Two persons manually transport and position a 7-ton press brake, using an air bearing rig set.

The operating height of SOLVING's 180-ton-capacity air bearing rig set is less than 5 inches! And each air bearing module is only 48 inches in length and width.



The Rig Set's extremely low profile and small size allows this 160-ton, 12-foot diameter, 20-foot tall, concrete, lead-lined cask enough clearance to be floated from inside the plant, through existing doorways, to an outdoor storage area.

Air film transporters are used for handling windings, transformers, cores or components to transformers, motors and cable reels of varying sizes in production and test.

Air bearings are an excellent tool for handling large, heavy transformers between assembly and test areas. Considerable savings in crane and building costs can be made if completed transformers are moved on air at floor level, allowing lower-capacity cranes to be installed for handling components. Transformer handling then becomes simpler, safer and quicker.

Solving serves civil and military customers in the aerospace industry with solutions for moving engines, wings, fuselages, and complete aircraft.

Solving transporters use the latest technology to move aircraft sections in stages through the production areas of factories. In this way, manufacturers can accurately position independently fabricated units for final assembly. In areas where cranes are just not practical or feasible, solving transporters can move and position engines and other parts for upgrade and repair within maintenance hangars. This means that the aircraft does not have to be fully assembled to move it on its own wheels.

Solving transporters utilized by the aerospace industry are fitted with modern features to enable safe handling with respect to both operators and loads. Each transporter is typically fitted with pneumatic remote control and air-powered drive units so that the aircraft can be moved safely and accurately forwards, backwards, sideways or rotated in either direction. Some transporters are also equipped with IR guidance that follows a painted line on the floor.

The omnidirectional maneuverability of air film transporters provides exceptional handling of large and heavy paper rolls from storage areas to press, slitter, or other machining areas.

Lift Tables can be fitted with air bearings to create a mobile lift table with better maneuverability, more precise positioning, safer "parking", and much lower profile height than wheels. Weights of 5 tons or more can be moved manually, eliminating the bulk, complexity, and required maintenance of powered drives.

There is less risk of accidents when transporting on air bearings. This is because the load weight is hovering only a fraction of a millimeter above the floor, reducing risk of damage from falls or tipping. There are no chains, axles, wheels, gears, or other rotating, wear-bearing parts (common pinch points).



The power being air, there are no odors, exhaust emissions, combustible oils or gases, electrical contacts, exposed hot surfaces, or noisy engines and motors. With the ultra-low friction provided by air bearings, minimal force is required to move even the largest loads, reducing physical strain on personnel and other plant equipment.

Air film transporters offer increased flexibility to assembly lines and work cells. Heavy loads can be manually (or automatically) shifted, nudged, rotated, turned, indexed, positioned within millimeters, or removed completely from the line for ergonomic access, alignment, and maximum efficiency, without the need for overhead cranes, tracks, or bulky wheeled movers.

Unlike cranes or track systems, hardware is not permanently affixed to the plant; so assembly lines can be re-configured, shortened, lengthened, or completely relocated with ease.

Low noise, small size, light weight, no odorous exhaust, no oils, and gentle on flooring are some of the features that make air bearings the solution when moving large or heavy equipment in delicate or pristine environments where forklift traffic or steel wheels and rollers would not be practical.

Because air bearings allow for very precise positioning and are compact in size, relative to their capacity, they are a great solution for precisely aligning heavy or delicate loads with test/ measurement equipment, especially in confined spaces.

Air bearings can be built into turntable frames to produce ultra-low-friction, low-profile rotation. At the same time, air bearings produce a small amount of lift which can be advantageous in some turntable applications. Loads of 5 tons or more can be easily rotated by hand. And hundreds of tons can be rotated with a fraction of the power and at a much lower height than traditional mechanical turntables.

An off-the-shelf air bearing rig set or a built-to-order air film transporter can also be used as a complete replacement for traditional turntables in some applications.

An air film transporter, operated with a radio remote joystick pendant, allows one person to precisely control speed and direction while positioning this AC unit.

Air bearings are an excellent solution for making small, precise movements of extremely heavy machinery or sensitive equipment. Their small size-to-capacity ratio allow for use in tight spaces where forklifts, cranes, or even traditional pallet jacks can't reach. Heavy loads can be nudged, rotated, and positioned precisely for ergonomic access or for aligning mounting holes, flanges, and fasteners.

Air bearing rig sets or air film transporters can be used in conjunction with cranes. With an extremely low profile and relatively small size overall, an air bearing system can move very large loads through doorways and hallways where cranes can't reach. With omnidirectional movement, heavy loads can be shuttled perpendicularly to crane bays and then precisely positioned and perfectly orientated for pick-up by another crane or overhead hoist.

When doing restoration work in this 100 year old church building, delicate, ornate tile flooring was a concern. Using Solving's air bearing rig sets, fixed beneath a "homemade" steel sled, spot loading on the church floor was greatly reduced.

The regular construction crew was able to move multiple 13-ton, 37-foot long, steel trusses through the existing church doorways and into final position safely, quietly, efficiently, and ahead of schedule.

Because air bearings operate with compressed air, without oils, combustible gases, or electrical contacts, they are often used in explosive environments. The air bearings are constructed of rubber and aluminum rather than ferrous materials which can spark.

Compared to wheeled transports, an air bearing system spreads the load weight over a much larger floor surface area. In some applications, floor loading of less than 2-pounds-per-square-inch can theoretically be achieved. This reduces strain on floor structure and surfaces, saving the expense of future floor repairs.

Air bearings also provide an extremely low coefficient of friction, about 100 times less than that of wheels or rollers. When energized, there is theoretically no direct contact between the floor and the rubber air bearing element; the load weight is literally floating on only a thin film of flowing air. This reduces damage to floor surfaces and finishes, caused by friction, which would be unavoidable if using wheels or rollers.