Nord Drivesystems at Frankfurt Airport

Nord Drivesystems have supplied thousands of geared motors for baggage handling systems at Frankfurt Airport.

Automated Baggage Conveyor

The airport is anticipating a sharp increase in volume for passenger and freight traffic.  The airport has recently gained a new northwest runway, whilst an additional runway is currently in planning and an A-plus pier is due to open in August 2012 to allow more A380 airliners to be processed at a time.  reliable, efficient baggage handling systems are needed to keep loading times down to 45 minutes even with the increased air traffic and elevated security operations.  The new pier will feature a large-scale baggage handling system installed by the Beumer Group and featuring geared motors from Nord Drivesystems.

Until recently, very few wide-bodied aircraft have been used around the world, but they have proved themselves as a pioneering civil aviation development.  A380s provide the most cargo space and seating of any commercial aircraft, and are ideal for long-distance flights.  As time goes on, these wide-bodied aircraft are likely to become the vehicle of choice, so  airports with the infrastructure to support them will be at a significant advantage.

Multi-storey, automated baggage storage facility for highly accessible, space-efficient luggage handling interlinked with the airport's transport infrastructure.

Frankfurt airport can currently accommodate up to ten wide-bodied aircraft at a time, and the forthcoming A-plus pier will provide space for another seven large bodied aircraft, or several smaller aircraft.  Beumer is installing the automated baggage conveyor system, which is over seven kilometers in length and will be linked with the current system in 2012.  The transport system must carry baggage reliably to the right destination in under 45 minutes, whilst also being completely available.  

Nord Drivestsystems have built more than 1700 geared motors into the baggage handling facility, which contains more than a hundred junctions, and almost 2000 conveyor elements.In collaboration with Beumer, and with the airport operator, Fraport AG, Nord have tailored the drives to offer low-energy, reliable operation.  

Measurements acquired at the facility have verified engineering calculations.  The innovative design and construction allow smaller drives to be employed in many parts of the system to reduced costs in building and operation.  Meanwhile, drive sizes across the system have been synchronised.  to a high degree, and the number of drive models has been kept to a minimum to boost cost efficiency by improving logistics and reducing demand for spares.

Nord's interchangeable drive systems are mounted using a single connector and a few screws, allowing for straightforward servicing and repair.  Beumer's project manager, Klaus Ruhe, explained: "For this project, NORD put together a team of sales, engineering, and logistics staff who were always available to us and quickly answered our concerns. The requirements concerning the logistics of the airport were responded to precisely and with flexibility.".

Efficient Drive Motors

The motors have a power performance of between 0.55 and 3kW.  Motors with a rating of 0.5kW or above are IE2 models are more efficient and demand less energy than the EFF2 efficiency class (reclassified as IE1) typically used for conveyor system applications in the past.  In order to adhere to the Ecodesign directive, NORD employ high grade sheet metal and  reduced waste, using a more active material for the stator.  The motors feature an optimised winding scheme with extra copper filling in the stator slots.  These construction modifications allow the IE2 motors to support a wider operating range, exploited to good effect in the drive configuration.  Sometimes, the increased power results have allowed the use of smaller motors than could previously be accommodated.  Dependent on the motor being used, some designs can function efficiently at as much as 150 percent of the nominal power capacity.  Relative to their immediate predecessors, IE2 type motors are less prone to overheating, and provide greater breakdown and start-up torques.

Nord's interchangeable, modular drives offer a long service life with a high level of availability and accessibility, easy replacement options and very low maintenance requirements.

Expert Gearbox Manufacturing

The gear units used for adjusting speed are predominantly SK9012.1 helical gearboxes, along with SK372.1 bevel gearboxes.  Roughly half of the drives are fitted with brakes.In addition to supplying drive products and solutions, Nord is delivering motors, inverters and a full range of gear parts including shafts, casings, worms and pinions. The housing is based on the UNICASE principle pioneered by Nord in 1981.

The one-piece housing has no welded seams and features integrated shaft bearings for excellent axial and radial capacity and maximum torsional strength.  Bearing surfaces are machined i a single operation in order to increase precision and reduce wear.  The units are therefore extremely quiet due to smoother  manufacturing and last longer than conventionally produced gearbox designs.

Conclusion

Fraport AG report that there are more than 73 kilometers of conveyors currently operating at the airport with 99.62% reliability.  The operator has set equally impressive standards for the facilities under construction.  The new 7km baggage handling system is designed for low maintenance operation with exceptional reliability.  Nord Drivesystems have supplied around 1700 geared motors - predominantly IE2 designs for the conveyors.  These efficient, low-maintenance, interchangeable motors are designed for easy access, and can be quickly exchanged when the need arises.

The conveyor system includes height bridging sections allowing it to use all levels of the 4-storey pier.