AgieCharmilles, a division of Switzerland-based GF Machining Solutions, faced a difficult situation: moving heavy machinery weighing up to 6,350 kg around the production line without damaging an expensive new epoxy floor at one of its facilities.
AeroGo System
Air casters can fit into restricted spaces and offer highly controlled, precise positioning. They minimize risk to personnel and the facility.
The company is a leading producer of award-winning equipment such as high-speed milling machines, electrical discharge machining (EDM) equipment known for its extreme accuracy (up to one-thousandth of a millimeter) and laser texturing with infinite repeatability. It serves the aerospace, automotive, and medical sectors in 40 countries throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
AgieCharmilles made the decision to install epoxy floors at the showcase location of its United States headquarters in Woodbridge, Illinois in line with its continuous improvement program. An epoxy surface treatment confers numerous benefits to industrial manufacturers. The coating protects floors against ordinary wear-and-tear and resists chemicals, stains and water. Though epoxy flooring is expensive to install, it can pay for itself over the long-term through reduced service costs and extended lifespan. Outside of normal cleaning, very little maintenance is required.
Unfortunately, damage to an epoxy surface can quickly compromise its effectiveness and result in large repair costs, tangibly reducing return on investment. That’s what the AgieCharmilles facility was determined to prevent, which meant that traditional load-moving methods such as forklifts were out of the question. Forklifts would cause significant and expensive damage to the new floor surface, according to Jesus Ledesma, refurbishment and facilities manager at Woodbridge. “The problem was saving this very expensive floor,” Ledesma said.
GF and its AgieCharmilles brand insist upon excellence in every facility exemplified by their highly efficient production line process that is easily and quickly adaptable to changing needs. The process enables the company to serve its customers faster and with greater flexibility. One key to that efficiency has been an ability to rapidly move product and equipment in and out of the line, traditionally done via forklifts and walkies.
Both of those moving applications had to be ruled out as were most of the traditional material handling options due to the expense or difficulty to install. The company had to find an effective alternative.
Air Caster Modules
The modular nature of the air caster system provides flexibility to adapt to changing needs.
Case study solution: an air caster rigging system
The solution for AgieCharmilles literally floated to the top of the list: air casters—a technology with minimal friction ideally suited for the company’s showroom floor. An air caster rigging system functions much like a hovercraft or the puck in an air hockey game. By floating the object on a thin film of air no thicker than a business card (around 0.08mm to 0.13mm thick) with a friction coefficient of approximately 1 percent, operators can easily move their equipment with just a push. On an air hockey table, that means a slight tap moves the puck. Air casters work on the same principle, but in a much more controlled manner.
Specifically, the air caster system slides under or otherwise attaches to the base of the object to be moved. Operators attach an air hose connected to the facility’s standard compressed air supply and fill air bags connected to each air caster. As the casters fill and reach capacity, they lift the load up slightly while simultaneously forming a seal with the floor. Then, excess air slowly and evenly escapes between the flexible air bag and the floor creating a nearly frictionless cushion of air.
As a result, air casters require much less force to move than other options. For example, they require only one-tenth of the amount of force required for pushing wheeled casters. Unlike forklift drivers, caster operators require only minimal training and no certification.
Still, AgieCharmilles wasn’t about to make its decision solely on the mechanics, so the company conducted an extensive testing of the system. “At the live demonstration, we moved a much larger machine than we move normally and we specifically picked a very difficult machine to move,” Ledesma said. “That convinced me that we could do it with air casters.”
Air casters distribute the weight of the load over a larger surface area than wheeled vehicles, so the weight is never concentrated at specific touchpoints that could potentially cause scratches, gouges, or divots in the floor’s surface. The load literally floats so it rarely touches the floor. That reduces even ordinary wear-and-tear and can dramatically extend the lifespan of the epoxy treatment.
Positioning ACRS
The system is lightweight and is easy to use. It provides significant cost savings in downtime and training.
Case study results: ROI exceeds expectations
Although AgieCharmilles’ primary objective was moving heavy machinery without damaging epoxy flooring, it found that floor protection was just one of the benefits realized from using air caster technology. Another benefit was cost-savings from the minimal training required for air caster operators, in particular the brief amount of time required to complete load movements with air casters. “If workers are waiting on the forklift operator to arrive or finish, it adds time and that impacts the efficiency of the whole process,” said John Massenburg, president and chief executive officer of AeroGo Inc., the company that furnished the air casters to AgieCharmilles.
Second, air casters fit within the footprint of the load and can move omnidirectionally, including rotating in place. “The other thing was the ability to move the machine in tighter areas because obviously some forklifts can’t fit in smaller areas,” Ledesma said. “Air casters offer an ability to control tight turns and go from the warehouse all the way into our demo and CC centers without much problem.”
Third, air casters promote better safety for personnel and equipment in the area. Vehicles like forklifts require an enormous amount of space and clearance to operate. By contrast, air casters can fit into restricted spaces and offer highly controlled, precise positioning minimizing risk to personnel and the facility.
“We have good control of the machines when we are pushing them around so it is very, very safe and doesn’t disturb other people in the room,” Ledesma said. “Actually, it’s much safer than forklifts because they can’t back up into anything or run into machines or people.”
“I’m very glad I got the system,” Ledesma concluded. “It’s helped our company out quite a bit.” And that, the facilities manager, said is “the bottom line.”
The author, Paul Jakse, is vice president, sales for AeroGo. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, AeroGo manufactures innovative load moving equipment utilizing wheels and hovercraft technology for moving heavy, awkward or delicate loads. For more information, call +1-206-575-3344 or visit the website.
Back to Homepage
Back to Construction & Engineering