I prefer steel. Absolutely nothing against the Akimbo but I have had a piece of gear break , not by the way an aluminum failure but a pin that came out of a very well used hand ascender which I like a fool didn't back up. Right after that I decided to make a safer ascender. All my personal biners are steel. The whole Kong thing scared the shit outa me.

Jammie as paranoid as I am I wasn't even a little bit worried about side loading your device, never even occurred to me. Other mechanicals I have worried about that as I do with another product Im working on. Yours is very short and VERY strong sideways, I think to generate enough force to even distort it the climber would be dead anyways. Liability sucks though, all you can do is make it as safe as you are able.....

 

[Porkbrick]

i hear you. im paranoid about the pin as stopper on the upper cam. i plan on integrating a machined redundant backup stop in the side arm to be safe.

also, some informal drop tests have been done. as expected, the Akimbo slides down the rope when shock loaded. distance depends on the setting but im really satisfied with how it is working so far.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

 

[NickfromWI]

What about just a stopper knot under the akimbo during break test?

3500? I'll climb on that


love
nick

 

[Porkbrick]

there will need to be many break tests, in many configurations. as soon as the first run is put together, 25 of them will be going to a test facility asap.

 

[PCTREE]

Why 25 ?? We only ever break 5 to get the standard deviation and subtract it from the weakest break = MBS

 

[High Scale]

Going for CE certification?

 

[stig]

Please do!

 

[Porkbrick]

not all 25 will break. i figure there are so many different ways to rig a test that the more the better. CE would be awesome. ive had one european outfit offer to get it started

 

[Tommy_B]

That will be awesome!