Airline baggage systems
3.1. The intense problem of reliable delivery. 8
3.2. The problem of “Line Balancing”. 9
3.3. Increase in complexity. 10
Abstract
This paper focuses on the problems that are experienced by the airline baggage system. These problems are varied and may range from the top management that comes up with the decisions to the staff who manage the operations. The paper will first look into the design of the baggage system that is found in most modern airlines; a good example of this is the Denver airline baggage system which is big and highly advanced. With knowledge of the design system, it will go on to look at the problems that are experienced in its operation and modes of how these problems could be solved. These solutions would be based on the modern technology, which is a fairly advanced tool and method of solving various problems. Consequently, these transformations would be based on an objective of saving cost rather than performance with high cost. An example of the Denver baggage system would be a good example of an airline company suffering from high costs with poor performance.
Airline baggage systems
1. Introduction
An automated baggage system at the airport is meant to make it easier for passengers in the transit of their bags (Arinc, 2012). It is a quite an appreciated form of technology that has taken precedence in several airports around the world. Though considered quite expensive for the third world countries, most of them have embraced it and is beginning to show some benefits for various airline companies that use it. The automated baggage system is designed to distribute the entire luggage as well as transport them automatically from check-in, the airplane and the picking up when one has arrive at the destined point (Pandit, 2007). A brief look at the design of the automated design system would give an insight of the layout of the baggage system.
2. Design of the Airline Baggage system
The baggage system of the airlines is a complicated form of technology which is designed to transport every bag individually from the point one checks in or unloading of the aircraft to the point of baggage acquisition (Breier Neidle Patrone Associates, 1990). The transport system involves approximately 10 km of conveyors which rotate solely, the destination coded vehicles and the radio-controlled carts (EPC global, 2006). It size for every track is approximately 60 DCVs in every minute.
Baggage Drop
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Conveyor Belts
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The model of the airline baggage system is generally set in a way that the conveyor belts feed the central network of the DCVs. The baggage system is quite different from the prior systems which involved a continuous flow of luggage (de Neufville, 1995). Every luggage in this system is handled separately where it is placed in a separate cart and hence it is vital that the control of the carts be well managed (Calleam Consulting Ltd 2008). The carts are only able to move if it is empty; the performance of the whole system hence relies on the delivery of the luggage. This is quite vital, which is the major cause of problems in the prior designs. The destination of the every luggage and its cart is definite through the use of barcodes labels and delivered by radio to tags on the constantly moving carts (International Air Transport Association, 2007). These operations are completely managed by computers.
Baggage System
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The speed that is applied in handling the baggage is quite vital to acquire boarding and transit period (Daskin, 1978). This affects the overall efficiency of the system. The prior systems could not be compared to this as they are well managed and better at meeting the needs of the clients faster. Speed has been made increased by bringing about several transit paths (C. Vincent, et al, 2007). The design of the system has been made in a way that it is able to transport it to any part of the airport faster. Baggage System
3. Airline problems
The most notable problem that is faced by the airline baggage system is the mechanical issues and software (Gibbs, 1994). The baggage carts have been noted to get blocked in the tracks, misalignment in the conveyor belts that feed the luggages and destroyed and loss of the luggages. These problems have been sorted out through the installation of more facilities by contractors. A good instance is the use of laser readers which would limit the chance of misreading of the intended location of every luggage. Additional controllers will lead to a reduction of the speed, decline of the misalignments with the conveyors feeding into the luggages and limit the drive which throws the luggages out of the carts. This may limit the overall performance, and high costs though the precision may be good. The general solutions to these mechanical issues apply extensive technological facilities that are not there in the past airline baggage systems.
Carts
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3.1.The intense problem of reliable delivery
There are blatant problems that are involved with the automated airline baggage system. These problems are based on the reliable transport period of the luggages. The complete automated airline baggage system has the possibility of not being able to transport bags constantly in the period and size that was intended when designing it (CSC, n.d.). This problem is as a result of a high level of complication of the design integrated with the aspects of the bags (Logplan/Fukuma, 1994).
The whole system involves several waiting lines which feed into one another. For instance, the bags are only unloaded from the airplane and placed in a system with the conveyor belt in motion. It will move forward if the cart is empty. The empty carts will rotate if they are empty. This is basically a difficult system. The trends of the bags are very variable (William, 1995). This is reliant on the time, form of aircraft among others. The organization of a complicated network, completely loaded trends for any instance is quite hard. Controlling these trends under a realistic instance is quite hard.
3.2.The problem of “Line Balancing”
The problem of a completely automated system is the great complexity in attempting to acquire dependable delivery periods. To ensure agreeable delivery period in every instance in a set of queues, it is vital that the management of the size of the system so that the flow of the lines of the trends should have a balanced service (John, 1997).
