airport logistics - siemens · airport logistics 01 | october 2009 3 lisbon: expansion of baggage...

Airport Logistics 01 | October 2009 1

Hands-on exhibition of the crossbelt traySiemens’ airport logistics solutions at inter airport Europe 2009

Newsletter for Airports and Airlines

Issue 01 I October 2009 I www.siemens.com/mobility

Contents

04 Interview with AENA Madrid baggage handling system successfully extended

06 New crossbelt tray Innovation for gentle, fast and

reliable baggage handling

08 Baggage Handling in 2030 Siemens’ ideas and solutions benefit operators and passengers

Cargo security

Siemens, Fraport AG and Fraunhofer IML agreed to market the security lock SAATS » Page 2

Service tested

Madrid Airport received good marks in a recent-ly completed Mainte-nance Business Review » Page 5

IT facelift

Siemens is currentlycarrying out an IT retrofit at Zurich Airport » 2

Airport Logistics

One of the highlights at this year’s inter airport Europe is the new Siemens crossbelt tray, which guarantees gentle and yet rapid and reliable baggage handling.

inter airport Europe is the most important marketplace for the international airport sector. And if last year’s statistics – 600 ex-hibitors and some 13,000 visitors from all over the world – are any indication, orga-nizers can expect a good turnout at this year’s event, which takes place October 6 - 9 in Munich.

Under the motto “Green and Efficient Airport of the Future,” Siemens will be ex-hibiting products, solutions and services that help airport and airline managers han-dle the rising demands of modern airport operation. And as always, airport logistics will be a special focus of the Siemens booth. Visitors will have the chance to take an up-close look at the new crossbelt tray. This hybrid of tray and conveyor belt tech-nology (see page 10) will even handle bags “live” at the fair.

Also on display will be intelligent IT so-lutions such as the Siemens Airport Man-agement and Operation System, which both simplifies and improves airport opera-tions. Exhibits for the cargo sector include

intermodal concepts for reducing CO2 –

for example transporting cargo by freight train instead of by air, or bringing cargo to airports on rails instead of on trucks. The portfolio is rounded off with innova-tive services for baggage and cargo that promise maximum efficiency throughout the entire life cycle.

Siemens is also participating in the confer-ence program with two airport logistics pre-sentations: “A structured and systematic ap-proach to become a Green Airport” scheduled for October 7, and “Left Behind Index – How the industry can help to improve” on October 8. Look for the Siemens exhibition at inter air-port Europe 2009 in hall B5, booth 960. «

2 Airport Logistics 01 | October 2009

We‘re stuck in the middle of the global economic crisis. Banks are collapsing, long-established companies are facing bankruptcy, belts are being tightened in private households. The crisis is also leaving its mark in our sector. Passen-ger numbers and cargo volumes are dropping. Amid the general uncertain-ty, the willingness to invest is falling, projects are being postponed.

But we all agree on one thing: stick-ing our heads in the sand won’t solve a thing. We have to find ways out of the crisis, and think of tomorrow and the day after. It will help if we cooperate even more closely together. Conver-sations and discussions are breeding grounds for creative ideas that can solve tricky problems. Communication helps!

You obviously realize that too. In your response to our customer satisfac-tion survey, you indicated that you wanted to strengthen communication with Siemens. It goes without saying that your local Siemens contacts are always available to answer your ques-tions and listen to your requests. We‘re now going to supplement that service with regular information from Siemens in this newsletter. Three times per year we‘re going to send you concise news about products, projects and events. These informative newsletters – with varying focus – will feature a range of main themes drawn from the fields of baggage, cargo, IT and service.

With this newsletter we‘re opening an additional channel of communica-tion. We‘d like to hear what you have to say about the featured topics.

