Urban areas connected by miles of pneumatic tubes: It sounds both futuristic and old fashioned. But at the turn of the 20th century, this was reality in many major cities around the world. City-wide networks meant that letters, documents, and small items could zoom from one building to another at breakneck speeds. But from intra-office memos to medication in a hospital, pneumatic tubes remain a popular method of getting items from point A to point B at great speed and with little fuss.
Information Through Tubes
Pneumatic tubes for speedy deliveries
More than a century before the internet made sending virtual data packets through cables an everyday activity, cities around the world were sending more substantial physical packets through tubes. Pneumatic tube systems transport documents and other small goods from one building to another, far faster than a person can walk. While many systems have been resigned to history, some are still in use today and are powered by vacuum pumps from Busch.
Urban areas connected by miles of pneumatic tubes: It sounds both futuristic and old fashioned. But at the turn of the 20th century, this was reality in many major cities around the world. City-wide networks meant that letters, documents, and small items could zoom from one building to another at breakneck speeds. But from intra-office memos to medication in a hospital, pneumatic tubes remain a popular method of getting items from point A to point B at great speed and with little fuss.
Urban areas connected by miles of pneumatic tubes: It sounds both futuristic and old fashioned. But at the turn of the 20th century, this was reality in many major cities around the world. City-wide networks meant that letters, documents, and small items could zoom from one building to another at breakneck speeds. But from intra-office memos to medication in a hospital, pneumatic tubes remain a popular method of getting items from point A to point B at great speed and with little fuss.
Moving lifesavers from A to B
In a hospital, where mere seconds can make the difference between life and death, speed is crucial. It is therefore no surprise that this is a place where large pneumatic tube systems can often be found. Hospitals are huge complexes: multiple buildings, multiple wings, multiple floors. Transporting time-sensitive samples – or even blood for emergency transfusions – on foot could take too long. But a pneumatic tube can transport canisters at a rate of between 3 and 7 meters per second, depending on the weight of the contents. Over a distance of 500 meters, the tube takes under 3 seconds, whereas a person would need around 6 minutes. As a result, pneumatic tubes give hospitals the possibility to transport anything that needs to go from A to B extremely rapidly, letting healthcare professionals concentrate on the care of their patients.
In a hospital, where mere seconds can make the difference between life and death, speed is crucial. It is therefore no surprise that this is a place where large pneumatic tube systems can often be found. Hospitals are huge complexes: multiple buildings, multiple wings, multiple floors. Transporting time-sensitive samples – or even blood for emergency transfusions – on foot could take too long. But a pneumatic tube can transport canisters at a rate of between 3 and 7 meters per second, depending on the weight of the contents. Over a distance of 500 meters, the tube takes under 3 seconds, whereas a person would need around 6 minutes. As a result, pneumatic tubes give hospitals the possibility to transport anything that needs to go from A to B extremely rapidly, letting healthcare professionals concentrate on the care of their patients.