Automated Baggage Handling and Sorting

At big airports there's no doubt about it - automated baggage handling is the only way to go. But many smaller-to-medium size airports still haven't automated, or have done so to only a limited extent. There are over 100 airports handling between 1.5 and 6 million passengers a year in Europe alone. For many of them, there are still big gains to be made - in cost, time, efficiency and sorting quality - by introducing automated sorting.

The problem for many of those airports is finding the right systems to do the job. Because in many cases, solutions designed primarily for the larger airports where much of the automation market is to be found are not cost-effective for lowervolume environments. And as well as that, those systems often can't be accommodated within the space constraints of smaller terminal buildings - many of which have to handle today's constantly increasing passenger and baggage volumes in facilities that were originally built for much lower traffic levels.

Solutions designed for larger airports are not cost-effective for lower volume environments and often can't be accommodated in smaller terminal buildings

On the other hand, smaller and simpler carousel-based sorter solutions may not have the flexibility or volume capacity to handle the peak demands encountered in many of today's midsize terminals. And nor may they be able to deal with the ambitious growth plans of many regional airports, for example as a result of the booming budget and holiday travel business. That means low-end systems may ultimately prove to be a poor investment if they have insufficient reserves for extension and higher capacities.

Eliminating Sorting Errors in Baggage Handling Systems

Targeting this apparent gap in capacity, system vendors are developing solutions that will meet today's demands costeffectively while still offering ample reserves to meet future growth plans. One of them is Vanderlande Industries, the Dutch-based company that has installed more than 400 systems at both regional and international airports around the world.

"Our aim was to develop a cost-effective system based on proven technology that would offer the highest possible sort quality", says Gijs Bartelet, senior systems engineer for baggage handling systems at Vanderlande Industries. "In other words the system should eliminate the mis-sorts that can frequently happen with manual handling, and which are the most important cause of lost bags. Our experience is that sorting errors are the biggest fear of airport managers responsible for baggage handling operations, because of the high costs and delays they can cause. Next to that of course, they want to reduce manpower levels because of the ever-increasing costs of labour, difficulties in finding staff and increasingly stringent ergonomic and occupational health regulations."

Need For a Simple, Robust Baggage Handling System

The company's answer to these demands is the Baxorter™, a simple, robust system designed to meet a wide range of airport demands which has been launched at the InterAirport show in Munich, last October. Key features of the system are its compact size and flexibility in terms of capacities - typically around 2,000 to 3,000 bags per hour - and numbers of outputs to flights or destinations. Most applications for the Baxorter™ are expected to be in final sorting to flight makeup or presorting, for example routing baggage to manual coding stations, storage lanes, Hold Baggage Screening (HBS) and connecting systems.

The advantage of presorting to HBS systems is that it allows optimum capacity utilisation of the relatively costly screening devices by controlling bag allocation dynamically in line with the workload. Also possible are combinations of presort and final sort, so that a single system handles all sorting tasks.

Positive sorting action is key to a reliable and predictable sorting process and high conveyability for bags of all shapes and sizes

Underlining the system's simple, robust concept is the basic technology used: the friction drive means a reliable electric transport motor is used for the whole system, and this together with the sturdy frame is based on the proven Triplanar™ carousel, of which more than 1,000 units have been installed. A further benefit of the friction drive principle is that there is no need for frequent chain maintenance and lubrication as with conventional transport systems.

The sorting action itself is based on the use of mechanically actuated divert blades. Each tray has its own divert blade, which positively yet gently guides the bag into the destination output. The divert blade can move either at right-angles or at a sloping angle to the transport direction. This allows varying sort orientations to be achieved, to match the angles of the output chutes or belts.

Reliable and Predictable Baggage Sorting Process

The resulting positive sorting action is key to the reliable and predictable sorting process and the system's high conveyability for bags of all shapes and sizes up to 1 metre in length. Sorting is possible to both right and left sides of the track, enabling optimum use to be made of the available space. A further benefit of the positive sorting action - in contrast to passive systems such as those relying on gravity - is that it allows full tracking of baggage in the sorting process. This is particularly important during transport and sorting to screening systems, where the security status of each item must be registered before and after screening.

The controlled motion of the divert blade also combines secure sorting with a low impact on the baggage items handled. The integrated divert blade and tray mean a completely closed deck, so loose handles or straps and other protrusions cannot become trapped in the transport mechanism. The closed deck also allows high conveyability and reliable operation to be achieved without the need to use baggage tubs.

Controlled by a standard PLC

Under control of a standard dedicated PLC, sorting is based either on tracking or on data handling in combination with a destination server such as SAC (Licence Plate Code reading of the baggage tag using BSM/BTM data). The controls also include functionality for remote service and diagnostics reporting to an external SCADA or management information system. This allows users to further improve control of their process, and to continuously improve and optimise system performance based on the diagnostic data.

Automated Airport Baggage Sorting

Minimised Height Requirements

The Baxorter™'s compact design fits into restricted floor areas but particularly minimises height requirements. The sorting process takes place without lifting the baggage. The system is normally supported on the ground, but can also be suspended from the ceiling if unobstructed access is required at ground level. The small sorting pitch allows a maximum number of flight make-up positions to be served within the available floor area, while the gap between trays can be varied to match system capacity to the current requirements.

"We believe that sorters of this kind will meet a big demand from the many airports that are currently considering the implementation of fully fledged automated baggage sorting", Gijs Bartelet adds. "As well as cost-effectiveness, flexibility and growth potential, we expect that it will most of all be the guarantee of very high sort quality that proves to be the most convincing argument for airport operators."