Yours truly,Dr. Stefan KehPresident and CEO, Infrastructure Logistics

Dear Readers,

On the safe side with SAATSSiemens signs license agreement with Fraport and Fraunhofer ImL to market a patented air cargo security system

Siemens, Fraport AG and Fraunhofer IML have signed a license agreement for the marketing of the security lock SAATS (Secure Advanced Air Cargo Transfer System). This patented check-ing system enables the speedy and se-cure transfer of ULDs (Unit Load Devic-es) into the sensitive apron or critical parts area of airports. Siemens will be the exclusive supplier of this system worldwide.

It is standard practice at airports to use so-called dolly trains to transfer car-go containers and pallets from the land-side area to the critical parts. First, the incoming trucks are unloaded on the landside and the cargo is placed in a temporary storage location. Then, the dolly train driver and the cargo have to pass through a security lock on each trip to the aircraft and likewise undergo a se-curity check each time. The procedure is not uniform at all airports but is handled in a many different ways.

This new SAATS system – a solution jointly developed by Fraport AG and Fraunhofer IML – now enables the easy and secure transfer of ready-for-flight ULDs into the security area of the airport apron or airside. Traffic on the landside is “disconnected” from traffic on the air-

side. Flight-ready ULDs delivered by truck from the landside are checked immediate-ly and are then either stored temporarily or taken directly to the aircraft by dolly train as explained above. The user bene-fits from an improved cargo transfer pro-cess and a high security standard. More-over, the number of personnel is reduced and the previously customary, recurring and cost-intensive personnel and vehicle checks are no longer necessary. As a re-sult, the hourly cargo throughput be-tween critical and non-critical parts is in-creased. This process involving a clearly defined transfer interface has been pat-ented as a procedure.

Security features such as particle scan-ning, thermophotography or measuring and weighing functions can also be inte-grated into the system. “SAATS makes it possible to combine the stringent security checks of the worldwide cargo hubs with an efficient process for secure and low-cost container transfer,” said Bernd Rup-pert, head of the Cargo & Parcel Business Segment at Siemens. All airports that want to process ULD units quickly and se-curely can use this system. SAATS can be designed as a central facility in the airport or for separate use by individual cargo handlers. «

The license agreement was signed by (from left to right) Herbert mai, Labor Director on the managing Board of Fraport AG, Bernd Ruppert, head of Cargo & Parcel at Siemens, and Dr. Heinrich Frye, head of the Airport Logistics Project Center of the Fraunhofer Institute for material Flow and Logistics.

editorial


Lisbon: Expansion of baggage handling system

Siemens has received an order from ANA Aeroportos de Portugal SA, the owner and operator of the largest airports in Portugal, to expand the existing baggage handling system at Lisbon’s airport (LIS). The order value amounts to €31.5 million and the project is scheduled for comple-tion by the beginning of 2011.

ANA is expecting the number of pas-sengers at Lisbon’s airport to increase to 18 million per year by 2017. In order to cope with the associated surge in the amount of baggage, the existing bag-gage handling system will be expanded. The expanded system is to be capable of sorting and transporting up to 8,400 baggage items per hour. The project calls for the installation of 56 new check-in counters, five baggage reclaim carousels and two output units for oversized bag-gage. In addition, four transfer lines are to be installed, with a total system length of 8,500 meters. A total of 50 chutes, seven baggage carousels and one pre-sorting and two automatic dis-tribution rings will be added to the ex-isting system. The project includes all aspects of mechanical and electrical in-stallation, provision of the Simatic con-trol software and commissioning. The two systems will then work completely automatically. «

New Delhi: Equipment for new metro link

Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Ltd. (DAMEPL) has placed orders with Siemens for the Airport Metro Express Line in New Delhi, India. Siemens is to supply the sig-naling and interlocking technology, elec-

Sibag Train from Siemens uses an auto-matic feeder system on the station platform to load the containerized baggage through the car door and onto a conveyor system in the baggage car.

