Lifting Gear Hire Corporation
P: 800.878.7305 | F: 708-430-3536 | www.lgh-usa.com | sales@lgh-usa.com
Air Bearing Skids
These air bearing skids let you move loads from 2,400 to 52,500 lbs per skid easily and safely.  Look over the specifications and packages and please contact LGH with any questions.
Air Float - AF01024-4KIT
Load Module System
Model
Number
AF01024-4KIT
Capacity Per
Skate Set
(lbs)
50,000
Dimension Per Skate
(A x B x H)
(in)
25 ¾ x 25 ¼ x 3 ½
Steel Air Skate Specifications
Mounting Holes
(in)
Inlet Size
NPT (in)
Minimum Lift at
Maximum Capacity
(in)
2 @ 3/8 - 16 on 3 1/2” Ctr 2-prong Chicago Fitting 3/8
Flow
CFM; M 3 /Min
60 - 100; 1.68 - 2.80
Minimum Load
Area* (in)
Weight Per Set
(lbs)
6 x 6 360
Steel Air Skid Packages
Each load skid system includes four or six steel single bearing air skids plus an appropriate CP control package console including on/off valve, pressure regulator, flow control valves. Includes hose with quick disconnect for each skid. Does not include main supply hose. LGH provides a six-port manifold, model # CNT0333-6 and 32 foot hoses.
*
LGH2013-2

Lifting Gear Hire Corporation
P: 800.878.7305 | F: 708-430-3536 | www.lgh-usa.com | sales@lgh-usa.com
The floor condition is an essential and integral part of any successful air film transport system. New installation or existing floor repair methods for air bearing use are generally different from those found in a typical plant or warehouse. Airfloat LLC designs, manufactures, and tests our air bearings to the floor requirements listed below. Compliance to these floor requirements will ensure that your air bearing system operates at its optimum performance levels for which it was designed.
Flatness
Floor flatness refers to the length and amplitude of waviness, humps, bulges, ridges, gullies, troughs or depressions. Floor undulations considered here must be non-abrupt with well rounded edges. Abrupt floor irregularities must be repaired or avoided. Ways to navigate cracks, expansion joints, holes, seams, etc. are discussed further below in this document. Airfloat air bearing equipment is engineered to operate on floors that meet the following flatness specification:
Chart #1 (above) lists allowable depression deviations under various lengths of straight edges laid anywhere on the floor surface where the air bearing transportation system is intended to operate. Diagram #1 (below) illustrates the relative floor flatness of any given location in the air bearing equipment operating area.
LGH2013-2

Lifting Gear Hire Corporation
P: 800.878.7305 | F: 708-430-3536 | www.lgh-usa.com | sales@lgh-usa.com
Levelness
The levelness of a floor does not affect the air film produced by an air bearing and therefore does not degrade its performance. Floor levelness is only considered within the context the overall control and maneuverability of the air bearing transport system.
For manually operated equipment, it is recommended that the floor not exceed a slope of 1% in any 10 foot run (a total of 1/8 inch rise in any 10 feet). For power driven or assisted equipment, it is required that the floor not exceed a slope of 2% in any 10 foot run (a total of ¼ inch r ise in any 10 feet). See Diagram #2 in which A = rise and B = run.
Please note that unleveled floors will allow an air bearing transport system to drift along the floor grade if a guide wheel or power drive is not provided.
Surface Texture
Air bearings operate with a paper thin film of air between the air bearing diaphragm and the floor. The degree of floor surface smoothness is of paramount importance. Airfloat air bearings are designed to operate on smooth, machine-troweled concrete floors, or other floor types with better or like finishes.
Porosity
Our equipment is designed for efficient operation on non-porous floors. Air bearings make a floating pressure seal with the floor. A porous floor wastes air through the pores of the floor surface which degrade the pressure seal.
Cracks & Expansion Joints
Hairline cracks are generally acceptable for air bearing use. As cracks widen, they must be filled and sealed to avoid air loss. If at all possible, expansion joints should be avoided in the path of air bearing movement. If unavoidable, the joint should be filled with a backer rod, finished with a flexible epoxy and sanded flush to blend with the rest of the floor.
Projections
Any floor projections such as anchor bolts, or cover plates should be finished flush with the floor surface. Blind holes with a diameter less than ¾” will work acceptably with air bearing systems, but should be filled if not used.
LGH2013-2

