By Brian Salgado
Manufacturing Today.com

 The only thing keeping Airfloat LLC from providing more companies with air bearing material handling solutions is a general lack of knowledge, or misperception, about air bearing technology in the engineering community, according to President and owner Jason Stoecker.

"If you poll a graduating class of engineers, less then 10 percent are familiar with our technology,” Stoecker says. “And if you polled engineers with 10 years in the workforce, the percentage with knowledge is not much better, perhaps around 20 percent.

“While air film movement is simple in concept, the challenge for Airfloat is gaining an audience with a potential customer to create
a custom solution around our base technology.”

Reputation for Innovation
Airfloat , based in Decatur, Ill., started in 1960 when Dave Snoeyenbos, an engineer at GM, had an idea for “air bearing” or “air film” movement. When GM struggled to commercialize the technology, it was sold to the engineer and Airfloat was started.

The technology was first marketed to the scientific community for moving heavy, awkward loads. Through the years, Airfloat expanded its target markets to include all heavy manufacturing sectors, as well as added air-bearing turntables, pneumatic lifts, ergonomic line feed equipment and conveyor systems to its product lines.

Custom air-bearing transporters, air-bearing assembly lines and manufacturing-line feed equipment make up the majority of Airfloat’s business today. In addition to engineering solutions for its customers, Airfloat has the advantage of manufacturing all of its own equipment in its 60,000-square-foot facility in Decatur.

According to Stoecker, “If you pulled up the Fortune 1,000 list, you’ll find that we’ve worked with almost every company named.”

As a leader in air bearing technology, Airfloat says its clients look to it to work at early stages in projects to concept and design the right material handling solution.

Working For Clients
Airfloat customers define quality in two ways, according to Stoecker. First, they want air-film technology that works within their current manufacturing environment.

“Companies work with a leader like Airfloat because simply throwing air under something and letting it float appears easy,” Stoecker says. “But making it float safely, efficiently on varying surfaces, in control and without high replacement parts cost is not.

“Our company has a reputation of successful projects and not being afraid to spend the time on a job both in the office and in the field to make it right. People trust us to move their valuable loads.“

Secondly, many customers want to make sure their new equipment will stand up to heavy industrial applications.

“We, as a company, enjoy a reputation of building heavy duty, robust equipment,” Stoecker says. “Most everything we build starts with three-quarter inch steel because we build with longevity and long term economic benefit for our customers in mind.”

More recently, Airfloat has moved into international markets as more of its long time customers move their operations overseas.

Ideal For Lean
Airfloat is enjoying a boost in business as potential clients realize its technology’s value in lean initiatives.

One such customer needed Airfloat when it was  awarded a contract to tear down diesel locomotive engines that weigh about 50,000 pounds each.

The customer’s facility was not equipped with over head cranes, and utilized air bearing platforms as an alternative technology to create a lean assembly line.         

“This line not only solved the customer’s capacity issues, but also met their lean objectives,” Stoecker says. “Air bearings allow for the easy reconfiguration or relocation of the assembly line, and in the event that one of the engines needs to be removed from the line it is simply floated out of the way allowing the line to continue its forward migration.”