Safe journey for engines

The Chinese engine manufacturer, with 96,000 employees, is a joint venture between an aerospace company and a passenger aircraft manufacturer. The company planned to construct a new carrier vehicle for transporting aircraft engines. Special casters were required for this.

The requirements were clear. The carrier vehicle should be equipped with four spring-loaded swivel casters with a locking function and directional locking device, since the total load during transport is up to 15 tonnes. The carrier vehicle runs on flat ground and should be electrically powered. The maximum speed is five kilometres per hour.

Blickle has been a supplier to the engine manufacturer for many years. Therefore, the Swabian wheel and caster specialist was also contacted regarding this special request. The R&D department of Blickle analysed the requirements in detail and promptly offered a solution: heavy-duty twin wheel casters with the series designation LSDFE-GTH. The wheels are made of high-quality, reaction-moulded polyurethane elastomer Blickle Extrathane. This ensures quiet running and low rolling resistance. The design is floor-friendly and abrasion-resistant. The housing is of a particularly robust welded steel construction and is protected against dust and splashing water. The swivel caster withstands many aggressive media and is temperature resistant from minus 25 to plus 70 degrees Celsius. Each caster has a through-hole in the bracket into which the user can insert a lever for manual steering.

Blickle finally won the order against strong competition. The quick response to the enquiry and the detailed solution proposal were also decisive for this decision. In addition, the wheel and caster specialist scored points with short delivery times.

Thanks to Blickle's special solution, the handling of aircraft engines weighing several tonnes has been optimised. The spring-mounted rollers noticeably reduce vibration during transport. The directional lock ensures that the carrier vehicle always runs in a straight line when the lock is activated. The through-hole can be used to fine-tune the roller rotation in the respective position. These advantages have convinced the Chinese joint venture to equip several transport trolleys with the development from Rosenfeld.