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Avoiding Common Mistakes When Operating Heavy Duty Jacks

Avoiding Common Mistakes When Operating Heavy Duty Jacks
Avoiding Common Mistakes When Operating Heavy Duty Jacks

Truck lifting equipment like hydraulic floor jacks or bridge jacks have been around for centuries now. Traditional jacks have generally been difficult to maintain and operate, due to cumbersome heavy-duty jack operation guidelines and proneness to malfunction. 

Innovations in safe vehicle lifting practices along with advancements in jack technology have resulted in modern jacks, like Scorpion floor jacks, with features for avoiding jack operation errors. 

However, unless you own Stan Design Inc. products like the StanJack or Scorpion lines of jacks, you would need to know some of the common jack operation errors and how to avoid them. In this blog, we discuss just that! Read on. 

Common Jack Operation Errors 

  • Skipping Safety Measures – Your jack requires regular inspection. Safety checks can range from as simple as seeing whether you have cleaned your jack after use and stored it upright in a clean and dry place, to more sophisticated ones like having a checklist to determine its fluid viscosity, etc. 
  • Not Sticking to Load Capacity – The load capacity of a jack refers to the limit of quantity that it is designed to lift. Overloading a jack is not only detrimental to its durability but also dangerous for the personnel using it, along with the vehicle being lifted. 
  • Not Removing Obstacles Before Lowering – A most common and easily resolvable issue while operating jacks is not clearing the ground before lowering the vehicle it has hoisted. 
  • Lifting or Lowering Too Quickly – Another safe vehicle lifting practice involves hoisting and lowering it slowly and steadily, making sure the vehicle remains stable. Remove the jack once the vehicle is fully on the ground. Check that the vehicle is rising evenly and not shifting. 
  • Not Checking the Surface or Contact Points – Positioning a jack incorrectly below the vehicle, that is, not in the correct jacking point, and lifting vehicles on a slippery or uneven surface is a recipe for disaster. 

5 Heavy-duty Jack Operation Guidelines 

  1. Use the Right Jack for the Task – Determine its purpose of use before choosing the type to work with. For instance, a hydraulic floor jack is ideal for home garage work, while a bridge jack is better for heavy-duty lifting. 
  2. Focus on Accurate Positioning – As discussed above, ensure that the lifting point on the load is directly above the center of the jack’s saddle, and it is connected to the jacking point before lifting. 
  3. Avoid Overloading the Jack – Check the maximum weight capacity, or load capacity, of the jack and stick within the permissible limits to avoid overloading the jack and causing accidents. 
  4. Follow Jack Maintenance Tips – Check for any signs of damage or wear and tear and ensure all bolts are tightened securely, along with regular lubrication of the system, handle, base plate, and wheels of the jack. 
  5. Adhere to Proper Jack Usage – Always use proper personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and safety glasses when operating a jack. Follow all safety guidelines provided by the manufacturer of your jack. 

Our solutions for safe Vehicle Lifting practices

  • Powerful Design – We provide heavy-duty hydraulic and pneumatic variants of our jack models. So, you can choose a gadget based on your requirements, rather than a lack of options. These powerful methods of operations offer a smooth lifting and lowering process, by eliminating the need for exhausting hand pumping. 
  • Detachable Remote Control – Lift a truck in seconds with full control over the process, using our detachable remote-control pendant. Just push one button on our Scorpion floor jacks, or two dead man buttons- one to lift and one to lower- on our StanJack bridge jacks. 
  • High-quality Material – Our jacks are built to last with durability, resilience and reliability. We only use the highest-grade materials like fine steel, zinc plated components and accessories, grease fittings, and sustainable finishes like high gloss powder coat paint. This resists oxidation and deterioration, while enhancing their appearance. 
  • Roller Bearing Wheels – All our jacks have four full floating casters that allow for effortless rolling, extreme ease and maneuvering. The casters are made of special roller bearings that reduce friction and wear, delivering impressive mobility. 
  • Multi-level Safety – Our in-built automatic three-stage locking mechanism allows us to maintain the car as well as personnel’s safety during the lifting, suspending, and lowering operation. This safety lock mechanism engages automatically at different heights and does not require additional jack stands or chocks for support. 

