FEATURES | SNOWSWEEPERS
snow and liquid aside with high-speed pressure. The towing part of the TJS can be used for towing dumper bodies and so on.” The TJS-560C is developed in co-operation with VOLVO and Aebi Schmidt claims that it is the world’s first Co2 neutral snow removal machine. “Every reduction of Co2 is appreciated by operators,” adds Wender. “It’s about two major issues; sustainability and economic well being. The amount of Co2 generated helps us to measure the system’s efficiency. Needless to say a more efficient system uses less energy and resources. In terms of legislation, the EU will no doubt exert its influ- ence on any future climate change debate.”
Aebi Schmidt has also developed the self-propelled snow cutter blower (Supra) for blowing snow from airport runways, taxiways and aprons; it can also load snow onto trucks. In September 2011, Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) signed a deal with Fortbrand Services Inc for the purchase of ten Vammas PSB 5500 multifunction snow removal vehicles. The units are scheduled for delivery to DFW prior to the 2012/2013 winter period. Fortbrand indicates that the Finnish-manufactured Vammas PSB machines have demonstrated reliability in clearing runways within predictable minimal time frames that has resulted in aircraft arrival rate increases and substantial savings in delay costs to airlines. In fact, Boston Logan Airport is equipped with 10 such Vammas vehicles that can sweep a runway down to the bare pavement in about 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how heavy the snow is. The monstrous Vammas works in three stages: it pushes the snow aside, scrubs the tarmac with spinning steel brushes and scours it with hot air. Alan Stearn, executive vice president at Fortbrand says since the
Vammas was introduced in Europe in 1992 and North America in 1998, new technologies have been added to the design. “New technology incorporated into the PSB 5500 includes a polyethylene flexible mouldboard plough and a 46” wafer broom. The 22ft, 35 degree angle , 46’’ diameter broom, with wafer bristles, puts the power to the surface with increased broom rotation speeds. Only two castor wheels (each 31’’ in diameter) are necessary.” Along with the Dallas deliveries, a total of 91 Vammas PSB 5500 and PSB 4500 vehicles have been delivered or ordered at 13 major airports in North America. Stearn reports that multifunction capability is the way forward. “Virtually every major airport is presently, or will be, using multifunction equipment,” he said.
Jan Ivar Thorsrud, Research and Development Manager at Øveraasen, says airports have cost options when it comes to expensive snow equipment.
HSIA is among the 13 airports in North America that has invested in the PSB 5500. “The older snow removal equipment, fine in its day, was so slow at its assigned task that air traffic controllers often would order the equipment off the field to make way for departing or arriving aircraft,” recalls Clayton Maynard. “Once off the active runway surfaces, the old style equipment would
have to wait until the aircraft movements were done before going back to work. There wasn’t time for this equipment to move over and remove snow from inactive surfaces and then return to the active runway when the flights were done.” Maynard is content with the new high-speed equipment now in place that allows the winter maintenance crews to dramatically decrease the amount of time spent clearing the snow from the active manoeuvring surfaces.
He adds: “One of the new sweepers has been able to achieve in
Safeaero i Trelleborg AB, Sweden
4 AIRSIDE INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2012
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