Keeping an eye on the market - expert interview on automation at airports

Measured by the number of arriving tourists, global travel has now almost completely recovered from its slump during the Covid-19 pandemic (World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), 2023). Passenger numbers in air travel have also been rising steadily for many years, except for the two coronavirus years 2020 and 2021. According to current forecasts, this trend is set to continue in the coming years (Statista, 2023).

Increasing passenger numbers coupled with a continuing shortage of skilled labor, regulatory requirements for security-relevant processes, and high expectations of passengers themselves present airport operators with new challenges. Crowds of people at check-in and constant physical contact at various checkpoints must be avoided. With smart drive solutions, Dunkermotoren can contribute to the further expansion of automation at airports and thus further improve the safety and comfort of passengers.

In this interview, Dunkermotoren, an AMETEK brand, talks to Matthias Tidelski and Tobias Johnston about the automation trend at airports. As key account managers at Dunkermotoren, they both oversee a wide range of projects in the field of airport-specific systems and tell us what developments they see for the future.

Mr. Tidelski, according to studies, the automation of airports is an increasingly important aspect for their operators. What do you think are the biggest drivers for increasing investment in this area?

Tidelski: Airports have to cope with an increasing number of passengers. At the same time, aircraft idle times need to be reduced. With fewer qualified staff available to handle passengers and their baggage, the only option is to optimize automated processes - in all areas. This begins with check-in and baggage drop-off and extends to the transport and distribution of baggage within the airport and the loading of the aircraft.

Mr. Johnston, your customers are involved in the development of automatic access control systems and security gates that process thousands of passengers every day. Do developments in passenger numbers have an impact on the technical requirements of such systems and the components installed in them?

Johnston: With rising passenger numbers, increasing automation is expected above all to improve the flow of people. Systems must therefore run quickly and smoothly. This means that ever more dynamic drive solutions are required to further reduce the time a person spends at an access gate. On the other hand, the increased performance requirements of the drive systems must not be at the expense of service life, which is why particularly durable gearboxes are in demand.

Apart from increasing passenger volumes, where do you currently see the biggest challenges for manufacturers of automatic access control systems?

Johnston: The demands on the functionality of such gates are constantly increasing. The complexity of the integrated functions has long exceeded the design of solid mechanics. The focus is increasingly on the integration of systems such as facial recognition and networking with the building infrastructure. Such complex requirements, coupled with the objective of minimizing the time-to-market for new products, present manufacturers with major challenges, which are also reflected in the expectations placed on component suppliers.

Please explain in more detail to what extent Dunkermotoren, as a drive manufacturer, is affected by the increasing demands on system manufacturers with its products.

Johnston: So-called platform solutions are essential to fulfil the shortest possible "time-to-market". Here, software features are developed in-house and installed on an external drive controller, such as our BGE 5510 dPro. The motors of all gates can now be addressed via this central control unit. If updates or changes are required, these only need to be installed a single time. Even if old gates are later replaced with new solutions, the existing software can be reused thanks to the centralized control system. Time-consuming development and installation work is therefore no longer necessary and new products can be implemented more quickly.

The issue of security also plays a major role in airport automation. No other market environment has more attention paid to the security aspect than at airports. It is imperative to ensure that unauthorized persons are denied access to sensitive areas.  For this reason, drives must be particularly robust. At the same time, however, it must be ensured that no personal injury can occur. This is achieved with the help of intelligent motor controls.

Mr. Tidelski, alongside automation, digitalization is another megatrend of our time. How important is digitalization in airport automation?

Tidelski: Without digitalization, it would simply not be possible for today's major airports to run smoothly. Ticket handling, seamless security checks, and passenger boarding are just a small part of all the processes that are necessary for smooth airport operations. The automated baggage handling from check-in to the aircraft and back to the owner via the baggage claim area is the less visible part. The barcode on the baggage label determines where the suitcase has to be transported and when. Conveyor belts several kilometers long then transport the luggage to storage systems or directly to the relevant aircraft. The actual work is then carried out by intelligent gear motors, which sort the luggage individually based on the labels and ensure that every single suitcase arrives at its destination at the right time. This sorting service is only possible if each individual drive communicates quickly and digitally with the control center and reacts accordingly when needed.

In addition to all the trends, one additional thing cannot be neglected when developing new systems: Sustainability! What influence do you think energy efficiency and CO2 reduction will have on the development of airport-specific systems in the future?

Tidelski: The CO2 footprint or CO2e equivalent is closely linked to the value chain. When constructing new airports, buildings, plants or systems, the aim is to achieve CO2-neutral production. Drive solutions from Dunkermotoren are already among the most efficient motors in their class. Dunkermotoren tries to minimize its CO2 emissions during production. For example, the use of solar technology and heat recovery in the production process improves the footprint of the products and enables our customers to optimize their own CO2 footprint and offer their customers energy-efficient solutions.

Mr. Tidelski, Mr. Johnston, to conclude: What will be the focus of future developments to further optimize airport operations?

Johnston: As Key Account Manager in the "Building" segment, I am of course delighted that it is not just access controls that are automated in airports. From the entrance door to the turnstile at the toilet, to the lift for barrier-free access to all areas and the shading provided by external blinds, all areas of building automation are already motorized with the help of Dunkermotoren motors. From my point of view, there is therefore no need for additional applications. For me, it will be interesting to see how the characteristics of automation develop in the coming years. After all, if we look at the actual needs of airport operators, it is not the hardware in the form of the gate itself that needs to be optimized. Rather, the aim is to ensure a high passenger throughput without security risks. It is therefore the service offerings behind the actual drive technology that can be used to avoid downtimes, for example, and represent the greater added value for airport operators. I am certain that we can offer manufacturers of access control systems, such as access gates, significant added value if we enable our motors to reliably predict impending downtimes. With the solutions from our digital brand nexofox centered around Predictive Maintenance, I believe we are ideally positioned for the future.

Tidelski: I can only agree with that. In the area of baggage transport as well, trouble-free, and high system availability is the key to an efficient airport. If probable failures are recognized on the basis of drive data, spare parts can be kept in stock in good time and maintenance can be carried out during non-operational times, without disrupting airport operations.

Thank you very much for the interview.

About Matthias Tidelski

Matthias Tidelski is Key Account Manager for the Industrial Automation market segment at Dunkermotoren. Working for the company for more than 20 years, he is familiar with the possibilities of the modular system and exploits the full potential of the Dunkermotoren drive solutions. Together with his customers, he has already implemented numerous complex sorting systems - for package sorting, warehouses and, of course, airport automation.

About Tobias Johnston

Tobias Johnston is Key Account Manager in the Building Automation market segment at Dunkermotoren. In addition to entrance doors such as swing doors or revolving doors, his customers increasingly develop so-called platform screen doors and access control systems in metro stations and airports to make public places like these more secure. The focus of our sales team on a specific market creates real market experts who knows the specific requirements of their market and customers and keep an eye on the latest guidelines.

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