Ground handlers look to automate

Ground handler Swissport this month launched a pilot program for an automated guided vehicle (AGV) at its Frankfurt (FRA) cargo center in a recent attempt to address automation efforts. Developed in conjunction with logistics services provider Lodige Industries, the AGV is 10 feet wide with a load capacity of 6,800 kilograms, according to a press release. The vehicle is capable of independently transporting unit load devices (ULDs), including 15-foot containers, while using laser scanning technology to avoid collisions. It can also communicate with gates and other automated equipment within the FRA facility. The pilot program will last up to three months, a Swissport spokesperson told Air Cargo World , after which point the company will determine the feasibility of broader implementation. Several other Swissport warehouses have already expressed interest in acquiring AGVs of their own. [caption id="attachment_57066006" align="alignright" width="434"] Swissport AGV. Photo/Swissport[/caption] Swissport has a history of investing in automation initiatives. In February 2020, for instance, the handler began equipping its warehouses with Bluetooth readers to improve tracking for digitally tagged ULDs. More recently, Swissport signed a proof of concept (POC) agreement with logistics technology provider Speedcargo in late 2021 to increase handling capacity at the handler’s Tel Aviv (TLV) and Johannesburg (JNB) warehouses. Swissport has expanded across Europe in recent months, opening a new 8,000-square-meter cargo center at Vienna International Airport (VIE) in May, and acquiring air cargo service provider Belgium Airport Services (BAS) in March. The facility at VIE is already designed to accommodate AGV technology, the spokesperson said. In addition, Swissport’s VIE team is currently developing a new warehouse management system (WMS). “As per the industry’s big goal of a fully automated warehouse, we focus on solving the puzzle piece by piece,” the spokesperson said. “Projects like Integrated Weighing Solution (IWS) are now being rolled out across the global network, automatically connecting the scales to our cargo handling system, and we partnered with Speedcargo and are running pilots in JNB and TLV for generating the digital twin of the physical cargo at acceptance.” Recent automation advancements Ground handlers around the globe have continued to call for advances in automation technology that will be worthwhile investments as many struggle to retain staff. In fact, panelists at Air Cargo Tech Summit 2022 advocated for automated stackers to save time on the build-up, breakdown and other storage processes that consume manpower. The deployment of new tech will not only make handlers less dependent on employees but also usher in a new industry standard, Sebastien Burnier, senior vice president of operational excellence at ground handler Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), told Air Cargo World . Within the last year, WFS has unleashed a slew of “digital transformation” initiatives, according to Burnier. These include Digital Office, which focuses on digitizing document transfer; Digital Planning, a software solution dedicated to resource planning activities; and Digital Warehouse, which focuses on the deployment of mobile technology into WFS’s warehouses with the goal of digitizing as many warehouse operations as possible, Burnier said. “Contrary to common beliefs, digital transformation is less about technology and more about people,” Burnier said, adding that “Changes in behavior involve mindset change.”

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