Snow clearance: Combining futuristic design with innovative solutions

Established in Finland, VAMMAS’s machines can now be found in all of Finavia’s airports – this is testament to the reliability and functionality of the equipment.

The SB4504 and SB5504 airport sweeperblowers are the latest generation of VAMMAS equipment, representing a new level of efficiency when it comes to snow removal. The futuristic design coupled with reliability and optimised fuel consumption are just some of the advantages of the new range.

The position of the engine and the hydraulic systems above the truck chassis is a major innovation, enabling optimisation of the pressure distribution and a more efficient, faster operation.

Designed for use on aprons, taxiways and runways, the sweepers’ easy operation means they can be quickly deployed in the event of a sudden detrition of weather conditions, while the combination of the plough, sweeper and blower ensures maximum performance even when operating at speeds of above 60km per hour. Moreover, the sweeper-blowers have a quick-release plough and boom transporting position to ensure easy storage in any facility.

A competitive player in the winter operations market, VAMMAS’s new flagship SB4505 and SB5504 models have a broom length of 5.6m, with a pattern width at operation of 4.6m, a broom rotation of up to 850rpm, blower flow of up to 11.5m³ per second and steering radius of 10.3m. in addition, the machines offer easy maintenance with easy access to both the engine and the hydraulics, as well as compact transportation and swift transforming between working and transportation modes. This is made even easier by the fact support legs are permanently mounted to the sweeper, enabling easy and quick disconnection from the truck. The equipment also offers control via a touch‑screen display from the operator cabin.

There are numerous advantages of VAMMAS’ latest offering, but the four most important are the regularly balanced weight on the axis, enabling better snow sweeping due to the reduced vibration made by the machine’s body. The sweeping quality and efficiency is also of paramount importance, as the machine is equipped with 30 rows of brushes at the broom. Broom autonomy is another important benefit; whereby the brush is placed on a frame independently of the pin, which is arranged parallel to it, therefore the machine can adjust itself to the ground and thus avoid obstacles. And the final main advantage is that the machine comes ready to use. As the brush wear is not detected by pressure, but declaratively indicated at the time of wear and controlled by hydraulics, the system doesn’t require any initial calibration before use. In addition, all settings can be installed in the memory, so the system can be immediately ready to use once it’s been switched on.

The reliability of VAMMAS’s snow removal equipment in clearing runways within predictable minimal time frames has resulted in aircraft arrival rate increases and substantial savings in delay costs to the airlines, as well as a reduction in operating, maintenance and human resource costs for airport operators.

Our experienced engineers, located in our Finland (Sastamala) and Poland (Wschowa) offices are constantly working with airports to develop new machines and innovative solutions, ensuring that all customers are supported throughout their buying and development process. The team’s specialists consult with all their airport clients to ensure their needs are covered