SUMMARY
A manufacturer of data center chiller units runs a seven-station inline assembly process. Units begin as a steel frame (~12,000 lb) and grow to as much as 85,000 lb by the time they reach a loading dock, where a gantry crane lifts each finished unit onto a flatbed truck. Air skids are then returned to the start of the line to repeat the cycle.
Move time (previously 3+ hours)
Max unit weight handled
Reduction in move time
THE PROBLEM
- Steel casters damaged floors and broke under load
- Misaligned wheels made steering erratic and imprecise
- Crane and four-truck handling added complexity
- Heavy units posed serious safety risks to workers
THE SOLUTION
- Replaced nearly all crane usage with Airfloat skids
- Eliminated all fork-truck handling entirely
- Continuous flow through all seven assembly stations
- Smooth, precise, safer movement at every stage
Safety Improvements
The air skid system addresses several of the most common injury risks in heavy manufacturing environments.
No crush hazard underfoot
Wheel skates can trap a toe or finger beneath them during movement. When floating, air skids ride at roughly the height of a steel-toe boot — eliminating the risk of running over a digit entirely.
Less crane & forklift exposure
Cranes and forklifts are among the most hazardous equipment in any facility. Replacing the majority of that usage with air skids directly reduces the two biggest sources of serious injury on the floor.
Locked down when off
When the air supply is cut, skids settle directly onto the concrete. There is no accidental movement possible with the system powered down — the load stays exactly where it is.
Dead-man pendant control
A quick-exhaust valve rapidly vents air when the pendant is released, settling the load in about one second — giving operators immediate, reliable emergency stop capability at all times.
IMPLEMENTATION AND RESULTS
Dramatic time savings. A move that previously took over 3 hours was completed in under 10 minutes — a reduction of more than 95%.
Improved safety across the board. Crush hazards, runaway loads, and crane/forklift exposure were all significantly reduced.
Reduced equipment wear. No more floor damage or broken caster sets — the air float system protects both the floor and the product.
Consistent throughput. Faster, more repeatable movement down the line supports a reliable production cadence.
For more information about our air skid systems, contact us today.
