Heathrow, 2013-Feb-08
Baggage Handling at Gatwick Airport
In addition to the completion of new baggage handling facilities at Heathrow’s Terminal 4 last year and the installation of new IT systems, the company’s activities have taken a significant upturn recently in terms of providing UK-based operators of leading international transport hubs and regional airports with operational, service and technical support. In turn, the number of employees in the Logistics and Airport Solutions business has also increased significantly to more than 180.
At Gatwick South Terminal, the company has recently delivered all 21 phases of the Baggage Electrical and Controls System installation as part of the Hold Baggage Screening (HBS) upgrade program. The upgrade, to provide additional and more flexible baggage handling capacity, has included the modification of four baggage sorting units and four baggage carousels, and the supply and commission of an additional 20 programme controllers to run six new HBS lines.
According to the company’s Project Manager, Ken Lowe, extensive installation work lasting 22 months was carried out by the team from Siemens in several control areas of the new baggage hall, and systems including pre-sortation, HBS at levels 1/2, and rescreening at level 3 including links to both the carousel feed lines and sorter feed lines.
In partnership with Logan Teleflex, one of the world’s largest materials handling companies, Siemens has also completed extensive installation work on new baggage handling equipment and facilities at Gatwick North Terminal.
The contract, to install a range of baggage screening and sorting equipment for both arrivals and departures for Gatwick Airport Limited, has included the supply and commission of mechanical control equipment to operate baggage conveyors extending 2,500 metres, five new Hold Baggage Screening (HBS) lines and new baggage reclaim carousels dedicated for international arrivals.
According to the company’s Project Manager, Mike Nurre, ‘complex commissioning and testing has now been carried out by the team from Siemens across a number of new systems including HBS and rescreening at all 3 levels and conveyors and feed lines to 7 new baggage scanners and 11 new vertical lifting and sorting units’, he said.
As a result, the new sorting equipment and facilities at the North Terminal are now capable of screening over 4,000 items of baggage for departure every hour and processing baggage for reclaim for up to 500 passengers in a single operation.
Representing Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL), Ben Green, Head of Piers, Infrastructure and Airfield Projects said, ‘the scheduled completion of the work by Siemens will enable the new baggage halls and systems to increase the efficiency of the operation for the benefit of both the airlines and passengers alike’.
At Heathrow Terminal 1, Siemens has also delivered all 14 phases of the Baggage and Controls System installation as part of the HBS upgrade. The upgrade to meet with DfT compliance and extend the operational life of the system will provide improved maintainability, operational flexibility and additional baggage handling capacity.
Commenting Project Manager, Pablo Ugalde explained that the installation, completed in 24 months, had been carried out by the team from Siemens while maintaining full operation capability of the ‘Live’ baggage system. The newly installed baggage system incorporates nine ‘Level 1/2’ and three ‘Level 3/4’ HBS lines and an additional 2 reclaim carousels.
Commenting on recently completed projects by Siemens, Managing Director Dr. Andy Robinson said ‘from planning and engineering to integration and implementation, no-one understands baggage handling systems as well as Siemens’.
‘A regular exchange of know-how between our globally active project design teams and our construction engineers generates innovative and reliable solutions. Starting with feasibility studies and continuing with the engineering and implementation of complex projects, Siemens designs and supplies turnkeys systems for efficient baggage handling at increasingly busy airports’.
Contact for journalists:
Head of Communications,
Peter Preston
Phone: 01202 782390
E-mail: peter.preston@siemens.com
PR Account Manager,
Julian Gollogly
Phone: 07770 924441
E-mail: julian.gollogly@ntlworld.com
For further information and press pictures please see: www.siemens.co.uk/press
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Siemens plc
Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 170 years ago and now employs around 13,520 people in the UK. Last year’s revenues were £3.2 billion*. As a leading global engineering and technology services company, Siemens provides innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s major challenges, across the key sectors of energy, industry, infrastructure & cities and healthcare. Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Frimley, Surrey. The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany. For more information, visit www.siemens.co.uk
* Data includes intercompany revenue. Data may not be comparable with revenue reported in annual or interim reports.
Siemens Logistics and Airport Solutions
Siemens Logistics and Airport Solutions in the United Kingdom is headed by Dr. Andrew Robinson (Managing Director) and Steve Hayward (Finance Director). The company serves essentially two large groups of customers: airports/airlines and postal services. For airports and airlines, Siemens Logistics and Airport Solutions provides baggage and cargo handling lines. For postal, courier, express and parcel service providers, the company offers a
range of letter and parcel sorting machines as well as address reading and coding solutions. The non-segment-specific software solutions as well as the comprehensive services provided by Siemens Logistics and Airport Solutions are equally attractive.