San Francisco: Baggage handling system for Terminal 2

Siemens has been awarded a €21 million contract from America’s leading general builder, Turner Con-struction Company, to design, supply and install a new baggage handling system as part of San Fran-cisco International Airport’s (SFO) Terminal 2 reno-vation project. Additionally, the contract includes operation and maintenance for two years. The system is expected to be ready for customer accep-tance in late 2010.

Some 14 new check-in counters are to be set up for domestic flights. The scope of supply includes approximately 3,000 meters of belt conveyor with around 550 drives and four explosive detection sys-tems (EDS) for 100 percent baggage screening. Addi-tionally, six make-up devices for planeside loading and unloading as well as four claim devices for pas-senger handling will be installed. Siemens will hand over all mechanical, electrical and software systems in the form of a turnkey installation. «

trify the 23-kilometer line and install a baggage handling system. The entire package is worth a total of around €34 million. The individual systems are due to be completed by July 2010, in time for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

To enhance the level of convenience, air passengers will be able to check in at two of the city airport terminal sta-tions (CAT). There they will pick up their boarding cards, get on the Airport Ex-press and ride to the international air-port. Upon arriving, they can go straight to the security check and proceed to their departure gate. Their baggage will be fed into the baggage handling system at the airport, taken through the automatic security check and loaded onto the plane.

To ensure seamless baggage trans-port, the baggage car of the train will be equipped with a conveyor system. A mechanism located on the station platform will automatically load the containerized baggage onto the con-veyor in the car. Passenger boarding and container loading happen simul-taneously to shorten station dwell time for the train. «

news


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“ Very satisfactory result”

Blas Zamorano from the Spanish National Airports Authority (AENA) on the recent extension of the baggage handling system at madrid Airport

solution

matically and keep it in storage until it can proceed to the carrousel to be picked up by the handling agent for subsequent trans-portation to and loading into the cargo hold. Finally, development of the detailed engi-neering included accounting of the available space and sought to improve the functional-ity and achieve greater flexibility in oper-ation of the new stores. This has resulted in the planning of four new storage areas, two in building T4 and two in its annex T4S.

Why did you choose Siemens as your partner for this expansion? Siemens installed the baggage handling system and, since February 2006, it has been responsible for operating and main-taining the terminal area. These were very good arguments to choose Siemens again for the detailed design of any expansion of the system and its implementation. That

way, we could guarantee ongoing opera-tions to continue reliably and efficiently.

What was your experience with inte-grating the early baggage stores (EBS) while the baggage handling system was already up and running? How was that achieved?The final result of the integration of the new EBS and the other services performed has turned out very satisfactorily. It had a minimum impact on the operation of the rest of the system and, certainly, no nega-tive effect on the quality of the process it-self. The satisfactory result can be attribut-ed to two key factors: First, coordination of the work, tests, and commissioning of the new functions by the representatives of the airport, headed by Juan Puertas. The team organized execution of the work while minimizing its impact on day-to-day

Terminal 4 of madrid Barajas Interna-tional Airport was opened in 2006. Now four early baggage stores (EBS) supplied by Siemens have been integrated into the baggage handling system. Why did AENA decide to expand the existing in-stallation? Analysis of the operating conditions after opening made it clear that a series of ad-aptations to the baggage handling system were necessary to optimize performance. The most important of these included in-creasing the storage capacity for baggage in the system itself by means of new storage areas for checked-in baggage. We are en-abling companies to operate more flexibly with regard to check-in opening times for departing flights and handling of transit baggage when there is a long delay be-tween flights. This means the baggage han-dling system can process this baggage auto-

1 Bright and friendly: Terminal 4’s spec-tacular architecture makes traveling more pleasant.

2 The baggage handling system in Terminal 4 of madrid Barajas has recently been expanded.

3 From Left to right: Juan Puertas, madrid Barajas Airport; martín Ugalde, Siemens; Blas Zamorano, AENA; and José Garcia Lozano, Siemens.

