SATE Barcelona Airport: the Journey of Suitcases

What happens to our suitcases when our flight lands? What happens in that interval of time from when we set foot on the ground until we happily see our suitcase appear on the conveyor belt?

At Barcelona Airport, during that indeterminate time, which normally seems endless to the traveler, but which is usually no more than 20 minutes, our luggage travels an average of 5 km on a conveyor belt circuit that reaches up to 25 km. Although the most relevant fact is that El Prat airport has the lowest rate of lost luggage in Europe. We deduce then that the SATE (Automatic Baggage Handling System) works perfectly.

The implementation of this system, which began in 2009, is already in its fourth project, and it has been in this last phase when Wonderware technology has been coupled to the specific software for managing the baggage transport process.

Wonderware System Platform

In any case, the Wonderware System Platform has been operating in El Prat since 2000, forming a global project of great magnitude under which 5 different independent projects have been developed that involve the management of 700,000 signals through 80 servers that integrate five main control environments or “galaxies.” As a final result, a new management environment has been structured in which all processes are integrated into a single platform, regardless of the hardware or software with which they work. The Barcelona airport today has a unique control infrastructure in the world that guarantees full reliability of the processes, provides total visibility of the operations, and promotes collaborative work between departments.

Returning to the suitcases, the singularity of the SATE of T1 of the Barcelona Airport resides in the use of yellow trays on which the suitcases are deposited and that can reach a maximum delivery speed of 6 meters per second, having a standard average of two meters per second. Each tray follows a specific route to reach its destination since the baggage code is linked electronically to the tray’s license plate and this, through sensors, follows the predefined route, knowing which way to take at each detour.

SATE Data

The system is equipped with about 200 cameras that monitor the area through which the luggage travels. The control of the SATE is carried out from a control center in which the images of the cameras are displayed. On other screens, if a failure or breakdown is detected, luminous signals appear indicating the area in which the incident has occurred. It also has a connection with cruise ships and trains, six transfer connection lines, more than 160 check-in counters, 24 formation hippodromes and 17 baggage claim hippodromes, two automatic warehouses with capacity for up to 3,000 suitcases for early check-in and overnight baggage, four baggage sorters (two conventional tilting tray sorters and two high-speed sorters) and five levels of baggage inspection.

What if, after all this process controlled to the millimeter, your suitcase gets lost? It is quite improbable, but if this were to happen, buy a lottery ticket or visit a casino because you will have exhausted your bad luck for a long time. Beyond the SATE, Wonderware technology allows for a unique control infrastructure in the world that guarantees full reliability of the processes, provides total visibility of the operations, and promotes collaborative work between departments. That is what is really important.