Air Skid Sets

An air bearing or air caster is a low friction system that uses a thin film of air to lift and float a load above a floor surface. Rather than relying on wheels, rollers, or tracks that create friction and require significant force to move, an air bearing eliminates contact between the load and the floor entirely. The result is near-zero friction, allowing a single operator to glide a load weighing tens of thousands of pounds with minimal effort. Airfloat has been engineering air bearing systems for industrial material handling for over 50 years, with applications ranging from aerospace assembly to power plant maintenance. 

Airfloat works on most floors like concrete and epoxy. If there are areas that are too rough, we can recommend some quick and cheap fixes to get your Airfloat system performing.

Our air casters are quite efficient – most of our customer use their existing plant air supply. We can let you know your air requirement with a quick project review.

We try to keep all air skid sizes in stock – get in touch today to check inventory.

Air casters are pneumatic lifting devices consisting of round bladders that inflate to form an air film. Air skids (also called air skid sets, or air skates) are complete, ready-to-use transport systems built around air casters. An Airfloat air skid set includes the air casters, a steel or aluminum frame, hose connections, and a control manifold providing everything needed to safely lift and move a load. Think of air casters as components, and air skids as solutions. For most industrial applications, customers purchase air skid sets as they’repre-configured, load-rated, and ready to use straight out of the box. 

Yes — and in most industrial settings, air skates outperform heavy equipment dollies significantly. Traditional heavy equipment dollies rely on wheels or casters that create frictionand can damage sensitive flooring surfaces under extreme loads. Air skates (another common name for air skid sets) glide on a film of air, allowing them to move in any direction — forward, backward, sideways, or rotating in place — with minimal force. They handle loads from 5,000 lbs to over 500,000 lbs, require no wheel maintenance, and offer precision positioning that wheeled dollies simply can’t match. They do require a reasonably smooth, sealed floor surface and a compressed air supply. 

An air caster system works in three steps: inflate, float, and move. First, compressed air flows through a hose to the air caster manifold. The manifold distributes air to each air caster in the set. As the air casters inflate, they create a thin pressurized film between the load and the floor. This film supports the full load and eliminates almost all friction. Once floating, the load can be pushed, pulled, or rotated in any direction with minimal effort. When the air supply is shut off, the air casters deflate and the load settles back onto the floor. No power other than compressed air is needed, and if the air supply is lost, the load simply lowers gently to the floor. 

Airfloat air caster systems are used across a wide range of industries wherever heavy, precise, or delicate loads need to be moved without overhead cranes or forklifts. Key industries include aerospace and defense (moving aircraft fuselages, rocket components, and military vehicles), automotive manufacturing (assembly line positioning and conveyor transfers), power generation (turbine installation and boiler moves), heavy machinery (machine tool and press installation), and entertainment (theatre stage sets, stadium seating, and themed ride vehicles). Customers include Boeing, NASA, General Motors, Lockheed Martin, Caterpillar, and Walt Disney World, among more than 1,000 others over our 50-year history.