of space saving like Hong Kong,
which has held the title of the
world’s busiest air cargo hub
for ten years, as well as being
renowned for its expensive real
estate. These were the main
factors in the development of
SuperTerminal1 at Hong Kong
International airport in 1998.
Costing US$1bn to construct,
the facilities at the new terminal
were on an unprecedented
scale, with everything customdesigned
for Hactl’s high scale
and diverse operations. The
terminal boasts a 395,000
square metre fl oor area across
six levels, with an annual
capacity of up to 3.5m tonnes.
Further features include a
Container Storage System (CSS)
with 3,500 ULD storage bays
served by 40 fully automated
driverless transfer vehicles;
10,000 bay ASRS for loose cargo;
466 pallet workstations; 313
truck docks; and 2,400 staff.
Dedicated facilities for livestock
and bloodstock, perishables,
valuables and hazardous cargo
are also included, while over
1,000 CCTV cameras and smart
card-controlled access offer the
highest security.
SuperTerminal1’s massive
CSS was built by Demag, while
its Box Storage System (BSS) was
supplied by Murata Machinery.
The building itself, complete
with sports centre on the roof
and full height windows on all
six fl oors providing views into
the giant CSS, was designed
by Sir Norman Foster. Almost
daily sightseeing tours confi rm
that the facility is as impressive
today as when it was fi rst
constructed in 1998.
Accommodating growth
SuperTerminal1’s robust design
has withstood a 22 year life of
constant heavy usage, handling
more cargo than originally
Hactl’s SuperTerminal1 handles
a mammoth 1.6m tonnes of
cargo per year
planned and unforeseen
commodities and security
measures. Nonetheless, the
design of the terminal remains
fundamentally fi t for purpose.
The CSS makes up to 16,000
movements every single day,
storing and retrieving containers
and pallets of cargo weighing
up to 10 tonnes at heights of
up to 30 metres, while the BSS
stores and retrieves thousands
of boxes. Considering its scale
of operations, automation
was essential in the design
of SuperTerminal1; manual
systems could never have coped
with such high volumes and
tight turnarounds as Hactl’s and
would have required a great deal
more space that simply wasn’t
available.
Around 1.15m containers are
handled per year at the facility
for a total cargo throughput of
around 1.6m tonnes per year,
with 106 wide-body freighters
processed daily.
“The Landside Acceptance
Area and equipment at ground-
and fi rst fl oor levels were
designed around the typical
12-16 tonne rigid trucks used in 1998,” says Hactl’s General Manager
– Operation Services, Paul Won. “Nowadays, articulated vehicles are
more common, and manoeuvring them on to the angled docks is
not as easy as it could be.” Won also points to the dramatic increase
in manual handling of mail bags resulting from the e-commerce
boom, for which considerable re-designation of fl oor space has had
to be made. The growth in temperature-sensitive cargo, such as
pharma, has also led to the expansion of chiller facilities, and the
establishment of a fast-track through the warehouse to minimise
dwell times between aircraft and temperature-controlled storage.
Continuous improvement
Constant investment has been key to SuperTerminal1’s ability
to survive and adapt, and to remaining the largest and most
sophisticated handling facility for general air cargo in the world.
Perhaps the single biggest upgrade it has received to date was the
total revision of the Logistics Control Systems (LCS) that manage
the CSS and BSS. The LCS provide millions of instructions every
day to the cargo handling systems, comprising automated transfer
vehicles, cargo hoists, stacker cranes and conveyors, calculating
the most effi cient route within SuperTerminal1 and the optimum
location for storage of ULDs and stillages of loose cargo. The LCS
also handle all records of the storage locations for up to 3,500 pallets
and 10,000 stillages. The software upgrade took two years of phased
implementation and was handled entirely in house by Hactl’s own
software development team.
In the physical system itself, the upgrading of the Programmable
Logic Controller is in progress, as is the updating of the container
crane positioning tracking system. The rails on which the container
cranes run are also being replaced, while a new remote control and
CCTV monitoring system is being installed.
In more than ten years, the facility has never suffered a serious
technical failure, which is a testament to the team of technicians
and engineers that keep SuperTerminal1’s cargo handling systems
running smoothly. This is of vital importance for a handler on
whom over 100 airlines and the entire airport rely.
Future-proof solution
Hactl’s continued investment has ensured that SuperTerminal1’s
cargo handling system (CHS) has a long life ahead of it, Won asserts.
“With effective maintenance, the CHS structure is expected to last
100 years, while its moving parts will last at least 25 years and its
electrics will continue for another 15 years before replacement. So
the cargo handling systems remain cost-effective; however, regular
replacement of parts, upgrading of the software and thorough
ongoing maintenance will always be necessary,” he explains.
Ultimately, while upkeep and related costs are inevitable with any
technical system – making more low-tech solutions more suitable for
some operators – Hactl attributes its ability to remain competitive on
price and service to its decision to maximise its use of automation.
The CHS
structure is
expected to last
100 years
Paul Won, General Manager –
Operation Services, Hactl
www.airlogisticsinternational.com February 2020 39
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