The aspect of “line balancing” involves the issuance of enough empty carts to every conveyor belts which allocates the luggages to the carts. This is basically meant to evade the chance that certain interfaces do not work. This form of failure may happen in any system. Sorting out the line balancing may be hard depending on the number of lines or queues intended for service. The difficulty may be hard depending on the “cascade of queues” where every load has to wait for another (Jervis, 2006). When the loads are almost full, the efficiency varies and the service is bad for precise of the whole interfaces, the IABHS control system and operation strategies have come up as a better technology that may be able to solve this when compare to the past technologies (Neufville, 1994). The solution to this would be to manage the empty carts so as to make it possible to have enough space when it is needed to the clients. In the automated airline baggage system, the control systems will offer sufficient empty carts to the conveyor belts transporting the loads to the system.
3.3.Increase in complexity
The composition of a completely integrated system is a development forms the prior systems that were applied (Darphin, et al, 2009). The precise aspects of the load systems of an airline have basically been a success; they have though not been working together in bigger systems. This high form of difficulty has been the major cause of problems.
The complete automated system in the modern airlines is more complicated than the prior airline systems. It has approximately 12 times carts that the previous cart system, while its speed being 10 times bigger (Auguston, 1994). This complexity shows the growth of technology.
The short term resolution of these complexity and loads would be intensely revise the prior design looking into a single concourse B. The tracking serving a distant concourse would be directed to another concourse while another concourse would be served by complementary, backup systems of tugs and carts (IT InfoTech, 2012).
In the new automated system, the three or more automated system would only serve one concourse. This would work at almost half the intended size on every track. It would be supposed to manage any outbound baggage from the beginning and it would not handle any transfer loads. These alterations would limit the complexity of the prior design. The size of intended location would be reduced with a look into the number being focused. These reduction leads to high reliability. Though unstable, it is able increase performance by delivering 30 bags for every minute. This limits the cost of the automated system.
3.4.Power outages
The baggage system of airlines, considering that some of them are automated, experiences the constant problem of power outages. This is based on an unreliable power generation and electrical surges which cannot be tracked (Zhang1, et al, 2008). These power outages bring about problems in the delivery of the bags hence inconveniencing the clients and companies too. The power surges bring about the tripping of breakers on the several number motors. This may even lead to a drop of the system completely. This problem can be solved by installing a set of special industrial power filters to bring about an even drift of power (Calleum, 2012). This filters have been developed to act as a cushion and shows a great development of ICT technology from the prior methods which brought about a disruption of activities.
4. Intention of the System Change
The main intention if the system is to limit on the amount of cost that is used in the operations of the systems (Weinstein, 2005). In the beginning the cost would be estimated at about $5 billion, composing of government contribution, investment of the airline fittings among others. The changes are meant to limit the cost-effectiveness. In the transformation for the airline, it is intended to limit the cost. In the use of one concourse instead of the total numbers available is meant it affordable. This change may trim approximately $20 million from the price of the whole automated baggage system. This would require a difficult and untimely redesign.
Considering the problem faced by the airline baggage system of it being complex in its operations. The solution of solving this would be dwelled on limiting the cost-effectiveness. The solution of limiting the loads on every track would definitely affect the reliability. As reported by senior executive of the United Airlines, the system would be unstable in a design of 60 loads in every minute per track, though the system works efficiently at 30 loads in every minute (Hensel Phelps Construction Co., 1994). This transformation is precisely what is intended as the ratio of loads declines, the delays drop by a big size (Glide path, n.d.). This reframe of the trend highly limits the cost of the airline system with the initial number of tracks dropping.
The problem faced by the system in reading or delivery of information to its intended location may bring about varied mistakes. The reading of the bags may at times misread leading an impact on the cost and efficiency. The problem may be due to the system requiring to read two sets of information; the intended location of every load which is read by a laser then transmitted through radio signals to the cart. The system resolves this by bringing a cheaper back up system which would save the system its operational expenses (Flynn, 199b).
Relatively optimum charges and meager efficiency are some of the issues that airlines face. This may be done away with by their capacity to limit the sum of flights through getting involved in short-period leasing and focusing on the managing the high prices. The financial instance is very bad for the executive office as well as the investors. Considering the financial assessment and actual scenarios, in the long term the income acquired by the airport may not be able integrate the cost as desired (Harrop, 2006).
Several airline systems have suffered under the pretext of great performance while the airline companies continue to suffer. A good example is the Denver baggage system. The companied suffered millions when there was a delay in the baggage cost (Flynn, 1994a; Neufville, 1994). Currently, the Denver baggage system has cost it over $3.2 billion in airline and Federal aviation cost for making the facilities. The day to day cost of summed up to 1 million; $500, 000 for interest in the bonds and operation costs (E. C. Ozelkan, 2006). Considering that the baggage system was to bring about a joint handling system for the airline, it cost it $192 million (Kaist, 2005). Though known as the most advanced airline in the world, the Denver baggage system was a great failure. This has brought the need for an automated system which focused more on cost-effectiveness for great performance rather than high cost for better performance.
5. Conclusion
This paper has brought about a clear view of the automated system in airline baggage system. Its features and the problems related to it have brought the varied implications on the operations. Care is however a vital steps to be considered in getting resources of information and skills which is vital in the design stage.
Developments in the airline sector that relate to technological development need more time for better precision and efficiency. A margin of error should however be expected in every measure involved in transforming or correcting a problem.
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