ActSafe TCX Assault User manual

Introduction A
Product safety
& system description B
Rope C
Lifting systems &
equipment setup D
Battery care E
Operation in water F
How to use the Ascender G
Service & maintenance H
Warranty terms I
Technical data J
TCX
ACT TCX Assault/Force Rev 2-2017 ENG MASTER

DISCLAIMER
Failure to read and follow
the instructions within
this manual may result
in re, damage to property,
personal injury or death.
WARNING
Training and experience are required to lower the risk
of serious bodily injury or death.
This user’s manual provides general information about safe
operation and risks associated with the use of the ActSafe
TCX Power Ascender. It also gives details of maintenance
procedures. Never use the equipment unless you have read
and understood this manual and completed an ActSafe
approved training in the use of the power Ascender system.
ActSafe Systems AB, our partners and subsidiaries, disclaim
any liability for damages, injuries or death resulting from the
use of the equipment which is not in compliance with this
manual. This manual may be updated without notice.
For more information about updates and safety warnings,
visit www.actsafe.se

In this manual
THE TCX RANGE
The ActSafe TCX Ascenders are specically designed
for the use by military and law enforcement operatives.
The TCX Ascender range consists of 4 different models
suitable to be used for a wide eld of applications.
SEAL
Specially designed for naval
operations where every
second counts, fast and
watertight up to 10 meters
(30 ft) for 4 hours.
WLL 150 kg (330 lb)
Speed 0-60 m/min
(0-196 ft/min)
RESCUE
The perfect tool for
heavy lifting in a marine
environment. Watertight
up to 10 meters (30 ft)
for 4 hours.
WLL 250 KG (550 lb)
Speed 0-24 M/min
(0-78 ft/min)
FORCE
This workhorse is perfectly
suited for any land-based
operations where lifting
capacity is essential. Watertight
up to 1 m (3.2 ft) for 30 min.
WLL 250 KG (550 lb)
Speed 0-24 M/min
(0-78 ft/min)
ASSAULT
Optimized for fast ascend
speeds in urban and
land-based environments.
Watertight up to 1 m
(3.2 ft) for 30 min.
Wll 150 KG (330lb)
Speed 0-60 m/min
(0-196 ft/min)

INTRODUCTION
A
About Us A.01
About this manual A.02
Denitions A.03
FOREWORD
BE AWARE:
A Power Ascender is a hi-tech tool
and should be treated with care.
Thank you for choosing the ActSafe TCX Assault
/Force Power Ascender from ActSafe Systems.
This Ascender has been designed as
an ultra-portable and versatile lifting tool for
lifting trained military and law enforcement
operatives in a safe and effective way.
It revolutionises your operational capabilities
in the vertical environment.

A.01 ABOUT ACTSAFE
A
ActSafe is a pioneer in developing powered
Rope Ascenders and has been delivering
high-performance equipment since 1997.
ActSafe has a worldwide distribution
network of dedicated experts selling our
innovative products to a wide variety of
users. Our Power Ascenders have been
successfully used for installing reworks at
the top of the Eiffel Tower, hostage rescue
from pirates at sea and providing essential
logistical support in offshore wind turbines.
ActSafe products are redening the
possibilities for work in vertical environments.
We are completely committed
to our customers and do our
utmost to deliver top quality
products and service.

A.02 ABOUT THIS MANUAL
DANGER
CAUTION
Not following instructions or training
methods may result in SERIOUS BODILY
INJURY or DEATH.
Not following instructions or training
methods may result in BODILY INJURY,
or DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.
RECOMMENDATION
Instructions and tips on how
best to use the Ascender.
i
Note
Important information on the use of the
equipment used with the Ascender.
This manual gives detailed information on
features and safety. However, this manual
cannot replace the need for training and
experience. The Ascender must only be
used by operators who have undergone
the ActSafe approved training.
Safety messages of extra importance
are highlighted throughout this manual
using the signals ‘danger’, ‘caution’,
‘note’ and ‘recommendation’:

A.03 DEFINITIONS
Active/loaded rope
Loaded end of the work-positioning
rope system.
Anchor
Attachment point for rope or Ascender.
Ascending
Moving up the rope.
Backup system
A rope system which captures the
load in case of primary rope failure.
Approved according to backup
system requirements.
Competent person
Operator with adequate training,
experience and certication.
Descending
Moving down the rope.
Passive/dead rope
Unloaded end of the work-positioning
rope system.
Primary rope
Work rope system used with Ascender.
Rope must be 11 mm (7/16”) and
approved according to EN 1891 A
or be an ActSafe Equipment Lifting
Rope depending on the application.
User/operator
Operator of the Ascender, either by
the Throttle or by the Remote Control.
Secondary rope
See ‘Backup sytem’.
SWL
Safe Working Load. The maximum load
(as certied by a competent person) that an
item of lifting equipment may raise, lower or
suspend under particular service conditions.
WLL
Working Load Limit. The maximum
load that an item of lifting equipment
is designed to raise, lower or suspend.

