In 2021, we got in touch with Aviaco GSE after launching our our retrofit package for conventional motorized stairs. Aviaco GSE is focused on the refurbishment and sale of existing GSE equipment. Even then, Aviaco and XYZ saw the opportunities in refurbishing existing GSE equipment, with the benefits of:
- Cost effectiveness
- No forced depreciation of GSE material
- Lifetime extension of GSE material
- Being able to actually start the transition because handlers are no longer dependent on the supply of the GSE manufacturer.
A Minimum Viable Product that leads to improvement
XYZ and Aviaco started developing a retrofit powertrain for a pushback TMX 150. Why specifically a TMX 150? We’ll discuss that another time! In any case, the goal was clear, in November 2021 XYZ and Aviaco GSE wanted to show a prototype at the InterAirport show in Munich. No sooner said than done, in Munich the reactions were hugely positive, considering the cost effectiveness and life extension of the GSE equipment.
After the InterAirport show we started testing the pushback at different locations in cooperation with different handlers in Europe. These demos and tests were successful and valuable. A lot of qualitative data was collected and the overall conclusion that could be drawn was, “the driveline can be 30% to 40% more efficient.”
An improvement point that leads to the following:
- 30% to 40% more pushes with the same amount of energy capacity.
- A lower load on the airport’s charging infrastructure.
The end result for the user
That all sounds great, but what does it benefit the user? 20 – 25 pushes on one battery charge! Assume that, on average, a pushback should do 10 – 15 pushes in one day. So that means that in a good scenario the pushback only needs to be charged once every 2 days.
How did we achieve this end result? By replacing the manufacturer installed torque converter with a transmission box we developed ourselves. The transmission box is a “Two-speed planetary gearbox”, with a low and a high gear:
- The low gear, results in a low speed (5 – 6 km/h) but just a high amount of torque to push.
- The high gear, results in a higher speed (20-25 km/h) to move quickly across the airport.
Would you like to know more about this transmission box and the total retrofit package? Then feel free to contact us!
