The possible applications of air bearing systems

There are numerous applications of air bearings possible. For starters, they are used throughout the complete product cycle of big and heavy machines and objects. During production, the object can be moved from production station A to B. During the installation on-site, the air bearings can be used for the internal movement and the final millimeter accurate positioning. During servicing or upgrades, they are used to remove and replace heavy parts. And during the decommissioning phase, machines and parts are removed from the facility on air caster systems. 

During the production of heavy vehicles like locomotives, ships and airplanes, air bearings are used for moving heavy loads of sub-assemblies and scaffolding towards the production area for assembly. The finished products can also be moved with these air bearings as heavy equipment transport equipment. The systems can be useful for both transportation to testing areas and through the whole production plant.

Another big segment is the high tech industry. A lot of fragile machine parts in the electronics and optics industries could get damaged because of vibration during transport. Our air bearing moves like a hovercraft above the floor, so there’s no vibration during transport and no parts will be damaged. In the aerospace industry the use of air bearings is quite common because they are suitable to use in a cleanroom environment.

The application of air bearings for moving equipment

• The DIY systems of the air bearings are often embedded in production tools to enable a more flexible production process. This way, there’s no fixed production line but it can be set up according to the needs of each specific product. 
• Roll and reel handling is also performed by air bearing transporters for moving these heavy products. Custom made solutions are often used to pick up big paper or steel rolls and transport them to a printing or converting machine.
• Air bearings can be used in seating modules at sports stadiums or arenas. The stadium can be made multi purpose to generate more income. Another possibility is to move theatre sceneries in order to perform a faster changement. 
• Most moulds are very heavy and need to be positioned very accurately so they don’t break. Air bearings are ideal to pick up de moulds and move them between the storage and the production machine.

Products for heavy equipment transport

Air bearings

Air bearings are the core elements in an air bearing system. This is the hovering and pneumatic lifting part which consists of a metal backplate with a torus or bladder. The backplate is either made from neoprene rubber or polyurethane plastic. The benefit of plastic is that it’s almost wear free, but the capacity is less. Neoprene has almost twice the capacity and can generate a higher lift. 

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Air bearing systems

The modular air bearing system that has all the components. There’s just one thing you need to do: connect the system to the air supply. You can start moving within minutes. The DIY systems enable you to install the main components to your own machine or transport device, which makes the capacity high. You can choose between neoprene or polyurethane air bearings for both systems.  

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Air bearing parts

For our air bearings for moving equipment, there is a selection of spare parts available. The selection ranges from simple parts for our air bearing systems to spare polyurethane or neoprene bladders. Our air bearing systems are fully interchangeable with other brands as well This will definitely help you save costs.

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