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Blas Zamorano, director of the tech-nological installation division at the Spanisch National Airports Authority (AENA), is an aeronautical engineer by training. He is 50 years old and has 20 years of professional experience in the airport sector, primarily with OAAN (Organismo Autónomo Aeropuertos Nacionales). At AENA he has worked in the fields of engineering, mainte-nance, and technological installations.

operations and managing the interfaces with third parties. They kept the imple-mentation risk to an acceptable level and reduced the constraints that new installa-tion in a fully functioning airport involves.Second, the prior experience of the Siemens personnel with the baggage handling sys-tem and their knowledge of the new func-tions were decisive in achieving the set ob-jective. The work carried out by the Siemens personnel and their subcontractors under the direction of Pablo Martín Ugalde and José Garcia Lozano made a large contribu-tion to the success of the project.

Can you give us an example of a prob-lem that was encountered and how it was resolved? The biggest problem that arose during the various phases of commissioning related to fitting the technical solutions into the available physical spaces. Another chal-lenge was the installation in a manner that was compatible with the constraints im-posed by day-to-day airport operations. We also had to validate the new installa-tion using test plans that had been drawn up before final commissioning. All these difficulties were efficiently resolved by co-ordination and compromise between the parties involved. The agreements were achieved during regular meetings in which the progress of the work was analyzed.

What are your future plans for the baggage handling system?Once all the functions have been fully implemented, our future plans for the baggage handling system basically con-cern operative aspects. Based on current developments, we expect a long period in which we only have to adapt the system. The work is being performed with two main objectives. The first of these, which has been an objective from the start of system operation, is to improve process-ing times. The improved operation of the baggage handling system will, in turn, cut down on the number of mishandled baggage items. The second objective at the moment is energy efficiency. «

The Terminal 4 service team in madrid successfully completed a maintenance Business Review.

solution

Service on the baggage handling sys-tem in Terminal 4 of Madrid Barajas Air-port is running like clockwork. This was recently confirmed in a Maintenance Business Review (MBR). An MBR is a structured analysis that Siemens uses to test the entire service and to identi-fy possible potential for improvement within a service organization.

An MBR analyzes every aspect rele-vant to service: organization, equip-ment and personnel. It examines every level of a service organization, from the technician on the job through to various support functions and right up to the management. A structured process then compares the collected data with the data previously ob-tained from other service organiza-tions. Siemens developed this proc-ess, and has been using it for many years to analyze all types of service organizations. It delivers not only a precise analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of a service organization, but also specific recommendations for action.

A comprehensive look at service madrid is given good marks in a maintenance Business Review

Three Siemens auditors spent eight days in Madrid for the analysis. The results revealed that the degree of maturity of the service organization in Terminal 4 was way above average. Specific suggestions were also given to improve spare part management and the use of the Computerized Mainte-nance Management System (CMMS).

An MBR can be held for Siemens‘ own service organizations – such as that in Madrid – where Siemens has concluded an operation and mainte-nance contract with AENA, the airport operator. However, it can also be ap-plied to systems where the mainte-nance is carried out by the customer‘s own service departments or even by third-party service providers.

The advantages of an MBR are obvi-ous: it gives the customer not only an impartial assessment of his service or-ganization but also advice on how his processes could be organized to run even better and more smoothly. Last but not least, that also has a positive effect on system availability and reliability. «


solution

Crossbelt tray innovates baggage handling Siemens’ Sibag Cross, a hybrid tray and belt system that promises gentle, fast and reliable baggage handling, is currently undergoing intensive testing at the Airport Center

Along comes another 55-kilo suitcase. Maximum load – and a severe test for the crossbelt tray. Product manager Alexander Fiedler is keeping a close eye on the prog-ress of this overweight bag. The tray stops, then the integrated belt starts moving and transfers the suitcase onto the conveyor belt. No problem. Then back onto the tray, and from there down the chute. Everything runs like clockwork, and Fiedler is satisfied.

