Aircraft cannot be quickly and reliably de-iced without specially designed and sophisticated equipment incorporating the best technical solutions. In Finland, the de-icing of aircraft during the winter is an essential safety precaution and requires specially designed, reliable equipment to combat the harsh weather conditions.
At Kittila, Finland's northern most airport, temperatures can plunge to -40 deg C, so the technical and mechanical solutions deployed in de-icing vehicles must be the very best. Brisk traffic at busy airports calls for extremely rapid de-icing with no compromises on safety requirements.
The Finnish company Kiitokori makes all the de-icing vehicles currently operating in Finland. At the heart of its EFI1000 and EFI2000 vehicles is the Omron C200H Alpha PLC that controls, monitors and registers the functions of the entire system. Additionally, each vehicle is equipped with Omron's NT600S touchscreen display for monitoring and a C200H PC card for recording the system's operational data. A pumping system, built into the body of the vehicle behind the cab, mixes the glycol and water from two containers to form the de-icing agent. The mixture is then pumped to an external boom hoist from where the liquid is sprayed over the aircraft's fuselage, wings and tail by hand. The operator selects the correct mix of glycol and water according to the weather conditions and the instructions from the aircraft's captain.
The Omron PLC monitors the progress of the spraying, ensuring that the glycol-water ratio in the mixture remains at the right proportions and that the fluid is at the correct temperature. The driver in the vehicle's cab can easily monitor the process on the NT600S touchscreen display and make adjustments whenever necessary. The display also shows an image of the aircraft so the driver can record the sprayed areas at the touch of a finger to ensure that no areas of the aircraft are missed. Should any problem arise during the procedure, the system automatically issues an alert and the de-icing can be halted. In such extreme weather conditions, de-icing is an essential element of flight safety. Omron's highly sophisticated automation products provide the most reliable solution for this safety critical operation.