The Improvement of Baggage Handling System Ken Chang 103034542 Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Sec. 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan Abstract This project is committed to deal with the problem of baggage handling system. This project uses INCOME model to compare the effectiveness of new baggage handling system and original one. In the future, this improvement will help to reduce processing time and save transportation cost. 1
1. Background Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is the most important airport in Taiwan. The amount of passengers is about 15 millions for one year. As shown in figure 1. Furthermore, it stills increases year by year. As a result, the loading of baggage handling system is too heavy. It may leads to jam of system or the baggages can not board plane on time. population for departuring Taiwan over the years 16,000,000 14,000,000 12,000,000 10,000,000 8,000,000 6,000,000 4,000,000 2,000,000-1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Figure 1. population for departuring Taiwan over the years 2. Overview of whole baggage handling system 2.1 Introduction of whole baggage handling system The overall structure of baggage handling system is divided into north area, south area, A area, and B area. It schematic diagram is shown as figure 2. North area and south area handle the baggage entering from 3F check in counter. A area will handle the baggage related to MRT in the future. B area is a new-build buffer in order to release the amount the baggage in north area and south area. The baggage of baggage handling system primarily comes from 2
check in counter. When passenger is in check in counter, ground service checks the validity of passenger s tour archive and records the baggage information on claim tag. After checking in, each baggage needs to pass through X-Ray machine to check if there is any contraband hidden in the baggage. Then it would be transported to barcode scanner to differentiate this baggage should be transported to buffer or unload from claim tag. After differentiating, the baggage would be classified to go to buffer or unload. If it is classified to buffer, it will backflow according to the condition of reflux. And the baggage would be transported to unload. In contrast, If it is classified to unload, the baggage would be transported to unload directly. Figure 2. baggage handling system layout 3
2.2 Baggage handling system detailed description 2.2.1 Check in counter After arriving at airport, passengers check in at different counter in light of their flight. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 2 has eight check in areas. Each check in area has two sides.( total 16 check in counters). As shown in figure 3. Figure 3. check in counter 2.2.2 X-ray machine After finishing the check in procedures, their baggages would be put on the conveyor and transported to X-ray machine for security check. Each check in area has one X-ray machine. As shown in figure 4. 4
Figure 4. X-ray machine 2.2.3 Barcode scanner Before baggage entering sorter, it needs to pass through barcode scanner. Scanning the claim tag to read baggage information and flight information. As shown in figure 5. Figure 4. barcode scanner 5
2.2.4 Sorter In terms of the scan result, baggage handling system uses sorter to transport every baggage to buffer or unload according to its flight information. As shown in figure 5. Figure 5. sorter 2.2.5 Buffer Buffer is usually used to deposit the baggages arrived too early. As shown in figure 6. Figure 6. buffer 6
2.2.6Unload Unload is used to transport the baggage to the ground and ground service can start to pick up to the plane. As shown in figure 7and 8. Figure 7.8. unload 2.2.7 Big loop If there is any problem during the process, for instance, baggage can not be read by the barcode scanner or buffers are filled to capacity. Then the baggage would be transported to this area for manual inspection. As shown in figure 9. Figure 9. big loop 7
2. INCOME model An INCOME model can be used by users to construct process from activities, this paper s INCOME model includes the AS-IS behavior model, TO-BE behavior model, drill down of behavior models, organization model and objective model. We utilized the INCOME model to analyzed activities process (kind of flow chart) to observe redundant process or motion. INCOME models will be shown as following. 2.1 As-Is behavior Model In the past, the steps of original model are as follows. First, passenger comes to airport and searches where the counter is. Then, passenger begins to check in. Ground service would check the validity of passenger s tour archive and records the baggage information on claim tag. Every passenger s baggage would be transported to plane. And the procedure. The structure of as-is behavior model is shown as figure 10. Figure 10. as-is behavior model Fig 11 is the drill down of transport to plane. In the process of transport to plane, it contains a lot of detailed processes. After entering the baggage handling system, each baggage needs to pass through X-Ray machine to check if there is any contraband hidden in the baggage. Then 8
it would be transported to barcode scanner to differentiate this baggage should be transported to buffer or unload from claim tag. Then it would enter to sorter. Because of previous differentiation, the baggage would be classified to go to buffer, unload, or big loop by sorter. If the baggage information on the claim tag shows that the flight time just right coincide with the open period of unload, the baggage would be transported to unload directly. On the contrary, if the baggage information shows that the unload it supposed to go originally is not open, the baggage would be transported to buffer first. After the time this baggage could be transported to unload successfully, it would backflow to sorter and be distributed to unload. But if there is any problem during the process, for instance, baggage can not be read by the barcode scanner or buffers are filled to capacity. Then the baggage would be transported to this area for manual inspection. However, manual inspection is not a good treatment. Because of the fact that if there is a large number of baggages on the big loop, it is easy for ground service to differentiate baggages mistakenly so that these baggages may not be transported to plane on time. When baggages get away from unload or big loop, baggages would be transported by a car. Finally, the baggages board plane and end the whole process. 9
