Hydro

Hydro Systems KG is a German specialist in aircraft lifting and support systems. With over 50 years of engineering experience, they deliver advanced tooling for major aircraft manufacturers worldwide.

For a highly specific test setup, Hydro needed a way to lift aircraft wings and simultaneously move them with precision.

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Impact

The system lifts anywhere between 1 and 20 tons, without adjusting pressure between cycles.

Air casters enable precise 50 mm (2 inches) horizontal shifts during vertical wing deflection.

A fully functioning solution was delivered and tested within three months.

By using standard Air caster tech with a smart upgrade, Hydro avoided custom redesign costs.

The challenge

Hydro’s client required a unique variation of their standard tripod jack: one that could lift an aircraft wing and simultaneously allow 50 mm (2 inches) of smooth, horizontal movement during testing.

The wing’s deflection could reach 800 mm (31 inches) vertically, so the load had to stay supported and stable throughout. The added complexity? The system needed to handle weights between 1 and 20 tons using a single fixed pressure setting—a level of dynamic control no supplier had previously achieved. Several vendors had already failed.

Achieving consistent, stable behavior across the full weight range, without manual adjustments between tests. That was the real challenge, not the weight itself.

“While other suppliers claimed it was impossible, Aerofilm was ready to think along with us. Thanks to their practical approach, we were able to fully deliver on our promise to the customer.”

Jens Walter – Project Engineer Lifting & Shoring

Our approach

Our engineering team responded with confidence and speed. They placed three high-capacity Air casters under each tripod leg and incorporated a custom flow control system.

This innovation made it possible to lift varying loads using one pressure setting, something no previous supplier had managed. We invited Hydro to rigorously test the system in-house. Once proven, the casters were integrated into Hydro’s setup and passed all subsequent tests under real conditions.

Transparent collaboration, fast response times and shared test data allowed Hydro to confidently update their own client and stay in full control of the project.

The result

Within just three months, Hydro had a fully functioning system. Something that earlier seemed technically unachievable. The pressure-stable, flexible Air caster setup exceeded all project demands. Hydro avoided the risk of delay, design overhaul or disappointed stakeholders.

The project also marked the beginning of a strong partnership: Hydro now sees us as their go-to expert for future Air caster challenges.

With this case, we proved that fast thinking, open collaboration and smart engineering can solve even the most technical edge cases in aerospace support tooling.