LÜTZE SUPERFLEX® Plus put to the test under harsh conditions

The Pittsburg International Airport uses stationary de-icing equipment to de-ice airplanes before takeoff. The reliability of this equipment is crucial to maintain the travel schedules for thousands of travelers every day. The de-icing equipment has an expandable boom capable of reaching every part of an airplane as it rolls by. The combination of the constant movement, the harsh winter climate and the constant spray of de-icing fluid can stress any component in such an application.

The de-icing booms at the Pittsburg International Airport had flexible SO-cords installed in drag chains which travel with the boom. The SO-cord did not withstand the constant movement and the harsh environment and consequently had to be replaced periodically. Sometimes the cables failed when they were needed the most during de-icing operation.

In 2006 the local maintenance group decided to improve the reliability of the c-tracks and consulted Lutze Inc. After an initial review of the application, LÜTZE recommended to change the cables to LÜTZE SUPERFLEX® Plus and also provided classes on proper handling and installation procedures for continuous motion cables. We are excited to report that these LÜTZE SUPERFLEX® Plus cables are still in use since then. The use of LÜTZE SUPERFLEX® Plus cables improved the lifetime and reliability of the deicing booms greatly.

The superior design and quality of LÜTZE SUPERFLEX® Plus cables offered a sustainable long term solution greatly improving the operation downtime and reducing maintenance and labor costs.

LÜTZE SUPERFLEX® Plus cables were originally designed to be used in fast moving machine applications, such as c-tracks, in automated manufacturing systems. The superior performance of LÜTZE SUPERFLEX® Plus cables shows their versatility in many other applications as well.