They say there’s more than one way to skin a cat – and for airport operators, there’s more than one way to make sure their runways and taxiways remain in good condition and safe for the rigors of airfield operations.
Jetting Systems Ltd, headquartered in Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK, designs and manufactures runway rubber removal equipment used to maintain runway friction at some of the world’s largest airports. Its flagship line of airport-focused machines is called the Osprey.
The side-mounted versions of the Osprey are deep-cleaning units that reduce the need for frequent maintenance and allow the operator to change the width of coverage from inside the cab, while the linear Osprey units can be used where quick and frequent access and operations are desired.
These vehicles use “state-of-the-art technology” and lessons learned from the 1990s, explains Business Development Manager Daniel Woods. Using only ultra-high pressure water, no chemicals or abrasives, the machines remove rubber, collect all debris and restore runway friction in a single pass, he reports.
Osprey’s lateral machines are controlled by computer numerical control (CNC) technology that allows a single head to move with absolute precision, Woods says. Once the appropriate parameters are set, the process is fully automated. Working parallel to the drainage grooves and with the water flow focused on a much smaller area than larger linear heads, the system is thorough and comprehensive in its coverage of rubber removal, he says.
The Osprey operator selects “Jetting On” and begins moving the unit forward. Once the minimum speed is reached, the rubber removal head begins to move across the front of the machine and synchronizes perfectly with the speed of the machine. If the operator reduces the forward speed, for example if the deposits are heavier, the lateral speed of the rubber removal head is reduced and more rubber is removed.
The lateral system offers a minimum cleaning width adjustment of 300 mm to a current maximum of 2.3 m. The choice of rubber or paint removal is possible from the operator’s cab without any interruption of work or the need for additional tools. The nozzle height (distance from the runway to the nozzle) is also adjustable from the operator’s cab, along with the number of revolutions per minute (rpm) of the system head, water pressure and many other parameters that can be changed according to the operating conditions.
Runway lights and expansion grooves are no problem and line markings can also be cleaned. Woods said: “We are the only manufacturer that can offer both linear and lateral machines, power take-off (PTO) and auxiliary motors, hydrostatic and gearbox driven machines – and are therefore well placed to impartially offer the best solution for any individual airport.”
In fact, he says Jetting Systems machines are at work in gateways ranging from small international airports that handle less than 4 million passengers a year to some of the busiest airports in the world, where fleets of Osprey are used every night to ensure the safe handling of 80 million or more passengers a year.