The new crossbelt tray, marketed un-der Sibag Cross, is undergoing intensive testing at the Siemens Airport Center be-fore it is installed in customer systems. The 55-kilo suitcase turns up time and again among the other regular-size bags, giving the system a chance to demon-strate its ability to handle oversize bag-gage. The Siemens Airport Center pro-vides the ideal environment for subjecting this innovative product to endurance and fatigue tests.

Fiedler looks in personally at regular in-tervals to make sure everything is going well. He explains: “Sibag Cross technology is based on tried-and-tested Siemens tray conveyor technology. This new tray com-bines gentle yet reliable and fast baggage handling in a single product.”

Fast and reliable Tray technology is one of the most im-portant elements in a baggage handling system designed to transport bags at high speed reliably and faultlessly. This facilitates the short transit times that are an important factor in the competition among international air-traffic hubs. Siemens developed Sibag Cross to retain this speed while at the same time making the sorting process gentler on the bags. This further development sets itself apart from the familiar passive Siemens system through an active crossbelt conveyor in-tegrated into the tray. The belt moves in both directions so it can both load and un-load bags, and bags can be loaded onto and off the trays without tilting or a top loader. “This will revolutionize baggage handling, above all for mid-sized and major airports,” says Fiedler.

The Sibag Cross tray does not have an electric drive; instead, the belt is driv-en purely by mechanical friction. This means that the crossbelt tray is not en-cumbered by any unnecessary ballast, such as a drive or power supply, thus reducing complexity. This design is ex-tremely reliable and – not least – less costly than all motorized designs.

Space-saving layoutSibag Cross is especially advantageous for space-saving layouts. Since the trays are not tilted to unload, the new system is ideally suited for the very tight space typically found in baggage handling sys-tems. This is where the previous tray technology often runs up against its lim-its: the headroom required for a tilter is often simply not available. Eliminating top loaders and tilters creates a substan-tial cost-saving potential.

Sibag Cross can also handle conven-tional sorting tasks. Bags are usually taken to their destinations by chained systems, such as tilt-tray sorters. If one link in this chain breaks down, the entire sorting process – the very heart of a bag-gage handling system – comes to a halt. The sorting chains have to be laid out in duplicate (redundantly) to prevent that from happening, and that of course in-volves a great deal of extra expenditure.

With Sibag Cross, each bag is assigned its own tray that takes it through the entire system to its intended destination. If one tray or a complete destination breaks down, the system’s modular struc-ture allows an alternative route to be used. The higher-level baggage control

Product manager Alexander Fiedler personally supervises testing of the new crossbelt tray.

The crossbelt tray unloads the suitcase onto the conveyor belt either statically or dynamically – that is, with or without an intermediate stop.


works out the rerouting in a similar way to modern, dynamic navigation systems. The elimination of a fully redundant sorting process layout enables costs to be minimized.

Sibag Cross can be used in conjunc-tion with standard trays in one system. Depending on the throughput demanded from the baggage handling system, the unloading process can be static, with a stop at the unloading station, or dynamic while the tray is on the move.

No jams Sibag Cross substantially reduces the likelihood of bags jamming, because bags are transferred from belt to belt more smoothly than is the case with the “uncontrolled” falling and sliding typical of conventional methods. The automatic bag-centering function in conjunction with the non-slip belt surface enables the new system (patent pending) to trans-port bags safely and reliably. Convention-al baggage handling systems can only achieve the reliability of Sibag Cross sys-tems with the expenditure of a great deal of time and money and external add-on parts, and even this can only alleviate the symptoms.

Sibag Cross is not only cost effective for larger installations – it is also an at-tractive solution for smaller installations with a minor sorting function. As pas-senger numbers rise, the number of crossbelt trays can be increased and the layout extended at any time. A simple switch creates a link to the new part of the system. Sibag Cross can be integrat-ed into existing Sibag Tray systems with-out difficulty.