What is Stan Design Inc.? 

Stan Design Inc. is a hydraulic floor jacks and bridge jacks designer and manufacturer in Canada. With over two decades of experience in the automotive jack industry, we are at the forefront of making cutting-edge technology accessible for our customers. 

At the heart of our innovative features lies a beautiful marriage of the ideal of convenience and safety at affordable prices. Our deep-diving research into analyzing the most pressing issues within the industry revealed that garage owners across the nation were facing the problem of time and money wastage. 

They were wasting countless hours every day lifting heavy-duty vehicles with slow and cumbersome hydraulic floor jacks that require multiple stands to support the truck. So, we came up with Scorpion floor jacks with both hydraulic and pneumatic functionality. 

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Categories
Hydraulic Jacks

The Role of Hydraulic Jacks in Emergency Vehicle Maintenance

Whether you plan to hit the country road or take a short trip to the beachside, whether it is sunny or there is a forecast of rain, you must always be ready with a kit for the emergency maintenance of vehicles. And hydraulic jacks are an indispensable constituent component of the kit. 

Why Hydraulic Jacks? 

Hydraulic jacks work using the principle of Pascal’s law of fluid mechanics. Broken down, it means that when there’s an increase in pressure at any point in a confined incompressible fluid, that pressure change is transmitted throughout the entire fluid. 

In other words, any change in pressure applied to a fluid in a closed system is transmitted undiminished to all parts of the fluid and the container walls. When this principle is applied in hydraulic jacks today, it helps eliminate manual labour. Here is how. 

How Do Hydraulic Jacks Work? 

To understand simply the workings of a hydraulic jack, let us consider the example of a hydraulic system of operation, consisting of the following broad components:

  • hydraulic oil, 
  • reservoir or buffer or oil tank, 
  • main cylinder or ram, 
  • release valve, 
  • control valve, 
  • check valve, 
  • lifting arm or pad, 
  • hydraulic pump with piston or plunger, and 
  • pump lever or handle.  

The reservoir or buffer or oil tank is the physical compartment of the hydraulic jack that holds the hydraulic liquid or pump oil together when it is not in use. The control valve stays in a closed position when the hydraulic jack is not in use to prevent the accidental flow of oil. 

The piston is responsible for lifting the heavy load or weight. It is usually mechanically activated by shifting the positions of the handle or pump lever attached to it. This movement builds up pressure in the hydraulic fluid contained inside the reservoir or buffer tank of the hydraulic jacks.

When the handle or lever of the hydraulic pump with piston or plunger is mechanically lowered or raised, it activates force and builds up pressure in the adjoining compartment, i.e., the reservoir or buffer tank containing the hydraulic fluid or pump’s oil, inside hydraulic jacks. 

The pressure created allows the fluid to move through a check valve into the ram or main cylinder, which then pops out of the main body of the hydraulic jack creating the force required to lift the load. 

This applied pressure is what transfers the oil from the pump through the check valve and into the main cylinder or the ram, which extends out of the hydraulic jack body. Finally, the release valve relieves the built pressure for easy retraction and lowering of the ram with the load on it, creating the required lifting force and lifting the load. 

Vehicle Jacks by Stan Design – Hydraulic Jack Systems 

Stan Design Inc. is the best hydraulic jack manufacturer and designer in Canada and North America. It uses state-of-the-art hydraulic technology to design and manufacture some of the most advanced hydraulic jacks in the market at affordable prices, without compromising on the quality. 

With over 25 long years of experience in the industry, they have mastered the art and science of designing and manufacturing to delivering automotive lifting solutions, using the finest materials that last longer, perform better, are safe, reliable and stand the test of time, and look aesthetically stunning, while at it. 

By adhering to the strictest safety and quality standards in the industry, their products are tested and certified by reputable organizations such as CSA Group, UL, CE, ISO, etc. They also offer warranties and sales support to all our customers so that they can utilize our products to their full extent, something that is missing from other sellers in the market.

Stan Design Inc. bridges the gap between the vacuum left by the lack of standardization of quality checks to measure the efficacy of compact automotive lifting solutions (like vehicle jacks that lift passenger vehicles) and those for heavy duty or armored military vehicles, by manufacturing jacks for both kinds and everything in between. 

