SPECIAL REPORT: IT
horizontal layout and fl oor-level vehicle movements, allowing the required building height to be kept down to 4.5 metres. Of course fl ight make-up is not the only critical point in the process.
Faster loading of bags into containers, closer to fl ight departure times, means container logistics need to be optimised for smooth, timely transfer to the aircraft. Here too, simulation provides insight into transport fl ows and ensures an effi cient end-to-end process.
Advantage of bag stores The on-demand fl ight make-up process depends on automated, intelligent bag storage. This allows labour requirements to be reduced, make-up windows to be shortened and higher volumes to be handled within existing space constraints. Key aspects of the Vanderlande bag storage concept are high storage
density and fast, random access to stored bags. The system allows capacity to be optimised by peak shaving, early bag fl ows to be handled effi ciently, and passenger satisfaction to be increased by longer check-in opening times. Bags can be stored in any empty rack position, and called forward for
sorting and loading exactly when needed and in the right sequence (heavy bags fi rst , for instance). All bags for a specifi c fl ight can then be handled effi ciently in the same time ‘window’, so the bag store helps to maximise both the capacity and effi ciency of the total system. Labour is saved by fully automatic storage and retrieval, eliminating the
need for manual loading and unloading. The fully automated storage principle also facilitates mechanised loading into containers and carts by optimising bag storage before loading.
Automated loading More opportunities to save time and labour are provided by (semi) automated loading of containers for transfer to the aircraft. Different technologies are rapidly gaining ground, and offer cost-effective solutions for regional as well as larger airports. With semi-automated loading technology, the baggage handler only
has to guide and position the bag, instead of actually lifting and loading it manually. When this technology is well integrated in the overall system design, the capacity of an individual handler is increased from
around two bags per minute for purely manual handling to as many as six to ten bags per minute. Semi-automated loading also allows employers to meet increasingly
stringent health and safety legislation by relieving operators of repetitive heavy lifting work. And fi nally, the reduced hands-on baggage handling improves security,
in situations where risks increase in proportion to the number of people involved in the process.
Smart control saves energy As well as improving operations, IT also plays an important role in optimising sustainability by reducing energy consumption. This is achieved fi rst of all by intelligent system control to adjust system
capacity in line with variations in baggage loads, and secondly by design changes to take advantage of new technologies and detail improvements. Maintaining maximum system capacity throughout the day means there is
substantial excess capacity much of the time. Smart controls, for example, allow belt speeds to be reduced and complete sections of the system to be switched off dynamically as loads fall. This is done fully automatically, constantly matching demand without the need for manual intervention.
Essential IT Increased use of automation and intelligent controls in the coming years will continue to lead to big improvements. Manual handling will be almost entirely eliminated in the end-to-end
baggage handling process from remote check-in via dynamic, on demand, semi- or robotic automated fl ight make-up right through to aircraft loading. This development alone will help airports maximise their effi ciency, cost-effectiveness and service levels. It will also go a long way toward helping airports meet the
ever-increasing sustainability demands being placed upon them. The case is clear, IT is the future.
About the author Odeke Lenior is a senior systems engineer with Vanderlande Industries.
AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2010 55 AW
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