Fiedler summarizes the advantages: “Sibag Cross combines the transport and distribution functions at high speed. There are no unnecessary interfaces, the risks of data loss and bag jams are elimi-nated, and costs are reduced. The cross-belt tray is fully in line with today’s trend. Simplicity eliminates room for faults, al-lows quick and easy integration, offers highest degree of flexibility and gives value for money.”

Siemens is already offering Sibag Cross with some of its projects, and is receiving very positive feedback from customers. The crossbelt tray can be seen live at in-ter airport Europe (see page 1) and, of course, at the Siemens Airport Center. The next 55-kilo suitcase is certainly on its way. «

• A combination of tray and conveyor belt

• Speeds of up to 10 m/s

• Maximum load 55 kilos

• Dimensions 1350x1100mm, 1350x1300mm, 1750x1100mm (according to application and baggage size)

• The integrated belt is driven by friction instead of a motor

• The belt moves both ways to load and unload bags

• A layout no longer needs top loaders, tilters or sorters

• The likelihood of bag jams is substantially reduced

• Combines simplicity, high reli-ability and a low purchase price

Facts and figures

solution

A look under the new tray. The belt is driven purely by mechanical friction. (above)

A laser determines the posi-tion of the suitcase on the tray in preparation for dy-namic unloading. (above)

Simply installing this drive element can make an exist-ing system compatible with Sibag Cross. (left)


telligently combine rail and air travel are a Siemens hallmark – and consider-ably improve the level of passenger convenience.

Self-service check-in at the airport is another alternative for passengers. However, those currently using the self-check-in have to stand in line twice – once for the ticket to be read and a second time to check in their bags. That’s not very attractive for passengers. In the future, self-check-in could be reduced to a single step. “That involves a degree of technical complexity. Today it’s still

Passengers start their journeys when they leave their homes. So why shouldn’t baggage handling start there too? The bag could be transported to the airport, checked in, screened in the baggage handling system, assigned to the cor-rect aircraft, and loaded into the cargo hold. At the transfer airport, the bag would be taken to the next aircraft au-tomatically. Passengers would not see their bags until they arrive at the desti-nation airport. Or they could arrange to have them sent directly to their hotel. At Siemens, today’s ideas and solutions are the foundation for baggage han-dling of the future.

Christoph Oftring, Head of Concepts & Consulting for Siemens’ Airport Logis-tics business, explains: “We regard bag-gage handling as an end-to-end process. That means we don’t just consider the baggage handling system itself, but look considerably beyond it.” That benefits the airport operators by enabling them to handle not only growing passenger numbers but also meet stricter security and environmental requirements. And it also helps them get their work done more cost effectively. For the passenger, a jour-ney by air becomes a pleasant experience from the first to the last minute.

Combination of rail and air travelPeople traveling from the city center to the airport by train no longer have to take their bags with them. Thanks to support from Siemens, in a number of cities – such as Madrid, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur – passengers can check- in conveniently in the city, and of course that also includes their baggage. Similar systems are also currently being set up in Taipei and New Delhi (see page 3). Intermodal solutions like these that in-

vision

relatively expensive, but in the future it can be used by one third of passengers,” says Oftring.

Intelligent decision makingThe Siemens Airport Operational Dash-board (AOD) collects all information and business data from an airport’s opera-tions. This includes for example bag data – such as security status, departure gate and time, and the destination airport. The AOD compares the data and pres-ents it in real time. In this way, the opera-tor can monitor an airport’s performance

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Baggage handling in 2030 Siemens has ideas and solutions for the airport of tomorrow. Baggage handling is regarded as an end-to-end process, which benefits airport operators as well as passengers


strategic roadmap indicating a route to-ward greater sustainability. It includes not only a clear CO

2 reduction forecast

but also the financial consequences, which are just as important for airport operators.