Also Read: Specialized Oil Handling Solutions for Garages in 2024

Advantages of Stan Design Inc. Hydraulic Jacks:

  • Safety – Safety features in Stan Design Inc. hydraulic jacks include an in-built 3-stage locking mechanism system that engages automatically at different heights, excluding the requirement of any extra stands or chocks to secure the vehicle. 
  • Convenience – The Stan Design Inc. hydraulic jack lifts your vehicle with the touch of a button, well two- one to lift and one to lower- attached to a detachable remote-control pendant, and an extendable pull handle that makes it simple to position the jack under the vehicle. 
  • Maneuverability – All the Stan Design Inc. vehicle jacks have four full floating casters or wheels, made of special roller bearings that reduce friction and wear, allowing for easy rolling and maneuvering. 
  • Durability – The Stan Design Inc. hydraulic jack is made of high-grade fine steel material and coated with a high gloss powder paint, along with zinc plated components and accessories that resist oxidation, deterioration, corrosion and rust, while enhancing their durability. 

Stan Design Inc. Hydraulic Jack Models to Choose From in 2024:

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Categories
Floor jacks Jacks Truck Jacks

Top Reasons That Make Scorpion Floor Jacks a Great Tool For Truck Owners

Why Truck Owners Prefer Scorpion Floor Jacks
Scorpion Floor Jacks: Reliable Tools for Trucks

Hydraulic jacks are an essential tool in any garage owner’s arsenal. For the best buy, the Stan Design Scorpion floor jack inevitably stands out. Where conventional truck jacks wear out easily, this jack lifts high and heavy with ease, safety and speed.

Hydraulic floor jacks are mechanical devices used to lift heavy loads and forces like trucks, sports utility vehicles, or other types of cars, among other heavyweight items. The reason why the Stan Design hydraulic system Scorpion floor jack makes a great tool for truck owners is the agility it offers.

Its components work in accordance with Pascal’s law to produce applications in a range of fields beyond the automotive industry. But for the sake of this blog, we will only explore its mechanism in lifting heavy trucks and buses off the ground for repairs and maintenance.

Like other hydraulic auto jacks, the anatomy of the Stan Design Scorpion floor jack can be broken down into these main parts, namely:

  • Reservoir or buffer tank
  • Pump with piston or plunger
  • Pump lever or handle
  • Check valve
  • Main cylinder or ram
  • Release valve
  • Handle

The reservoir or buffer tank is the physical compartment of the floor jack which holds the hydraulic fluid or pump oil. When the handle or lever of the pump with piston or plunger is mechanically lowered or raised, it builds up pressure in the adjoining compartment, i.e., the reservoir or buffer tank containing the hydraulic fluid or pump’s oil. This applied pressure is transferred from the pump through a check valve and into the main cylinder or the ram, which extends out of the hydraulic jack body creating the required lifting force and lifting the load.

Why Choose the Scorpion floor jack?

As famously quoted by Benjamin Franklin in George Fisher’s book, “Time is money” indeed! And the more time you spend in non-revenue generating tasks, like fixing your auto jack instead of lifting with it, the more you lose out on money!

Truck drivers and professional vehicle servicing garage owners across the country are tired of wasting countless hours every day lifting heavy duty vehicles with slow, heavy, and cumbersome auto jacks that require multiple stands to support the truck. Not to mention the risk of injury and damage to the vehicles they must brave daily with these conventional floor and pit jacks for trucks.

At Stan Design, our professional designers and engineers understood the assignment. So, they went to great lengths to come up with a product that addressed the woes of the target market. Enter, the Stan Design Scorpion floor jack.

How does our expert craftsmanship and innovative design philosophy shine through in our Scorpion floor jacks?

  • Only the highest quality materials are used to ensure that they can stand the wear and tear of lifting for decades to come.
  • Low profile for an extended and elevated reach while offering sustained and stable lift and minimal upkeep needs.
  • Built-in three stage safety lock guaranteeing lifting the entire front or rear of your vehicles without any danger.
  • Weight lift capacity of up to 14 tons that makes you forget the hassle of hand pumping, with easy maneuverability.

Stan Design Scorpion Floor Jack Models to Choose from

Scorpion TJ12S 

  • Capacity – 24,000 lbs./12 Tons
  • Only 8’’ Collapsed Height
  • Lifts Over 15.75” 

Scorpion TJ12SL 

  • Capacity – 24,000 lbs./12 Tons
  • Only 7.5’’ Collapsed Height
  • Lifts Over 15” 

Scorpion TJ14 

  • Capacity – 28,000 lbs./14 Tons
  • Only 8.25” Collapsed Height
  • Lifts Over 20” 

Scorpion TJ12E 

  • Capacity – 24,000 lbs./12 Tons
  • Only 8’’ Collapsed Height
  • Lifts Over 15.75”
  • 2 Extendable Arms 

Scorpion MJ25 

  • Capacity – 25,000 lbs./12.5 Tons
  • Lifts Over 36”
  • Extendable Beam with Stackable Adapters Designed for All Military Vehicle Applications.

Pros and Cons of hydraulic floor jacks 

Hydraulic jacks are mainly of two types: bottle jacks and floor jacks. The latter are popular because of the enormous benefits they offer their users, especially to do it yourself (DIY) automotive garage enthusiasts. Unlike bottle jacks which operate vertically, floor jacks operate horizontally, therefore, providing a greater range of vertical lift than bottle jacks. Below are their benefits in various applications.

  • Most floor jack designs occupy less space and are lighter than other types of jacks like screw jacks, ratchet jacks, scissor jacks, leveling jacks, etc. This makes them portable enough to carry around.
  • Less likely to jam due to rust in the screw thread as unlike mechanical jacks which work by using them, these jacks use hydraulic power to work.
  • Highly effective with heavy loads as they are built to lift heavier loads compared to bottle jacks or trolley jacks, which do not have the lift range or weight capacity of floor jacks.
  • It is easier to use as its working mechanism is simple, making it a convenient choice for a range of clientele, especially do it yourselfers (DIYers).
  • Loads are lifted with minimum effort as hydraulic mechanisms make it easier to lift heavy and high using scientific laws as opposed to tiresome mechanical effort.

Despite the good advantages of hydraulic floor jacks, some limitations still occur. Below are the disadvantages of hydraulic floor jacks in their various applications.

  • It has a relatively low speed, as compared to other jacks which however may either take up more space or be heavier and more cumbersome to use.
  • Susceptible to failure if oil seals are worn out as hydraulic floor jacks use hydraulic fluid pressure to lift heavy loads, which if leaked can cause soil and water pollution.
  • The device can emit an unpleasant odor due to the overuse of warm oil so regular checks and maintenance of the pump oil or hydraulic fluid becomes mandatory.
  • Overheating can quickly occur, making taking care of the floor jack an added trouble in today’s fleeting age.
  • It is considerably valued at higher price points than other jacks because of the features like convenience of use, portability, lift range and weight capacity it offers.

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Categories
Bridge Jacks Hydraulic Jacks Truck Jacks

How To Lift A Military Truck Safely

We can’t do enough to help our brothers and sisters in the Army, can we? When it comes to servicing military trucks, special care needs to be taken considering the weight of those vehicles and the sensitive equipment they might be carrying. A lot of times military trucks end up with a banged-up undercarriage due to the rough terrain they have to endure. A standard truck jack is what you need to lift such heavy vehicles for access to the subframe, wheels, or transmission. A rolling bridge jack is even better in such circumstances because it allows for more controlled and efficient lifting.

In this blog, you’ll learn how to lift a military truck safely and efficiently using a hydraulic floor jack or bridge jack.

Prerequisites 

Before you can go about lifting a military truck in your workshop, you need to keep the following tools handy:

