No Suitcase Goes Astray
HELUKABEL is the preferred cable supplier for BEUMER Group baggage handling systems
The Danish-based BEUMER Group A/S – part of the German BEUMER Group, specialises in modern baggage handling systems for airports. The system specialist relies on HELUKABEL for the transmission of power, signals and data in these mega-systems: more than 100 different cables and wires help to guide suitcases, bags and sports equipment safely and quickly to their destination anywhere in the world.
International aviation is posting positive numbers again after being hit badly during the Covid pandemic: 32 million flights took off in 2022, significantly more than in the previous year. Experts expect further recovery in the future with air traffic soon exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
To cope with the growing number of passengers, airports are being converted into more efficient transport hubs. New and more efficient baggage handling systems play an important role here as passengers should arrive at their destination together with their luggage items. Sortation and transport systems at airports have thus become technically sophisticated end-to-end systems capable of performing a diversity of autonomous and computer-controlled tasks that handle bags from check-in and security checks to baggage claim.
High-tech automated solutions
One of the most renowned specialists in this demanding sector is the BEUMER Group. The product portfolio of this intralogistics system supplier with headquarters in Beckum, Germany contains a variety of solutions in the fields of transport, loading, palletising, sorting and distribution. Its Danish group company, BEUMER Group A/S, is the centre of competence for baggage handling systems and has installed its high-tech systems in several of the world’s largest airports. In doing so, the company has been able to draw on around 40 years of experience in the sector.
“Depending on the airport's operational requirements, we specify different solutions such as a tilt-tray loop system, or larger independent carrier systems such as the BEUMER autover cart-based system or the CrisBag tote-based carrier system,” explains BEUMER Group Procurement Manager, Sebastian Vester Sørensen. “All these systems have one thing in common: They are highly automated and contain a diversity of electrical and electronic circuitry.” Cables and wires are thus key components in these huge systems as they guarantee the correct and reliable transmission of power, control signals and data.
Comprehensive service with competent partners
Airports are exceptionally sensitive areas with high safety standards, as is reflected in the requirements for cables and wires.
The BEUMER Group has relied on HELUKABEL for many years now. The company acquires its cables and wires from cable harness manufacturers as well as directly from the connection technology specialists who also have a subsidiary in Denmark. With Holger Weeber (Regional Sales Manager Nordic Countries), Hartmut Kellner von Bergen (Senior Manager International Business) and Markus Kienzle (International Accounts Manager), the intralogistics system supplier has three experienced and competent partners at the HELUKABEL headquarters in Hemmingen, Germany, who provide BEUMER project sites with reliable support regardless of where they are in the world. The BEUMER Group has been assigned Global Accounts status at HELUKABEL which means it benefits from an especially transparent, efficient and reliable supply chain. In addition, the Danish colleagues offer responsive and comprehensive on-site service – a constellation which, in the opinion of Sebastian Sørensen, “leaves nothing to be desired.”
Airports are exceptionally sensitive areas with high safety standards, as is reflected in the requirements for the used cables and wires. “For fire prevention reasons, for example, they must be halogen-free, and in the event of fire, only cause low smoke development,” describes Sørensen. “Moreover, they must withstand vibrations, be particularly flexible and because of the long service life of our systems, be extremely resilient.” Depending on where the BEUMER Group baggage handling systems are installed, they must fulfil the EN or UL standards and regulations applicable to each location.
Enormous assortment and high product availability
In collaboration with the HELUKABEL experts, the BEUMER Group engineers have been able to specify the perfect cable type for each application. The systems use, for example, the JZ-500- and JZ-600 range of versatile control and connection cables, PROFInet cables for data transmission and the MULTISPEED series of highly flexible drag chain cables specially designed for extreme mechanical stresses. “All in all, we procure more than 100 different cables from HELUKABEL,” reports Sørensen. “The product assortment is so extensive that we always find an appropriate solution for our complex tasks.”
Another plus point for the BEUMER experts is the high product availability: “The required cables can usually be delivered in the fastest time, either from Germany or directly from Denmark. This saves us valuable time during procurement and allows us to react flexibly to customer needs.” Sørensen particularly commends the technical collaboration between the two companies: “We don’t just buy products from HELUKABEL. We also obtain the corresponding know-how. This is a great advantage when it comes to developing new systems. If we have any questions about the electrical connection technology, we always know who to turn to.”
You can also find this and many other exciting articles in the current issue #14 of our customer magazine POWER. Read it now!