Ground_Support_August_2020 - 13

INDUSTRY EXPERT
COLUMN:

GROUND HANDLING

defective. Knowing this information is
critical to achieving fast and efficient feeding of dollies to the loading process. This
involves sensors on the dolly detecting how
many containers are loaded on the dolly.
Several airports have beta-tested the
solution which has proven to successfully
determine dolly location and status without
requiring direct transmission.

Here Comes the Sun

Another significant feature of the tracking
module is its protective plate. In addition
to providing a shield against damage from
containers, luggage and inclement weather,
this protective plate gets its energy from
the sun.
The solar-powered module requires no
routine battery replacements and is completely maintenance free, reducing labor
and equipment costs, while supporting
sustainability objectives.
The tracking module operates with
the system transmitting data via an energy-saving low power wide area network
(LPWAN) or through 4G Cat M1 (GSM).
An added advantage is provided through its
reduced data transmission and use of the
more cost-effective Bluetooth low energy
(BLE) tags for the majority of dollies.
Further, this network technology can
operate even when direct transmission
fails. It can reliably detect any location even
if a dolly is located in a building.

Delivering Other
Significant Benefits

Another advantage the combined INFORM
and Blumenbecker technologies provide
over manual processes is the quick determination of a dolly's loaded/unloaded and
defective/intact status which eliminates
unnecessary "empty runs" or arduous
searches.
When the tracking module is supplemented by a loading sensor, there is yet
another benefit. The sensor detects containers on the cargo trailers and transmits
the loading status on a continuous basis to
the airport's monitoring system.
With a push of a button on the module, a fault message can be sent for prompt
detection and management of defective
equipment.

Precise data as to a ULD's status (i.e., the
time it was loaded in the warehouse; where
the dolly and respective ULD are parked;
and when the ULD is ready for pick-up)
is made possible with the INFORM realtime allocation solution and Blumenbecker
technology used in combination. This gives
ground handlers complete control over both
the dolly's status and their ULDs.
At the moment a ULD is placed on a
dolly, the system, drawing on the pick-up
information conveyed by the INFORM
software, knows which ULD was loaded.
Thus, at any time, a full and accurate
update can be accessed as to which ULD
is loaded on which dolly and where their
precise location is on the apron.
Maintenance processes are improved,
too. The system's tracking module or RFID
uniquely identifies each dolly and object
data based on its object number or maintenance history. Using this transmitted data,
an operating profile can be generated for
each dolly. The system can assess mileage
and create load profiles enabling optimized
maintenance schedules to be created rather
than maintenance by a predetermined calendar date that does not take into account
these factors.
By customizing the maintenance schedule accordingly, higher levels of safety and

functionality can be achieved, as well as
more cost-efficient allocation of resources.

Raising the Bar on Asset
Optimization

There is also a clear benefit derived from
these technologies in helping ground handlers reduce their dolly fleet sizes. By having accurate data as to their dollies' status,
ground handlers can get a better understanding of what percent of their fleet is
typically empty, sitting in parked positions.
This information can then be applied to
initiate fleet reduction measures as warranted. Being able to also identify defective
dollies and react to contingent needs for an
empty dolly are other capabilities derived
from these applied technologies.
Ground handlers have a high bar to
meet with pressure coming at them from
airlines and airports alike. Having the
ability to streamline and optimize their
processes to generate greater efficiencies and economies is imperative. When
time-consuming and error-prone manual
processes can be replaced by leading-edge
technologies, ground handlers not only
raise the bar on their operations, but also
maximize their asset utilization and fiscal
performance.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Ralf Herzog is managing director at Blumenbecker Technik GmbH since 2013. Before
that, he held the position of international sales manager.

Alexander Wendorff is a solution manager at INFORM GmbH, where he has served
for 25 years. His role in assisting the company's aviation clients encompasses a wide
range of skills from project management and process improvement to business
strategy and logistics.

AUGUST 2020

AviationPros.com

http://www.AviationPros.com

Ground_Support_August_2020

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