FAQ

FOD is an acronym used for Foreign Object Debris.  FOD is defined as anything that is present in an area of an airport or inside a section of an aircraft that shouldn’t be there.  Examples include nuts, bolts, washers, rivets, and other metal components from aircraft, airport equipment, and luggage.  Sand, gravel, stones, and fragments of pavement also fall under the FOD definition.  This debris causes an estimated US$12 billion in damage every year.

FOD is considered a major safety issue for the aviation industry.  Small objects and debris have the potential to seriously damage aircraft or their jet engines, leading to expensive repairs.  In some instances, FOD damage has been known to destroy the aircraft or engine requiring complete replacement.  For the civil aviation industry, a FOD event may also cause flight delays, and passenger travel disruption that costs airlines and airports hundreds of millions of dollars every year.  Unfortunately, foreign object debris can also cause serious injury to the personnel often found working around aircraft.  It is important to note that FOD can often be invisible to the naked eye and FOD removal systems need to be relied upon for effective capture and retention of any FOD collected.

Foreign Object Damage (FOD) is a constant concern for all aviation facilities.  Debris on runways, taxiways and aprons and ramps have caused countless incidents.  A well-designed FOD prevention program can assist in identifying risks and the most vulnerable places for FOD production so that a strategy can be put in place to lessen or eliminate the threat of FOD.  Visit our webpage on Designing An Effective FOD Program to see a detailed explanation.

In addition to FOD aircraft damage, debris can result in total equipment loss, occupational injuries, time off work, delayed flights, increased aircraft turnaround time, as well as environmental harm.  This all negatively impacts on the affected company or facility’s profitability.  FOD not only imposes direct costs on an organisation, but also indirect costs such as passenger delays, replacing aircrew at short notice and airport scheduling.  Investigations around FOD events have been known to result in compliance violations resulting in fines and litigation costs.

This depends upon the amount of debris on the tarmac.  Emptying the FOD*BOSS is recommended on a regular basis.  It is commonly found that when an airport first uses the FOD*BOSS, they will need to empty it more frequently than in subsequent sweeps.  We suggest a typical emptying interval range from 20 to 30 minutes or allow no more than 6 pounds to 8 pounds (3 kg to 4 kg) of debris to sit inside the sweeper.  Emptying as often as possible is the key to ensuring your FOD*BOSS’s long lifespan.  Ultimately emptying frequency depends upon how much debris is on the surface being swept.  Expect to pick up 1.75 pounds to 3.5 pounds (800 gms to 1.6 kgs) of material per mile (1.6 km).  However, the amount of cleaning depends on surface conditions and how well-maintained your facility is.  More frequent sweeping results in less FOD collected.

Yes!  The FOD*BOSS Ultimate is guaranteed to be the fastest and most-effective airfield FOD sweeping system available.  The FOD*BOSS Ultimate carries an unprecedented 10-year guarantee/warranty.  This is longer than the typical expected service life at a busy airport.  Our unconditional 10-year guarantee covers faulty materials, labor, and assembly.  Further, our comprehensive accidental damage cover provided with every FOD*BOSS means we will repair the equipment free of charge and/or supply the parts or materials needed for repairs.

Yes.  To prevent foreign object damage in aviation and other industries, the FOD*BOSS can be used on most hard surfaces including concrete, bitumen, or asphalt.  It is also very suited for grooved runways, areas with expansion joints, pavements with interlocking blocks, or fine-textured spray seal surfaces.  The FOD*BOSS has been manufactured with highly durable materials ensuring an expected lifetime of > 4,500 miles (7,000 kms).  It is also protected with a 10-year guarantee/warranty and accidental damage cover.

Yes.  Aerosweep provide a repair service if required, however most damage can be easily repaired in the workshop.  Each FOD*BOSS is supplied with a repair kit that can also extend the service life of the FOD*BOSS.

The FOD*BOSS has been specially designed to provide an unrivalled FOD pick-up rate.  It is towed behind a suitable vehicle such as airport truck, tug or any other vehicle with a suitable towing point.  The FOD*BOSS is even capable of being towed behind an electric vehicle: a benefit for those airports engaged in initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint.  The FOD*BOSS efficiently and effectively removes FOD from the surface it is sweeping, using four critical safety design features built into every FOD*BOSS.  These features are so effective they have been patented and are not available in any other sweeper. When the FOD is picked up by the FOD*BOSS it is captured and retained within specially designed FODStop™ Barrier systems.  These barriers prevent the FOD from sliding around inside the sweeper and falling back onto the tarmac during stop/start maneuvers and cornering.

The FOD*BOSS is designed specifically for the capture and retention of FOD at airports and airfields to help produce safer working and operating environments.  The FOD*BOSS uses four patented critical safety design features which work together to provide an unrivalled FOD pick-up rate.  These four patented features include Triple Elevator Steps, Debris Retention Barrier, FODStop™ Barrier System, and a GroundForce™ Tow Hitch,  and .  The GroundForce Tow Hitch has been specifically calibrated to ensure the sweeper mat tracks straight and trues behind the towing vehicle.  It ensures sufficient down force to maximise the sweeping capability but also ensure the sweeper remains in place during windy conditions, on wet surfaces and during cornering manoeuvres.  The Triple Elevator Steps are designed to assist in FOD pick-up at slower operating speeds and aid in FOD moving up into the sweeper.  The Debris Retention Barrier is designed to provide a way of preventing FOD from falling back onto the tarmac, especially so when the sweeper slows or comes to a stop.  Finally, the FODStop™ Barrier System is designed to trap FOD and prevent any transverse movement of the debris during cornering manoeuvres prevent FOD from falling back onto the tarmac. When the effects of these features are combined, an unrivalled FOD pick-up and retention rate is achieved making the FOD*BOSS Ultimate the safest and most effective airfield sweeper, guaranteed!

The FOD*BOSS is conveniently available in three sizes: a Single 8-foot-wide (2.44 m) airport FOD sweeper; a Duplex 16-foot-wide (4.88 m) model; and a Triplex 24-foot-wide (7.3 m) system.  Combining these sweep widths with a forward operating speed of up to 40 mph (65 kph), in each hour of operation, the Single can sweep an area of 2,731,450 ft² (253,760 m²), the Duplex 5,462,900 ft² (507,520 m²) and the Triplex 8,171,961 ft² (759,200 m²).

We do provide a repair service if needed.  However, most types of damage to the FOD*BOSS can be fixed in a standard workshop.  A repair kit is included with each purchase, which can help extend the product’s service life.  Refer to our Operator’s Manual for Sweeper Assembly repair instructions.  Alternatively, our comprehensive accidental damage cover provided with every FOD*BOSS Ultimate means we will repair the equipment free of charge and/or supply the parts or materials needed for repairs.