air casters: the most powerful technology you've never heard of
TRANSCRIPT
Air Casters:
The Most-Powerful Technology You’ve Never Heard of
Overview
Air-bearing (also called “air-caster” or “air-film”) technology has been called the most powerful technology nobody’s heard of. It is used to produce everything from 150-ton locomotives to soy sauce. But what is it, and how can it be used in the manufacture of your products?
How Air Bearings Work
An air bearing is a pneumatic device that forms a lubricating film of air between the load and floor surface, similar to that of a hovercraft or an air hockey table. A flexible, wear-resistant urethane diaphragm is inflated by compressed air, forming a seal with the floor and lifting the structure off its rest pads. Air is then squeezed between the floor and the diaphragm, creating a thin film of air and allowing the load to float.
Air Bearing UsesPopular in many heavy manufacturing environments, including aerospace, automotive, construction, locomotive, steel, wind energy and more. Can be used to create floating assembly lines for the heaviest product.
Air Bearing UsesAlso used for one-time moves of heavy, difficult objects. On a good floor, only about 1 pound of force is required to move 1,000 pounds – that’s 10 times better than wheels or rollers. Also great for buildings with low floor-load capacities.
Air Bearing Technology Myths
• “It’s really loud…”
• “It creates a lot of dust…”
• “It requires tremendous air pressure…”
• “It won’t work on our floor…”
• “It’s difficult to control…”
All Incorrect!
Air Bearing Requirements
• Floor – smooth, level, flat, & non-porous with low friction
• Most steel-troweled concrete floors are OK
• Easy, low-cost fixes available
• Air – most plant air systems are suitable
• Need sufficient airflow volume and pressure
• Air consumption is proportional to air bearing perimeter
Air Bearing Benefits
• Eliminate overhead cranes and fork trucks
• Precise, omnidirectional movement
• Extremely high load capacity
• Reduce worker injury
• Spark-free operation
• Save floor space
• Low maintenance
• Reduce floor and wall damage
Kentucky Trailer: Louisville, Ky.
Workers move 50-ft.-long, 20,000-lb. trailers by hand, in any direction. This allows the trailers to fit in spaces too tight for fork trucks to safely maneuver.
GE Transportation: Erie, Penn.
75-ft.-long, 300,000-lb. diesel locomotives float on specially designed air platforms. The equipment helped boost output from 17 to 22 locomotives per month – a 29% gain.
Air Bearing Turntables
Available in many different sizes and capacities, with or without drive motors. Often used for container handling in factory settings. May include integrated lift/tilt tables or other attachments.
Hoisting and Rigging Applications
70,000-lb. backup roll used in steel production was floated outside a warehouse, then craned onto a flatbed truck.
ABOUT AIRFLOATAs the pioneer of air bearing technology, Airfloathas been creating unique heavy-load movement solutions for over 40 years. Airfloat, a division of Illinois-based Align Production Systems, works with multiple industries to create material handling solutions for loads requiring frictionless, omnidirectional movement to product weighing up to one million pounds.
Industries Served by Airfloat:• Aerospace
• Agriculture
• Appliance
• Automotive
• Chemical
• Construction
• Locomotive
• Mining
• Nuclear
• Prefabricated Home
• Printing
• Rigging
• Ship Building
• Steel
• Theater and Stadium Seating
Clients: Projects completed with 90% of Fortune 500