  • A robust truck jack: make sure you have a truck jack with enough weight capacity to elevate a fully loaded truck. Otherwise, it can bend and buckle under stress, causing harm to the operator and the vehicle. Also, make sure that your floor jack or bridge jack has enough lift height to reach the lift points on the undercarriage of vehicles with high ground clearance and elevate them high enough for easy access to the subframe. Military trucks almost always have high ground clearance. So, the last bit is particularly important.
  • Jack stands: Always use jack stands with a truck jack. Because military trucks are big and heavy, a robust floor jack might not be enough to support the vehicle’s weight. Jack stands assist in vehicle service and maintenance by sharing the load on the truck jack and making it safer to keep a vehicle in an elevated position.
  • Wheel chocks: You cannot be too careful when working with heavy vehicles! Wheel chocks prevent vehicles from rolling forward or backward during the lifting process and add an extra layer of safety.
  • Protective gear: Never work on a vehicle without wearing protective gear. Your eyes and hands need to be protected at all times during the lifting process.
  • A reliable power source: Because most modern truck jacks use compressed air along with hydraulics to lift vehicles, it’s important that you have a reliable power source to operate the air pumps of your equipment. The absence of a reliable power source can increase downtime unnecessarily.

Now that you know what you need to go about lifting a military truck, let’s jump right into a step-by-step guide on how to lift the vehicle smoothly and efficiently.

Step-by-step guide to lifting a military truck with a reliable truck jack

Step 1: 

Position the truck in the service bay. Make sure the area is clean and well-lit beforehand. Check your lifting equipment for malfunction or structural damage. This is important because you don’t want your truck jack to give up on you midway through the process.

Step 2:

Position the jack under the designated lift points of the truck. If you aren’t sure where the lift points are, consult the truck’s manual. Lift points are reinforced areas on the subframe capable of withstanding the pressure exerted by a truck jack’s piston.

Step 3:

Raise the lifting apparatus of your floor jack to touch a lift point on the subframe. If you are using a bridge jack, make sure you use adapters appropriate to the vehicle type with the twin lifting arms of the jack so that it can lift the vehicle across its axle. Place jack stands beneath the remaining lift points to support the weight of the lifted vehicle in case you are using a floor jack.

Step 4: 

Use the controls of the truck jack to gradually lift the military truck to the desired height. You can start working on your truck once it’s secure in its elevated position.

Step 5:

Once you are done with your repair job, lower the truck slowly until the wheels are situated firmly on the ground. Don’t forget to remove the jack stands and the wheel chocks if you have been using them. Your truck is now ready to roll!

The Best Jack for Military Trucks

At this point, you might be wondering what’s the best lifting equipment you can use with military trucks. As you know already, with military trucks you need something robust and durable with a generous weight capacity and lift height. Well, we have good news for you!

Introducing the Scorpion MJ25 Floor Jack!

Why it’s special:

  • With a 25,000 lbs. or 25-ton weight capacity, the MJ25 is an absolute beast when it comes to lifting big, bulky vehicles.
  • And how high does it lift? Over 36”! Can you believe that?
  • Say goodbye to long downtimes! The MJ25 Floor Jack also uses stackable adapters to suit any military vehicle type.

And we are not finished yet! There’s the J50000H Stan Jack to make your day. This beast of a bridge jack will make you grin from ear to ear with the following qualities:

Savvy?

Endnote:

No matter what you buy for your workshop, remember what’s cheap upfront might not be cost-effective in the long run. Buy your truck jack from a reliable manufacturer with a reputation for manufacturing class-leading products for a substantial amount of time. That’s what you call an investment for the future!

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Categories
Bridge Jacks Floor jacks Hydraulic Jacks Jacks Pit Jacks Truck Jacks

What Type of Jack Do I Need for a Truck?

Trucks need periodic maintenance and repair to run smoothly and carry freight across the continent. So, truckers have to rely on workshops to keep their vehicles up and running. Which tool do the workshops rely on the most to service trucks? It’s the truck jack.

The type of Truck jacks are by far the most popular and effective vehicle servicing tools in the world. They use hydraulics to lift heavy trucks with minimum effort from the user. Once elevated, the truck’s undercarriage becomes accessible to technicians, aiding in servicing essential components like the transmission, exhaust system, and wheels.

Truck jacks come in many different varieties and weight capacities. Let’s look at the most popular iterations so that you can choose the perfect equipment for your workshop or garage.

1. The Heavy-duty Floor Jack

Hands down, this is the most popular truck jack on the market. Incredibly easy to operate, fast, efficient, and safe, the heavy-duty floor jack serves as the backbone of the car and truck service industry worldwide.

