Air Jack Case Study

The Houston Fire Department is well aware of the unique capabilities that ASE’s line up of Air Jack Systems offer, especially when it comes to saving lives in the forth largest city in the United States. Their thin (1″) low profile, extreme lifting & pushing force and lofty vertical travel make them an ideal tool for lifting heavy loads and are required gear on each rescue truck in the HFD inventory. Whether the rescue unit is prying open the door of a wrecked passenger car or up-righting an 18-wheeler on Interstate I-10 in the middle of rush hour traffic, each firefighter knows they can count on their air jack system in extreme duty situations.

In addition to heavy lifting, as you can see here, the operator uses a 34″ air jack rated at 70-tons of pushing force to realign the parachute support bracket assembly which is made of chrome-molly steel, an especially dense and not easily shaped metal material. Instead of spending an untold amount of time and money with a custom frame and body shop, the inflatable air jack is ideally suited to exert an even amount of pressure on the top, bottom and center of the bracket assembly; well within the capability of ASE’s air jack technology with its ability to put uniform pressure right where you need it. The operator positioned his Chevy Suburban’s front bumper with cattle guard within a foot of the support bracket to create a barrier to push off; then wood cribbing was placed on either side of the air jack to take up the excess room and protect the air jack’s butyl rubber skin.

Note: An air jack’s heaviest lift or hardest push is achieved at low lift height or inflation; higher lifts are achieved at reduced capacity. Once the cribbing was in place the air jack was inflated in precise increments, moving the support bracket back to its original position.

ASE’s’ inflatable air jack systems are available in many sizes ranging from 10″ x 10″ up to 34″ x 34″ & capacities up to 140-tons; custom sizes are also available.