Link Cam Inspection Notice & Update
06/13/07
Omega Pacific is requesting that Link Cam owners inspect their Link Cams for two potential defects recently discovered. As of this posting, the incidents are extremely rare and are not considered widespread, but we feel that it is in the best interest of climbers’ safety to inform the climbing community of the potential for the problem. Should any Link Cam owner wish for us to perform the inspection, we will be happy to do so. Please contact us for information how to prepare the return.
In April, we were informed of a situation in which key components of a Link Cam became disassembled after use in the field. Upon receiving the unit back from the climber, our Quality Assurance department immediately launched an investigation to determine the cause and to recommend any appropriate upgrades to our production or quality management processes.
Our QA inspectors have determined the cause was an improper rivet in the link assembly during the assembly process. Prior to this incident, we preassembled the links into lobes, riveted them and then moved them into the assembly station. In this instance, one was not riveted but was included in the move to the new station. The QC inspection of the completed cams did not catch the problem. Therefore, we’ve initiated a new inspection procedure of all links/lobes BEFORE they are moved to final assembly. As well, all persons participating in the final QC inspection have been retrained to look for this issue on every single unit.
We have no reason to suspect that this is a widespread or repeated problem, but are issuing an inspection notice to the climbing community so that climbers may inspect their Link Cams to ensure that their cams meet proper specifications. Of course, we will be happy to inspect cams for anyone should they wish to send them to us for analysis. However, a very simple test as described below is adequate to determine whether this problem exists with any Link Cam. The test may be applied to either #1 or #2 Link Cams. We request that anyone with cams that fail this test immediately contact us. Should we become aware that this is a larger problem, we will respond accordingly.
It should be noted that no accident occurred nor any injuries suffered as a result of this incident.
To confirm proper riveting on your Link Cams, follow these steps:
1) Visually inspect each of four rivets per Link Cam—there is one rivet per link assembly—that connect the gray links to the anodized link. The photo below shows the location of a proper rivet. Note that the rivet head is rounded and peened over as per specifications.
2) A defective rivet will be visually recognizable by the pristine, sharp edges at its crown.
3) Simply pushing against the rivet from the interior side of the linkage will easily force the rivet from its placement. Please notify us immediately if any cam you inspect exhibits this behavior.
During the course of the inspection, we subsequently discovered three units which have a small fissure in the steel linkage of the cam lobes.
As unlikely as it sounds, destruct-testing of these units revealed that the defect does NOT reduce the overall strength of the units. In fact, the units we tested failed ABOVE rating. However, since the goods, obviously, do not conform to our specifications, we would like any units with this defect returned for replacement under warranty.
The steps necessary to prevent this from recurring have been initiated in response to the first issue. We have used this experience to upgrade our inspection policies and practices as well as to improve the materials flow during production.
We take pride in our excellent quality control record and do everything we can to prevent issues like this from occurring. However, the climbing community and our customers can count on us to respond in a prompt, professional manner whenever quality problems do arise. Should there be more action required on our part in response to this inspection notice, we will alert the climbing community.
Please contact us with any questions or comments. We can be reached at 800.360.3990 or [email protected].
Michael Lane
Sales & Marketing Director
[email protected]
800.360.3990 toll-free
509.456.0170 international
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Notice of Voluntary Recall
09/23/05
Airway Heights, WA – In cooperation with the US Consumer Product Safety Commision (CPSC), Omega Pacific is voluntary recalling a small percentage of Five-O Screwgate locking carabiners built between November and December of 2004.
Carabiners affected by this recall can be potentially opened under moderate loads even when properly locked and must be returned for replacement.
Only carabiners marked with the lot stamp “VT” are affected. The lot number can be found on the backside of the spine and is clearly identified. Do not return any lots other than “VT” as no other lots are subject to this issue. No other models are affected. Only Five-O locking carabiners with the lot stamp “VT” (as displayed) are considered under this action.
Please do not return carabiners to retailers. Instead, please ship any affected carabiners directly to Omega Pacific. Please mark all packages with “Attn: Warranty Returns, RA 728.” Be sure to include your name and shipping address where we can deliver a replacement Five-O locking carabiner.
All returns or inquiries can be directed to:
Omega Pacific Customer Service
11427 W. 21st Avenue
Airway Heights, WA 99001
Attn: Warranty Returns, RA 728
If you have any questions, please call us at 800-360-3990 or email at [email protected]
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may cause.
--Omega Pacific, Inc.
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Jake Quik-Lok Carabiner Inspection Notice
06/07/02
It has come to our attention that Omega Pacific Jake Quik-Lok carabiners have recently been discovered which do not exhibit properly pinned gate rivets. Although the number of affected units is very small, we feel that it is important to notify the public and request that anyone who purchased a Jake Quik-Lok in the specified timeframe please inspect all their Jake Quik-Loks to determine if any need to be replaced.
The affected lot bears the stamp “LD” on the spine of the frame (see figure 1) and any affected carabiners were shipped between February 15, 2002 and May 20, 2002. Please inspect any of your Jake Quik-Loks (other Jakes are unaffected by this notice) from that lot by pushing against the rivet as pictured below (figure 2). Pressure against the end of that rivet with even a simple ballpoint pen will reveal the problem. If affected, it will slide through the hinge hole and you will be able to completely remove the rivet, which permits the gate assembly to be removed from the frame. This simple procedure will determine if your Jakes need to be replaced.
If your Jakes do exhibit this characteristic, please contact Omega Pacific for an immediate replacement. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Michael Lane, sales & marketing manager, at 800.360.3990 or [email protected].
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