Lifting Gear Hire Corporation
P: 800.878.7305 | F: 708-430-3536 | www.lgh-usa.com | sales@lgh-usa.com
Bridge and Ramp Transitions
A bridge or ramp can be used to transition from one surface to another or navigate over obstacles. Typically only light gauge sheet metal is needed to bridge seams, cover floor grating, or ramp to differing floor materials. Please note that bridge and/or ramps must be longer than the diameter of their bearing so that the bearing only transitions over one edge at a time. Its is recommended that a very slight break be placed two inches behind the leading and trailing edges of the sheet metal so to help keep the edges in uniform contact with the floor.
Sheet Material Overlays
Overlays are typically used in temporary rigging moves as they are the most cost effective way to achieve floor compliance over rough or porous floor surfaces. The most common materials used for overlays are sheet steel, plastic, hard tempered Masonite, and non-textured linoleum. The overlay material thickness should not exceed 1/32” to easy transition on to the overlay. When thicker overlay materials are required, they may necessitate the use of a ramp, which can be created by breaking the edge of the overlay material or by taping the leading edge with a thinner material. Overlay selection needs to consider subsurface conditions. Please consult with factory.
Temporary floor repairs are intended to be an inexpensive upgrading of a poor floor surface, to quickly render a floor suitable for air bearing traffic. Normally the following methods are intended to work well for one time or infrequent moves. The repairs will quickly deteriorate with repeated air bearing or wheeled traffic use.
A. Sheet Material Overlayment
Use of an overlayment material is probably the fastest way to get air film equipment over rough or porous floor surfaces. Just about any smooth sheet material will work well as an overlayment. Some materials which have been used successfully for air bearing pathway surfaces are sheet steel, plastic, hard tempered Masonite and untextured linoleum. Thinner materials less than .030” are easier for air bearings to get up on. Thicker materials may require a ramp up, which can be made by breaking the edge of the material or by making a ramp with tape or another thinner material.
Thinner compliant materials such as .005” to .010” polyethylene film are not effective air bearing pathways. The air pressure causes the material to conform too well to the floor and the imperfections show through. Also the material tends to wrinkle and overlap upon itself when traversed. Compliant materials such as .015: to .030” vinyl or linoleum work well in most instances, however, they will not bridge large floor gaps. Semi-rigid materials such as sheet steel (24-18 gauge), stiffer plastics such as .040” to .060” polyethylene or polypropylene or 1/8” or thicker tempered Masonite are flexible enough to conform to rolling concrete floors and work well when bridging gaps or ramping up or down to different slab levels. Sheet metal is the most durable; however, it will normally take on a permanent set when crossed.
LGH2013-2

Lifting Gear Hire Corporation
P: 800.878.7305 | F: 708-430-3536 | www.lgh-usa.com | sales@lgh-usa.com
Certain plastics such as polyethylene or polypropylene will normally spring back and will only deform if the load rest bars exert high point loading when the air bearings are turned off. Masonite may break or fray if bent too sharply. If long runways require that multi-sheets be used, thicker materials should be butted together with joints taped. Thin sheets may be overlapped so that the air film equipment steps down in the direction of movement. This only helps avoid movement of the next consecutive sheet. The extra drag forces encountered in stepping up or down on a sheet are about the same. Taping of the joints help to reduce drag by providing a ramp.
Any floor condition which presents a ridge causes problems for air bearings. Ridges may occur at expansion joints, floor cracks, sheet overlayments, and many other situations. When an air bearing traverses a ridge, the ridge blocks the air film lubrication to the leading or trailing edge of the air bearing causing increased drag. Therefore, if an overlayment must be used to bridge a floor joint, best operation will occur if the overlayment is at least as long as the air bearing. Then each air bearing will only have to contend with one ridge at a time.
B. Tape
Tape may be used to bridge floor cracks and small expansion joints and also form ramps. Thinner tapes such as 3” wide cellophane package sealing tape or a wide vinyl tape work well. Duct tape is less desirable because it tends to roll up when crossed by air bearings. After a few crossings, the tape will get pressed down into the joint. Its effectiveness lessens and it must be stripped and reapplied.
C. Fillers
Plastic auto body filler can be used as a good, quick, temporary floor repair material. Common sense should be used to achieve good adhesion. Body filler should be pressed into the floor depressions with a wide blade putty knife or plastic spreader and the excess scraped away. Floor pits as well as rough areas can be repaired by the same method. Once the filler has hardened, a flexible disc sander held flat to the floor will quickly smooth the surface without digging in.
LGH2013-2