Efficient baggage handling systemsThe demand for efficiency is also increas-ing for baggage handling systems. “Effi-ciency is already an important issue in the design phase,” points out Oftring. The lay-out is planned according to the customer’s basic requirements, such as the number of

and make better decisions. An AOD is already in use at Munich Airport.

The issues of energy efficiency and environmental protection are also of overriding interest to airports. Siemens offers an in-depth consulting service covering all airport processes, including road and rail links, for reducing energy consumption and CO2

emissions. Con-sumption figures are first collected and then compared with a reference data-base in order to work out opportunities for making improvements. The consulta-tion finishes with the development of a

check-ins and the capacity of early bag stores (EBS). A layout planning tool is then used to develop a rough material flow. In the next step, the design is mapped with real equipment in the building. That is fol-lowed by a dynamic simulation based on the genuine flight schedule. Every eventu-ality is simulated to test the system’s ability to handle everyday demands. Oftring ex-plains: “Nowadays, many airports play it safe by planning multiple redundancies, but that’s not always cost effective. We can substantially reduce the capital expen-diture (Capex) if we examine everything

100 experts consulted: Siemens’ concepts for the future Stricter security and environmental de-mands, passenger numbers and cargo volumes expected to rise in the long run, ever-increasing cost pressures – airport operators are being forced to go through a process of rapid change. Siemens would like to make its contribu-tion in this process, and has therefore worked out a concept for the airport of 2030. To start with, 100 experts from airlines, airports and the field of socio-economics were surveyed. General glob-

al conditions, such as dependency on the price of oil, were also taken into con-sideration. The information obtained was then used to develop a range of scenarios for 2030. The general assumption was that airports would be run sustainably with intelligent energy management, and that they would have to design their processes even more intelligently. Air-ports would offer their passengers a pleasant travel experience and a stress-free stopover in a “world of entertain-

ment and shopping.” Checks and standing in line would be things of the past thanks to a comprehen-sive and invisible security system that does its job behind the scenes. Siemens already offers solutions that meet these demands, and it is continually developing its portfolio even further. The investigations also came up with a number of wacky ideas. Who, for example, wouldn’t like to have a self-moving suitcase?

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3 Keeping an eye on everything: the entire airport can be con-trolled from the Airport Opera-tional Dashboard (AOD).

4 Fast and reliable: tray technology will remain a part of the future baggage handling system, above all at mid-sized and major airports.

1 Is this what airports will look like in 2030? Siemens has developed a range of scenarios so that it can make its contribution to the air-port of tomorrow.

2 Communication is key: in the design phase of a baggage handling system, Siemens takes the customer’s requirements into account.

»

vision


Improving the information exchange It would be even better if the departure airport would inform the destination air-port of the quantity of baggage and its ex-act arrival time. Indeed, the exchange of information should be taken even further. Presently, transfer passengers’ bags usu-ally have to be screened again at the trans-fer airport. Oftring regards that as unnec-essary and inefficient: “This step could be eliminated if the security data were to be handled not by the individual airports but by a neutral unit, such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA).”

In regard to user-friendliness, the make-up area is especially in need of im-provement. This area is currently very la-bor intensive and poorly designed from an ergonomic standpoint. Siemens offers a semiautomatic solution for this area,

which employs a telescopic conveyor similar to those used in the parcels busi-ness. The conveyor belt used in the solu-tion moves bags both horizontally and vertically so that they can be loaded cor-rectly into the waiting ULDs at the press of a button.

Optimization of the make-up areaIn Oftring’s opinion, the entire make- up area needs to be reorganized and

optimized. At the moment, it is often a scene of chaos. At times, workers have very little to do, whereas at other times they are inundated with work. Transport services have to search the various halls for the ULDs they have been sent to col-lect. In the general confusion, it is all too easy for a bag to be left behind, lost or incorrectly assigned. Oftring’s sugges-tion: “The make-up should be subdivided along the lines of the modern mail-order business into incoming and outgoing goods areas. The batches prepared in the EBS would arrive in the make-up at the right time, and be placed at specific locations ready for the transport services to pick up. An electronic display would indicate the right airplane.”