The floor jack’s lifting mechanism comprises a set of hydraulic cylinders filled with a viscous fluid, pistons, a pumping handle, and a lifting apparatus. When the operator pumps the handle, the hydraulic fluid transfers and compounds the pressure on the piston of the lifting apparatus and makes short work of lifting heavy vehicles.

When buying a heavy duty floor jack for your garage or workshop, look for the following attributes:

  • Always buy a truck jack with a greater weight capacity than the heaviest truck you are planning to lift. This way the jack won’t buckle under the weight of the vehicle and compromise the safety of the user and the vehicle.
  • What’s your truck’s ground clearance like? Is it a lifted truck or a standard one? These are two important questions you need to ask yourself before homing in on the truck jack with the right lift height.
  • The best floor jacks for cars, trucks, EVs, and other vehicles are made of strong and durable materials like high-tensile steel. This makes them last really long and give a great return on the investment.

2. The Bottle Jack

Why are bottle jacks called ‘bottle’ jacks? Well, they are shaped like bottles! That’s it. No surprises there. These stubby jacks are robust and designed for heavy-duty lifting. And like the floor jacks, bottle jacks utilize the power of hydraulics to lift big and bulky vehicles high enough for undercarriage repair and maintenance.

If you own a full-sized pickup truck or a large commercial vehicle, a bottle jack might be the tool you need. Its compact design and smaller footprint compared to a floor jack make a bottle jack easier to move around and store.

The only catch is that bottle jacks aren’t known to lift as high as floor jacks and might not be the right tool to work on lifted trucks or off-road vehicles.

3. Scissor Jacks for Small Trucks and Cars

Scissor jacks are cool mechanical devices that convert rotational motion into upward thrust, lifting cars and small trucks in the process. You must have one as part of your car’s standard toolkit.

Scissor jacks come in handy in case of roadside repairs like tire changing and undercarriage inspection. A light yet sturdy build and incredibly small footprint make these cool tools perfect for lifting cars in tight spaces and uneven surfaces.  But lifting loaded trucks is an absolute No for scissor jacks because they are simply not built to carry the weight of large and bulky vehicles.

4. Pit Jacks

Pit jacks have been keeping trucking fleets on the road for ages now. It’s impossible to imagine a truck or bus servicing workshop without a pit jack, and there’s a good reason for that.

Vehicles like large trucks and armored cars must take a lot of beating on their undercarriage due to the kind of terrain they normally have to endure. Only a pit jack has the robustness and lifting power to elevate these vehicles high enough for major undercarriage repair.

The only caveat is that these super-efficient tools need to be installed in dedicated service pits for them to operate. Despite their lack of mobility, pit jacks are tough and durable. Modern pit jacks rely on a combination of hydraulics and compressed air pumps for heavy lifting. They also have stackable adapters to accommodate all types of vehicles and subframes. So yes, you can trust a pit jack to lift anything you throw at it.

5. Rolling Bridge Jacks

Rolling bridge jacks are hydraulic devices designed to operate in tandem with four-post lifts. A set of roller bearings makes it easy to maneuver a bridge jack in a service pit.

Operating one is easy too. You just need to place the lifting apparatus of the jack under your vehicle and activate the hydraulic system and voila! Your vehicle is lifted high enough for easy access to the undercarriage. All modern bridge jacks use a combination of hydraulics and pneumatic pressure (compressed air) to lift cars and trucks. An intuitive control system aided by a locking mechanism makes the operation safe and easy.

Now that you know what’s selling, consider the following tips to home in on the perfect truck jack for your workshop:

6. Mind Your Truck’s Weight and Size

Before selecting a jack, it’s crucial to know the maximum weight of the trucks you are going to service. Check the manufacturer’s specifications for the maximum weight capacity of the truck jack you are planning to buy. Using a jack with insufficient capacity is a recipe for disaster.

Safety First: Use Jack Stands

Regardless of the jack type, always prioritize safety. Once your truck is lifted, secure it with jack stands. This provides an extra layer of protection, preventing accidents in case the jack fails.

Endnote:

Choosing a truck jack is a decision that can seriously impact your maintenance routine. Whether you opt for a scissor jack, heavy-duty floor jack, or a full-blown rolling bridge jack, make sure it aligns with your truck’s specifications. Remember, investing in the right tools ensures the longevity of your workshop business.

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