Air caster technology has been described as the Wheel 2.0. It can move 10,000 lbs. with just 10 pounds of force. Learn more about this powerful but underutilized technology.

1. Air Casters:
The Most-Powerful Technology
You’ve Never Heard of

2. 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?

3. 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.

4. Air Bearing Uses
Popular 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.

5. Air Bearing Uses
Also 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.

6. 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!

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. Hoisting and Rigging Applications
70,000-lb. backup roll used in steel production was floated outside a
warehouse, then craned onto a flatbed truck.

13. ABOUT AIRFLOAT
As the pioneer of air bearing technology, Airfloat
has 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.

14. 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

15. Contact Information
1.800.888.0018
Or
sales@alignprod.com