PRODUCT SAFETY
& SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
B
System introduction B.01
Product safety B.02
Usage exclusions B.03
System description B.04
Rope mechanism B.05

B.02 PRODUCT SAFETY
v
TCX Power Ascender operators must have
undergone certied training in the safe use of the
Ascender. ActSafe Systems can assist in providing
a bespoke training and certication scheme for
end users and trainers (train the trainer).
The TCX Power Ascenders must be checked before
every use by a Competent Person and must undergo
a minimum of one inspection per year by a Service
Centre that is trained, supported and authorised by
ActSafe Systems. More frequent inspections may
be required by your national regulations.
The TCX Power Ascenders are only approved for
use by suitably trained military/law enforcement
operatives due to the following specications:
»No emergency stop
»High ascent / descent speed
»Covert mode operation
The TCX Forceand Assault Ascenders are
especially designed to be used in a marine
environment and are watertight up to a depth of
10 metres (30 ft) for a maximum of 4 hours (IP 68).
Always check before use:
»Special watertight IP 68 TCX
Battery that has a grey rubber bumper
»A pre-use check has been performed
- Water tightness (See G.11)
B

»
B.03 THE ASCENDER MUST NOT BE USED:
»For any purpose other than that
for which it has been designed
»In an explosive environment
» If modied in any way by anyone
other than ActSafe Systems
»After a free fall from a height of
more than 0.5 m (2 ft) or any other
severe impact onto a hard surface
»If subjected to misuse in any
way so that parts or components
might have been damaged
»The Ascender system should not
be exposed to high impact forces
caused by people or loads falling
into the system
»With any Battery other than original
ActSafe TCX IP 68 Batteries
»With any other Battery Charger
than an original ActSafe TCX
Battery Charger
» With a damaged or modied ActSafe
TCX IP 68 Battery or TCX Charger
»If the operator is unsure of how
to use the Ascender safely
»If you are tired, ill, using prescription
medication that prevents you from
using machinery, or under the
inuence of alcohol and/or drugs
»Without having performed
a pre-use check

B.04 SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
Carabiner
Connection Sling
Titanium Sling Bolt
Power Button & Indication LED
Bi-directional
Throttle
CAUTION
The connection Sling is the only point for
connecting the Ascender to a Person,
Anchor or Load.
Rope Guide
Rope Cover Lock
Ascender
Positioning Point.
See D.04
Rope Cover
Pressure Valve

Battery Release
Emergency
Descent Lever
Battery
Battery Lock
Carrying Handle
(not for loads)
Machine Rating label
The Ascender is supplied
with a machine label
attached to the housing.
This label must not
be removed!
The TCX Ascenders
are approved under
the machinery directive
2006/42/EC for lifting both
people and equipment
but can only be operated
by trained military and law
enforcement operatives
with a Working Load
(WLL/SWL):
TCX : 150 kg (330 lb)TCX
Rescue: 250 kg (550 lb)
Lift: SWL 150kg
Registered design
European patent pending
Maskinskylt TCX Seal
AC-0283-1
20160303
PMS White
Print
CMYK 33/22/38/5
Print
CMYK 61/36/76/24
Print
Battery Indicator
Battery Strap
(not for loads)
Pressure Valve

B.05 ROPE MECHANISM
Rope Guide
Rope Wedge
Rope Grab
Rope Cover
The Ascender Positioning Point
may be removed by the user
if desired but can only be
mounted by ActSafe or an
ActSafe service partner

ROPE
C
Rope type
and preparation C.01

Upon request a special 9 mm
Rope Grab with corresponding
9mm rope is available for special
operations. For more information
contact your ActSafe supplier.
Rope recommendations
Rope recommendations for the ACX
Ascender depend on the type of
application, whether personnel
or equipment lifting.
Equipment lifting
The ActSafe Equipment Lifting Rope
(ELR) is the only approved rope
to be used in the equipment lifting
system and can be ordered at
ActSafe or your ActSafe distributor.
Personnel lifting
All ropes that are used for personnel
lifting must meet EN 1891 A with
a diameter of 11 mm (7/16”) and
should be of a solid construction. It is
recommended to use ropes in ActSafe
Ascenders that have passed our rope
suitability test. A list of suitable ropes
and the rope testing procedure, in
case you want to perform your own
suitability tests, can be found at our
website or contact your ActSafe
distributor for more information. The
reason for having this rope list is that
softer ropes are unsuitable for the use
in ActSafe Ascenders. Softer ropes
should be avoided because they
deform under load, grip is poor and can
potentially jam the Rope Grab system.
Pre-Soaking (applies only
to Polyamid ropes)
It is recommended that only pre-
soaked ropes are used with ActSafe
Ascenders. New ropes should be
put in cold water <40°C (104°F) for
24 hours and dried slowly afterwards.
This will make ropes more suitable
for use in ActSafe Ascenders for
two reasons:
The correct choice of rope
type depends on whether
the Ascender is being
used to lift or lower
equipment or personnel.
Check with your ActSafe
supplier or at the ActSafe
website for the latest
list of suitable ropes.
CC.01 ROPE TYPE
AND PREPARATION

1. Rope density
Pre-soaking makes ropes denser.
The bres will absorb the water
and will shrink when drying.
The result is that all bres become
more densely aligned and the
sheath sits tighter around the core
of the rope. This will make the rope
more solid and will consequently
result in less mantle slippage and
deformation and thereby lead to
better grip in the Ascender.
2. Oil dissolution
During the production process some
oil is added to the rope bres in
order to reduce the friction between
the individual bres. When soaking
the rope in cold water some surface
oil in the sheath of the rope will
dissolve. This will contribute further
to a better grip. Do not soak ropes
in warm water, this will lead to
greater dissolution of oil, which
will have a negative impact on
the rope properties.
RECOMMENDATION
A new rope will get an increased service life if it is soaked in cold
water before the rst use.
Avoid getting sand or dirt onto/into the ropes since it will wear the
Rope Grab and Rope Guide. Use a rope mat, rope bag or similar.
i
CAUTION
Always make sure that the rope is in good condition.