04/14/2026
Air Skates: How to Move Multi Ton Loads Without Touching the Floor
Air skates, also known as air casters, air skids, or air dollies, are a specialized rigging solution that R. Baker & Son has deployed for many years to move heavy machinery, fragile equipment, and multi-ton loads inside buildings. These systems range in capacity from approximately 12 to 150+ tons, depending on configuration. Using hovercraft technology, we float equipment with omnidirectional movement on a thin cushion of air across flat, smooth surfaces with zero floor damage and minimal effort. For plant relocations, renovations, and new construction projects where traditional methods risk epoxy floors, polished concrete, or tight spaces, air skates are often the only practical option - and our teams know exactly how to make them perform.
On renovations, new construction projects, and plant relocations, R. Baker & Son has mastered the use of air casters to move and precisely position heavy machinery and process equipment where traditional methods simply aren't an option.
On one memorable project, the plant owner was skeptical, even calling it crazy, when R. Baker proposed moving heavy equipment across brand-new epoxy floors. To his amazement, every piece of equipment glided across the floor on air skates without leaving so much as a scratch. Just a few dusty footprints that wiped away easily.
How Do Air Skates Work?
Air skates operate on the principle of total force, which is different from pressure alone. A 24-inch circular disc has approximately 452 square inches of surface area. At just 30 PSI, that translates to over 13,500 pounds of lifting force per skate, or more than 54,000 pounds when using four skates together, all while maintaining that same 30 PSI.
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