Is that how baggage handling will look in 2030? Christoph Oftring did

not have a simple answer: “It all de-pends on what our customers want.” In order to obtain a better estimate of these demands, Siemens has just com-pleted an extensive study on the future of the airport (see box on page 9). “We use our know-how to develop our solutions. But above all, we take into ac-count the feedback from our customers,” concludes Oftring. “That’s what Siemens stands for.” «

critically. We need an intelligent plan for emergencies, and that involves more than just running a second line.”

Environmentally compatible solutionsOftring has also given a lot of thought to the storage question. Siemens currently offers a dynamic EBS in which bags travel on trays around a loop from which they can be retrieved at any time. This is a concept that Siemens intends to review in the light of increasing environmental requirements. “We want to offer our cus-tomers environmentally compatible solu-tions. Airports need to realize the advan-tages of energy efficiency, economical use of materials and ease of mainte-nance,” says Oftring.

Oftring already has an idea how the EBS can be optimized to increase productivity

in the make-up area: “One possible ap-proach would be to use the EBS to build batches. That would involve sorting and grouping baggage according to specific criteria, such as first, business and econ-omy classes.” This would enable the uti-lization of the make-up area to be main-tained at a more consistent level. The unit load devices (ULDs) would be filled when they were needed, and then load-ed directly onto the airplane.

vision

“ We use our know-how to develop our solutions. But above all, we take into account the feedback from our customers.”

Christoph Oftring, Head of Concepts & Consulting for Siemens’ Airport Logistics Business


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1 The familiar scene at the check-in counter: improved self-check-in could cut waiting times in the future.

2 Fit for the future: the new Siemens crossbelt tray with its active belt (see page 6).

3 There’s a lot of room for improvement at the make-up carousel: this area is cur-rently very labor intensive and poorly designed from an ergonomic standpoint.

4 Waiting at the baggage reclaim should soon be a thing of the past.

vision

Increasing passenger numbers

Current passenger numbers may not serve as an indication, but many experts think that by 2030 passenger traffic will double in the United States, triple in Europe and quadruple in India. In China, passenger volume is expected to increase 600 per-cent over today’s figure. This massive flood of air travelers will present airports and airlines with a tremendous challenge. And that also applies to the baggage handling systems that will have to quickly and reliably sort and convey all the suitcases and bags to the right place at the right time. Siemens has just the solutions that are going to be needed.

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IT facelift for Zurich AirportSiemens provides latest technology combining high speed and simpler user interface

ImPRINTAirport Logistics

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The next issue of the Airport Logistics Newsletter will be published in March 2010.www.siemens.com/airport-logistics

Order No. E10001-ALBL-A13-V1-7600Dispo No. 12212 K No. 1221312533 IF 09092.5Incheon Airport is already equipped with the most innovative IT for baggage handling systems.

Zurich Airport, Switzerland’s busiest international air traffic hub ahead of Geneva, handled 275,000 aircraft movements and 22 million passengers in 2008. Siemens is now going to up-grade the IT for the baggage handling system it installed there in 2001 so that baggage processing will always run smoothly – even with numbers like these.

This follow-up order valued at €2.2 million will ensure that Zurich Airport will be able to handle future increases in passenger capacities. Siemens will not only supply Unique – the Zurich Airport operator – with a new genera-tion of control computers featuring a new operating system, but also a new database and the latest communica-tion hardware and software.

This order also involves the very first installation of a Siemens baggage con-trol computer equipped with Itanium processors and using an Oracle11 data-base. After the retrofit, Zurich Airport will benefit from the latest technology, which combines high speed with a sim-pler user interface. The new system will be ready by the end of March 2010.

Both Siemens and third-party systems can benefit from an IT retrofit.

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