In the manufacturing industry, internal logistics requires transport solutions for moving heavy machinery, assemblies or other heavy loads. When comparing different transport solutions for the internal logistics process, the investment and return-on-investment (ROI) play a crucial role in the decision for your transport solution. Besides the proven working principle of air caster systems, the investment and earnings of air caster systems make this transport solution beneficial to explore further. In this blog, the air caster price and its investment costs are compared to the earnings of air casters to determine the total price-quality ratio of this transport solution.
Air caster price and its investment costs
Air caster systems are found in a variety of application fields for the internal logistics process. In the manufacturing industry, air casters are used for occasional machine transport, in regular assembly-line transport, and as an embedded solution inside machinery. Depending on the application field, the investment costs for an air caster system may vary.
There are multiple factors that determine the price and investment costs of an air caster system for a certain application field. The investment costs of air casters rely on:
The labor-intensive production
Air casters have a simple design. The air caster consists of a metal construction on the one hand and a rubber membrane - the actual air cushion - on the other hand. However, all the separate parts of air casters ask for a different manufacturing technique.
Every air cushion is hand-made by craftsmen. A group of skillful manufacturers combine the techniques of producing high-quality air cushions with strong and reliable materials.
Thorough testing
Every air cushion is tested by quality control experts to guarantee the safety and quality of the air caster system. Not only is the air cushion evaluated on the quality of the design, such as the dimensions of the diameter and the height of the membrane, but also the safe working of the air cushion is assessed in an extensive test to control the use of air and to obtain technical data.
Engineering
The engineering of air casters makes it possible for customers to obtain a custom-made transport solution to solve their internal logistics challenges. The design and additional requirements of the manufacturing facility determine the foundation for the custom-made transport solution with air casters. Moreover, technical specialists have the knowledge of a variety of applications and the expertise to create a controlled leakage of air in the air caster systems to establish a thin air film so the heavy loads can float.
The capacity of air cushions
The weight of the heavy machine or heavy load determines the necessary capacity of the air cushions. Generally speaking, the bigger the air cushion gets, the bigger its capacity becomes. However, not only the size of the air cushions determines the capacity of air caster systems, but also the number of air cushions and the maximum of applied air pressure.
Earnings of air casters
The investment costs for air caster systems also offer manufacturers a number of valuable advantages that help save costs in multiple ways.
Low investment costs
Compared to other complex and technical transport solutions, such as overhead cranes and rails, air casters represent a low investment for the operating expense in the manufacturing industry. To provide an insight: a complete standard air caster system to lift and move 12 tons of heavy loads doesn’t even cost €6.000.
Long life-span of air casters
Air cushions are of such high quality that they can last for years without wearing or replacing them. The working technique of air casters prevents friction (which is the main contributor to wearing). That’s why some manufacturing companies are already using the same set of air cushions for over 15 years. Prerequisite to guarantee the long life-span of air casters is the correct use of air casters: an airtight and smooth surface and - when in operation - sufficient air pressure and flow at all times.
Up and running in no time
The set-up time for an air caster system - before it’s in full operation - is negligible; with a maximum set-up time of 5 to 10 minutes. When lifting and moving a production machine, for example, the downtime of the production is limited to just a few minutes, saving time and creating a reliable internal logistics process. Since air caster systems are easy to relocate, this flexibility has a positive impact on reducing the set-up time even more.
No need for external parties
With the acquisition of air casters, operators get on-site training to learn the easy and safe operating system of air caster systems. Once this training has been successfully completed, operators can immediately use air caster systems in their manufacturing facility without finding time and budget available for an operator’s certificate.
Since air caster systems don’t require external parties, manufacturing companies and their air caster operators have full control over their internal transportation planning.
Small and compact design
The design of air casters makes them suitable for storage, because air casters don’t take up a lot of space. This limited size also applies to the height of air casters, since air casters easily fit between the surface and the machine or other heavy load. Due to the small and compact design of air casters, they’re easy to bring along to other locations, within the manufacturing facility or to a different site.
Maintenance-friendly
Air cushions consist of strong and high-quality materials without any moving parts. That’s why air cushions are resistant to wearing - when used in an appropriate way - and does the lack of moving parts help save on lubricants.
Explore the price-quality ratio of air casters for you
In essence, the air caster price and the costs and earnings of its investment rely on several factors. Do you want to know more about the investment costs and earnings of air casters for your company? Our specialists are happy to help you with your challenges — no matter how big they are. You can reach out to them here:
