Smart technology from Deutsche Telekom and Fiege Air Cargo Logistics is checking the optimum loading of air freight pallets for Lufthansa at Frankfurt Airport.

Air freight is one of the most expensive modes of transport. Every centimetre counts. Maximum capacity use is therefore essential in the cargo hold of passenger and transport aircraft. Every unused centimetre is wasted money.

Fiege Air Cargo Logistics serves Lufthansa Cargo at Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s largest commercial airport. Intelligent technology from Deutsche Telekom is now checking the optimum loading of the air freight pallets, the so-called unit load devices (ULDs), replacing an analogue, time-consuming process.

It is crucial to adhere to the contour limits of the aircraft pallets to increase the volume in the cargo hold. Until now, specialised staff have had to carry out a great deal of manual precision work. Using a sense of proportion and haptic contour curves, they checked the loading individually for the respective cargo compartments of the different aircraft types.

“If the intended contour is not adhered to during loading, the aircraft takes off with no or only a reduced load,” said Benjamin Looser, managing director of Fiege Air Cargo Logistics (www.fiege.com). “This can quickly result in a significant loss of revenue for our customers. There is also a risk that the special pallet will not be securely fixed in the aircraft due to the overhang.”

Deutsche Telekom developed a digital assistance system called Build Up Eye with Fiege. It monitors pallets as they are loaded in the freight hall. The software carries out a three-dimensional measurement and contour checks of the pallets using lidar cameras. These are mounted around the packing area of the pallets and record dimensions such as depth data and distance of the ULDs in real time.

Employees then place a virtual template over the image of the pallet at their digital workstation to simulate the specified contour. AI-Vision – an AI-supported image and video analysis platform from Deutsche Telekom –analyses the data on site in real time. It indicates contour violations while the loading process is still running. Staff can intervene immediately and correct the load.

Maximilian Ahrens, managing director of T Digital, said there were two main advantages: “Firstly, efficiency, as the unused pallet space for optimum utilisation is calculated by the AI directly during loading. And, secondly, secure operation and remote maintenance via mobile communications, independent of local infrastructures.”

The digital inspection system is being used at Frankfurt Airport. Administrators can access it remotely via the mobile network at any time and independently of local infrastructures. This allows maintenance work to be carried out and new functions to be integrated.

More information on the project can be found at iot.telekom.com/en/blog/fiege-optimizes-air-freight-handling-with-ai-and-iot.