Airports

Globalization has greatly increased business travel and encouraged tourism around the globe. Airports cannot grow fast enough to handle the increasing number of travelers. As a result, airport and gate operators are seeking ways to increase the efficiency of airport systems to handle more passengers. Two areas of particular interest are  baggage handling systems and airplane gate turnaround.  Baggage systems are being pushed to higher levels of productivity, requiring them to run faster and longer per day. Increased baggage throughput places higher demands on the handling system and its components. For conventional baggage systems, this results in more frequent maintenance and higher costs. Operators are looking for electrification solutions that can run wear-free to help keep complex systems running. Likewise, in gate areas the key to efficiency is quick airplane turnaround. This depends in part on the ability of ramp personnel to quickly plug and unplug 400 Hz power. A key priority is to efficiently manage and protect expensive 400 Hz cables. Gate  cables must be continuously accessible, yet properly stored when not in use. Aircraft systems powered from ground power sources save fuel and improve air quality at the airport.