Photo courtesy Army.mil
TACOM has received reports of four hex bar breakages due to poor quality welds. These hex bars are part of the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) equipment set, NSN 7830-01-675-1851, and were produced by Atlantic Diving and Supply Inc. (ADS) subcontractor Beaverfit. The fielding of this ACFT equipment occurred between January through July 2020. The hex bar failure is caused by missing and poor weld placements, which lead to low-quality welds and, in rare instances, hex bar breakage.
All hex bars with weld breakages should be replaced with new, upgraded hex bars by the end of January 2021.
TACOM has determined that ADS hex bars currently in the field don’t pose a safety risk and are acceptable for training and official testing purposes. In the interim, units will use on-hand hex bars until new upgraded replacement hex bars are received.
The ACFT hex bar is NSN 6930-01-684-6427. The part number for the potentially defective hex bar currently in the field is BF_ACFTHEX_60, and the part number for the replacement hex bar is BF_ACFTHEX_60V1. Per MA 20-004 guidance, units will use hex bar part numbers when reporting compliance in the Modification Management Information System (MMIS) no later than 30 days from receiving the replacement hex bars.
Hex bar manufacturer ADS/BeaverFit will replace all issued ACFT set hex bars fielded with ADS-produced ACFT sets at no cost to units.
TACOM will be working through the ACFT fielding plan to distribute replacement hex bars to Army units that received ADS ACFT equipment sets. There is no action necessary by the unit to receive replacement hex bars.
Also, according to TACOM MA 20-039, units are no longer required to inspect hex bars or receive onsite joint inspections. TACOM and Beaverfit determined that there were missing and poor weld placements across the entire Army that received ADS/Beaverfit ACFT equipment sets, leading to low-quality welds that could lead to failure or breakage of the hex bar. It wasn’t necessary to burden the field with continued inspections of these hex bars.
How to Recognize Hex Bar Types
The ADS/BeaverFit hex bars were fielded in wooden crates and don’t have a manufacture name or logo on them. The Sorinex® hex bars were fielded in plastic molded cases and have a logo on the bar stating “Sorinex®.” There are no reported defects with the Sorinex® hex bars. They’re serviceable and don’t need replacing.
Defective ADS/Beaverfit Hex Bar (Courtesy photo)
The hex bar pictured above is currently in the field and will be 100 percent replaced with a redesigned hex bar. This bar has four potentially defective weld points that have been identified above. The defective welds can cause failure but the failure will not lead to a safety issue. TACOM has determined that it is safe to continue training and testing with the hex bar until a replacement hex bar is received.
Replacement ADS/Beaverfit Hex Bar (Courtesy photo)
Army units will receive the bar pictured immediately above as a replacement. This hex bar has been redesigned to remove the four weld points and has completely mitigated the risk of a failure or breakage of the bar.
Sorinex® Hex Bar (Courtesy photo)
The TACOM-fielded Sorinex® hex bar does not have any quality concerns. Army units will not receive replacement hex bars if they were fielded the Sorinex® hex bar. This bar can be identified by the tag stating “Sorinex” on the hex bar frame.
For more hex bar details and photos, see:
In rare cases of hex bar breakage, discontinue use and dispose of the hex bar using local procedures. Report only hex bar breakages to the TACOM ACFT mailbox for immediate replacement:
After receiving the new hex bars, remove the old hex bars from their ACFT sets and dispose of them utilizing local disposal procedures.
For more info, see TACOM MA 21-004: