Can I change the air source point in mid travel?
Yes you can! There is nothing to stop you interrupting your air supply if you
wish to. You can chop and change compressed air drop points as you wish. In fact, this will usually
be necessary if you have a long travel path for your load to follow.
There is one critical factor that you need to be aware of, though. You should
never use your air caster bearings as brakes. By this, we mean that if the load is traveling along
its travel path quite nicely, and suddenly you need to change drop points, you cannot just disconnect the air
supply as you travel along. This will cause the system to immediately lose its air supply, its flotation, and its
movement. It will immediately stop and the air bearings will deflate and the load will drop back to
the floor. This must not happen, mainly because it will cause damage to the air bearings that are fitted to the
underside of the air casters.
Inertia and/or momentum will also cause the load to try and keep moving as the air bearings are
deflated. This could cause a safety hazzard, or cause the load to shift potentially causing damage.
To alleviate any damage to the fitted air bearings, you must make sure that the load has come to
a complete stop before disconnecting the air supply to the system.
Return to Air Casters Information index.
|