Aviation Security: Airport Baggage Inspection System and Hold Baggage Screening

Location:Europe

Background Information

With the volume of air passengers and cargo constantly increasing, concerns over airport safety and security have grown significantly. New regulations demand airports provide intelligent systems that detect a wide range of substances and dangerous goods in order to prevent terrorism and the movement of illicit materials. Additionally, the entire hold baggage screening (HBS) process is set to be transformed as airports across Europe upgrade to European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) Standard 3-certifed explosive detection systems (EDS). The deadline for ECAC Standard 3 compliance is 2018 in the UK and 2020 for the rest of Europe.

System Requirements

The European Commission recently passed legislation requiring that all hold baggage screening in Europe be conducted using ECAC Standard 3-certified EDS. Airports in the UK were required to have these systems in use by 2018. The requirement for the rest of Europe was 2020, with a possible extension until 2022 under specific circumstances.

To support the new scanning systems, the airport back-end servers needed to be upgraded to be faster, more powerful, and easier to maintain. Advantech’s HPC-7483 is a 4U power efficient chassis that supports a dual-processor motherboard with up to 10 expansion slots. This allows customers to combine two servers into one HPC+ASMB-923 system to support daily operations.

To comply with the ECAC Standard 3 and new EDS requirements, the new scanner server needed the following features:

1. Dual processors for increased computing power

2. High memory capacity for data scanning and image buffering

3. Multiple I/O, Ethernet, and system expansion slots that can support high-power graphics cards for integrating equipment controllers and peripheral devices

System Description

After passenger check-in, luggage is placed on the conveyor belt and passed through the X-ray or CT scanner detection zone. The real-time scanned images are then transmitted to a centralized control room via Ethernet cable.

This process is the same for cargo planes, where scanners are used to detect and prevent the transport of illegal materials.

Key Features

• Flexible product design and customization service
• Component longevity support and worldwide logistics

Why Advantech

Baggage scanner vendors must provide scanning solutions that adequately respond to increasing security threats and comply with relevant legislation passed by the European Commission. This new security dynamic has led to a greater need for quality detection equipment, enhanced regulatory standards, and improved efficiencies evidenced by reduced false alarm rates (FAR).

Advantech provided a custom solution that was co-validated with the customer’s products, worldwide logistics, and an extendable warranty for certain key components. When a customized BIOS, logo, label, or EMC and safety tests are required, Advantech’s product divisions always find a solution that satisfies the customer’s needs while meeting tight scheduling demands.

Related Product