BEUMER Group with Crisplant – a leading global supplier of automated baggage handling systems – has been awarded the contract to design, manufacture and install the baggage handling system for the new Midfield Terminal Building at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the United Arab Emirates.
The BHS contract was awarded as part of the Joint Venture between TAV, CCC and Arabtec (TCA JV) and includes a number of special baggage handling efficiency features, in addition to keeping the BHS operating costs and environmental impact at a minimum.
"Crisplant’s design exceeded some of the most critical specifications outlined in the tender," explains Klaus Toftgaard Spens, Managing Director, Crisplant Middle East.
"These factors included the integration of a pre-sort function before final make-up to eliminate several kilometers of baggage conveyors to achieve a smaller system footprint; a reduction in power consumption of around 40% for the CrisBag system compared to conventional conveyor technology; and a very high level of system redundancy."
"Estidama, or sustainability, has been a key objective for this project," comments, Ali Haydar, Project Director, TCA JV. "Crisplant’s design supports the Contract requirements for Pearl Rating for sustainability in the construction of the new Midfield Terminal."
The baggage handling system
The Crisplant baggage handling system has a throughput capacity to process up to 19,200 bags per hour and will integrate 25km of CrisBelt conveyors and CrisBag tote-based transport and sorting system to sort baggage to make-up via 64 discharges using the unique CrisBag adaptive tote tilters.
Based on a ‘one bag per tote; one tote per section’ philosophy, CrisBag transports each item of baggage in a single tote throughout all of the screening, transport and sorting processes. This enables CrisBag to enhance security and minimise bottlenecks in the flow of baggage through the screening process.
As part of the overall expansion of the Abu Dhabi International Airport, operated by Abu Dhabi Airports, the new terminal is designed to provide capacity for 30 million passengers per year at current peak capacity. It will feature piers for up to 65 aircraft, including the Airbus A-380, in addition to 156 check-in counters and 48 self-service kiosks capable of handling around 8,500 passengers per hour.
Extensive use of 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM) combined with system simulation and emulation models will highlight potential operational risks and support decision-making from the earliest conceptual stages. BEUMER Group Software Suite will be used for high and low level controls of the complete baggage handling system.
When the baggage handling system is completed, a team of Crisplant’s Residential Service employees will remain on-site to operate and maintain the complete baggage handling system.