Case Study

Air Bearing Assembly Line for Heavy Manufacturing: Eliminating Overhead Cranes

Industry: Transportation

When an assembly is too large or too heavy for conventional conveyors, most manufacturers default to overhead cranes and static build-in-place bays. The result is a production process that halts every time a component moves, where skilled tradesmen work sequentially on one structure at a time, and where reliable delivery commitments are nearly impossible to make. A major transportation manufacturer faced exactly this situation across six static locomotive assembly bays.

Han-Tek engineered a purpose-built solution: a synchronized AirFloat Systems air bearing platform assembly line that replaced the overhead crane model entirely. Two platforms operate in tandem to support each 280,000-pound locomotive, floating the entire assembly on a continuously moving film of low-pressure air with approximately one pound of force per 1,000 pounds of weight. For assemblies too large and heavy for any conventional conveyor, this is the engineering answer, and Han-Tek has the expertise to design, integrate, and commission the complete system.

Their Challenge:

The manufacturer operated six static assembly bays where every locomotive structure was built in place; each time a heavy component arrived, all production stopped, all workers cleared the floor, and the entire facility waited for the overhead crane cycle to complete before work could resume.
After every crane cycle, tradesmen remobilized their tooling and equipment from scratch, compounding idle time across every bay on every shift throughout the production day.
Skilled tradesmen were assigned sequentially, moving from structure to structure throughout the facility; each worker could only be productive on one locomotive at a time, and no structure could advance until each tradesman finished and moved on.
The size and weight of locomotive assemblies exceeded the capacity of every standard conveyor technology: roller, belt, and chain systems could not handle the load, leaving no conventional path to a moving-line production format.
Because production cycle time varied unpredictably with crane availability and tradesman scheduling, the manufacturer could not commit to customer delivery dates, limiting its competitiveness and damaging customer relationships.
Heavy manufacturing in a static bay environment produced a shop floor covered in accumulated equipment, debris, and spills that degraded worker morale and compounded the safety hazards already present from overhead crane operations.

Our Solution:

Han-Tek redesigned the production process from the ground up, converting six static bays into a synchronized moving assembly line in which every tradesman works from a fixed station and the locomotive structure travels to them in sequence, station by station, from start to finish.
After evaluating and ruling out all conventional conveyor options, Han-Tek specified AirFloat Systems air bearing platforms as the conveyance solution: each platform uses high-volume, low-pressure airflow to inflate a flexible urethane diaphragm, creating a continuously moving air film that floats the load with approximately one pound of force per 1,000 pounds of weight. Two platforms operate in tandem per locomotive, each rated at 140,000 lbs capacity, for a combined system capacity of 280,000 lbs, making them the only viable moving-line solution for assemblies at this scale.
Han-Tek designed a precision guidance and synchronization system for the six-platform-set line: one platform in each tandem pair is mechanically guided by a retractable guide pin tracking a floor slot to maintain straight-line travel, while the second is operator-controlled via a pendant with variable speed and deadman functions. An umbilical connection between platforms coordinates air supply and electrical service, allowing each tandem pair to advance in precise, coordinated steps with no physical ties between locomotive sets.
Fixed tooling stations were designed and installed at each assembly position so that tradesmen, their equipment, and their work setups remain in place for the full shift; the locomotive structure comes to the worker rather than the worker traveling to the structure, eliminating the remobilization cycle that had consumed productive time after every crane move.
Because air bearing platforms require a smooth, absolutely clean floor surface, Han-Tek’s installation required a complete shop floor rehabilitation: all accumulated debris, equipment, and spills were cleared, and an ongoing housekeeping standard was established that permanently changed the production environment.

The Results:

Production cycle reduced from days or weeks to hours: With all tradesmen working simultaneously at fixed stations and crane-cycle interruptions eliminated, the facility completed each locomotive in a fraction of the previous time. Stand-around time was eliminated from every shift.
Accurate customer delivery commitments for the first time in the company’s history: With a defined, repeatable cycle time per station, the manufacturer now commits to and meets projected delivery dates, with a direct impact on customer satisfaction and new business.
Direct labor reduced through continuous, uninterrupted workflow: Time previously lost to floor clearing, crane waiting, and equipment remobilization converted directly to productive output, reducing the labor content per completed locomotive.
Overhead crane injury risk permanently removed from the production floor: The possibility of a heavy part falling from a crane has been eliminated. Components arrive at each worker’s station at floor level via air bearing platform in a controlled, ergonomic presentation.
Employee morale and facility culture transformed: The clean, organized shop floor that air bearing operation demands replaced a previously dirty, cluttered work environment, with workers reporting a significantly more productive and pleasant workplace.
Original customer returned for additional platform sets: After the initial system proved its value in production, the same customer returned to Han-Tek to procure a sixth set of air bearing platforms for the line, confirming system reliability, installation quality, and the strength of the ongoing partnership.
Full return on investment in under 12 months: Direct labor savings and throughput gains together produced a complete payback on total system cost in less than twelve months.

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