Figure 11. drill down of transport to plane 2.2 To-Be behavior Model After improvement of baggage handling system, the new steps of to-be model are as follows. In common with original process, passenger comes to airport and searches where the counter is. Then, passenger begins to check in. Ground service would check the validity of passenger s tour archive and records the baggage information on claim tag. Nonetheless, when ground service deals with passenger s baggages, ground service can put baggages into X-Ray machine for inspection at the same time. Therefore, some time can be reduced in this procedure. Then baggage would be transported to plane. The structure of to-be 10
behavior model is shown as figure 12. Figure 12. to-be behavior model Fig.13 is the drill down of transport to plane. In the process of transport to plane, it contains a lot of detailed processes. After entering the baggage handling system, each baggage would be transported to barcode scanner directly to differentiate this baggage should be transported to buffer or unload from claim tag. Then it would enter to sorter. Because of previous differentiation, the baggage would be classified to go to buffer, unload, or big loop by sorter. If the baggage information on the claim tag shows that the flight time just right coincide with the open period of unload, the baggage would be transported to unload directly. However, an unload can only handle one flight, in contrast, a loop can handle two flight at the same time. For this reason, in the green-colored process, it is better for airport to reconstruct the unload to instead of old unload. The loop mentioned here is different from big loop. The loop just looks like big loop, but it is automatic instead manual handling. On the contrary, if the baggage information shows that the unload it supposed to go originally is not open, the baggage would be transported to buffer first. In the light blue-colored process, after the time this 11
baggage could be transported to unload successfully, it would be transported to unload by conveyor directly. Hence, it need not to backflow to sorter again. Thus, it can save some processing time. If there is any problem during the process, for instance, baggage can not be read by the barcode scanner or buffers are filled to capacity. Then the baggage would be transported to this area for manual inspection. However, manual inspection is not a good treatment. Because of the fact that if there is a large number of baggages on the big loop, it is easy for ground service to differentiate baggages mistakenly so that these baggages may not be transported to plane on time. When baggages get away from unload or big loop, in order to reduce the shipping cost, the airport would build a distribution to consolidate baggages so that shipping car can transport more baggages even fully loaded to the same flight. Finally, the baggages board plane and end the whole process. Figure 13. drill down of transport to plane 12
2.3 Comparison between As-is and To-be behavior model Between as-is and to-be behavior model, there are 4 points that airport can improve : 1.Intergrate check in & verify info. and X-ray screening at the same time (reduce transportation costs) 1 2.Baggage in buffer are transported to unload directly (don t need to pass through reflux and redistribute) (reduce transportation costs) 3.Transfer unload to the type of big loop(loop can handle more baggages) (increase efficiency) 4.Consolidate baggages from unload and big loop (reduce transportation an labor costs) 4 3 2 13
2.4 Organization Model In the part of organization model, BHS is composed of four departments, including management department, maintenance department, service department and ground crew department. And they have individual roles. As shown in figure 14. Management department is responsible for managing maintenance department, service department and ground crew department. Service department is an integral component to business success. Service starts with the first interaction with customers, it needs to takes charge of all the service and problem relate to the customer. Maintenance department is responsible for monitoring the operation of baggage handling system at any time. If there is any problem in the process, maintenance department staffs needs to deal with problems on the moment. Ground crew department is responsible for manual inspection in big loop and move the baggages from big loop or unload to plane. 14
Figure 14. organization model 2.5 Object Model In figure 15, there are 4 objects in the process of baggage handling system. It includes the information of flight, baggage, staff, and passenger. The flight data contains flight information such as flight ID, flight name, departure time, number of baggages, and sinknum. The staff data contains staff information such as staff ID, staff name, gender age, address, telephone and baggage ID. The baggage data contains baggage information such as baggage ID, flight ID, flight name, arrival time, sinknum, passenger ID, passenger name, and staff ID. 15
The passenger data contains passenger information such as passenger ID, passenger name, nation, address and telephone. Figure 15. object model 16
3. Conclusion For airport, the improvement of baggage handling system is very important. The advantages of new system are as follows: 1. Simplify the process 2. Shorten processing time 3. Reduce transportation cost 4. Reduce labor cost 5. Release the loading of system As a consequence, improving the efficiency of baggage handling system not only decreases processing time obviously but also reduces transportation and labor cost. As a consequence, it really brings lots of benefits to airport. 17