Petzl Zillon fracture!!!!

[Tree feller How]

Checked out my petzl Zillon the other day to find a crack at the top link, the same place as the Zig Zags. petzl just have to make them out of stronger materials and stop trying to be all light weight, this is tree surgery remember!

Edited September 2, 2014 by Tree feller How
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[ArborClimber]

Wonderful.... just got mine, have'nt had a chance to use it yet, it's still shiny.

 

Petzl are right blighters at instilling confidence, aren't they?

[Tree feller How]

Still shiny sort of and not really seen much use either. Dont get me wrong, it's a great bit of kit and works great, just needs to be made stronger to withstand the demands of tree cutting.

[morten]

I'm happy that I'm on an ART Positioner.

No fracture/safety problems that I know of.

[treequip]

I'm happy that I'm on an ART Positioner.

No fracture/safety problems that I know of.

 

Just checked mine and my SJ.

 

Can't find any cracks in either:laugh1:

 

Oi Petzl.....Not good enough

[Backpain]

This really worries me as there are so many complex parts involved that can go wrong. I'm a big fan of keeping things simple and just use a rope grab on my side strop and a prussik on my main line. I like it this way as there's less to go wrong and consequently less to worry about.

 

I'm convinced the issue stems from how these are made. I'm guessing they make the side plate links from laser cut plate. Rolled plate material has a grain just like wood so is weaker if placed under tensile stress across the grain. Laser cutting also throws up weakness as it super heated the surface and makes some material brittle and hence susceptible to propagation of crack.

 

Keep an eye on your kit guys....

[bobh]

This really worries me as there are so many complex parts involved that can go wrong. I'm a big fan of keeping things simple and just use a rope grab on my side strop and a prussik on my main line. I like it this way as there's less to go wrong and consequently less to worry about.

 

I'm convinced the issue stems from how these are made. I'm guessing they make the side plate links from laser cut plate. Rolled plate material has a grain just like wood so is weaker if placed under tensile stress across the grain. Laser cutting also throws up weakness as it super heated the surface and makes some material brittle and hence susceptible to propagation of crack.

 

Keep an eye on your kit guys....

 

Umm... If you don't use one and don't plan to get one then if I were you I wouldn't worry too much about it

[FatherJack]

Without a metallurgist inspection, it is not possble to tell if this is a fatigue failure, or a stress failure (e.g. overloaded). Given that it has occurred in 'summer' it is unlikely to as a result of brittle fracture. Also, stainless steels are not most acoomdating of materials. Then again, what do I know.

 

Not good for the Petzl brand.

 

It would be good to hear what the OP gets in the way of a response from his supplier / Petzl??

[peatff]

Given that it has occurred in 'summer' it is unlikely to as a result of brittle fracture.

 

Brittle fracture is nothing to do with the temperature at any time of year, you'd have to be talking liquid nitrogen temperatures to affect a metal in that way it's to do with the grain size and ductility of the material used. I don't know a lot about metals either apart from how to weld them together and I don't know what Petxl is making them out of but it looks like the wrong stuff for the job.

[arboriculturist]

Stop wasting everyone's time Petzl, hold your hands up, admit you underestimated the working loads that this friction device is exposed to.

 

This is a simple problem with a simple answer:

 

Produce a MK3 with side plates 2x the thickness, recall all MK 1 & 2 and replace FOC with the MK 3.

 

Everyone will be very happy, confidence will be restored in the Brand and the whole issue will soon be forgotton.

 

Expensive exercise - but knowhere near what loss of confidence in the Petzl Brand will cost in the long run if you don't act swiftly.

 

Once a customer loses faith in a product - you lose the customer, especially if their life depends on the product.

 

Lyon Equipment - ARE YOU LISTENING?