Precision at Scale: GO Industrial Engineers High-Performance Runway Line Marking Truck

When a major airport facility requires a new line marking solution, the stakes are incredibly high. The equipment must deliver millimeter-perfect precision, handle massive line widths in a single pass, and adhere to the strictest aviation safety standards.

To achieve this, the airport partnered with GO Industrial to design, engineer, and build a custom multi-purpose striping truck capable of maintaining runways and taxiways with maximum efficiency and operator safety.

The Challenge

Marking an airport is vastly different from marking a road. They needed a vehicle capable of laying down 1.2-meter wide lines (for runway thresholds) and complex black-yellow-black patterns (750mm) for taxiways. All without the operator needing to leave the safety of the cabin.

Safety and compliance were the critical drivers. The build needed to mitigate risks associated with:

• Air Traffic Interference: Lasers and lighting had to be strictly controlled to prevent distracting pilots.

• Chemical Safety: With four 200L drums of paint and active agitators on board, emergency shutoff protocols needed to be foolproof.

• Ergonomics: Loading heavy bags of glass beads typically poses a manual handling risk that needs to be engineered out.

The GO Industrial Solution

Over an 8-month period, GO Industrial delivered a completely bespoke Isuzu-based rig, integrating premium Graco and Skipline technology with ground-breaking in-house fabrication.

Unmatched Application Power: The truck is equipped with a massive 7-gun configuration (7 paint, 7 bead). The driver’s side features a bank of five guns, allowing the truck to paint a full 1.2-meter wide runway line in a single pass which is a massive efficiency gain. The system draws from four 200L drums, with two active pumps ensuring consistent pressure and flow.

Innovation in Motion: GO Industrial introduced a market-first solution for the extendable gun arms: electromagnetic locking. Unlike standard mechanical locks, these magnets hold the arms rigid during operation, eliminating vibration to ensure razor-sharp line edges.

Aviation-Grade Safety Systems:

• Solenoid Valve Integration: To protect operators, pneumatic solenoid valves were installed on the paint drum agitators. If an E-stop is hit anywhere on the truck, the air is immediately evacuated, stopping the agitators instantly to prevent injury during tank swaps.

• Smart Laser Guidance: A GLP 3000 laser system was mounted with custom cabin controls, allowing the operator to switch the beam between driver and passenger sides while ensuring the laser angle never interferes with upward air traffic.

• Ergonomic Design: The bead tank platform was custom fabricated with handrails and set at a specific height to ensure operators never have to lift 20kg bead bags above shoulder height.

The Outcome

After nearly a year of design, fabrication, and testing, the truck has been delivered as a fully turnkey solution.

• Multi-Purpose Efficiency: The airport can now handle wide runway markings, taxiway patterns, and standard centerlines with a single vehicle.

• Automated Simplicity: The operator can control line widths, gun arms, and lasers entirely from the cab, reducing fatigue and exposure to the tarmac environment.

• Future-Proof Safety: With the integration of electromagnetic stabilization and automated safety valves, the truck sets a new standard for operational safety in the aviation maintenance sector. 

Backed by GO Industrial’s engineering team and vendor partners like Graco and Skipline, the airport is now equipped with one of the most advanced striping trucks in the country.

Do you have a complex application requiring a custom solution? Talk to GO Industrial today about designing a machine that meets your specific safety and performance requirements.