Project challenges

The project required an exceptionally complex and large-scale BHS installation spanning over one kilometer of terminal space and approximately 8 kilometers of conveyors. The system includes 4 sorters (two tilt-tray sorters, each with 132 trays operating at 2 m/s and a nominal capacity of 6,000 bags per hour, plus two diverter sorters) and 120 check-in counters.

Key challenges included:

• Harsh environmental conditions, with extreme humidity requiring advanced anti-corrosion protection.
• Full hot-swap redundancy – any controller failure triggers an instant switch to a backup unit without data loss or interruption in baggage tracking.
• Complex, multi-level installation with extensive lifting operations and sections suspended several meters above the ground.
• Strict coordination with the general contractor Samsung, ensuring synchronization across multiple disciplines.
• Global supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19, the Suez Canal blockage, and the war in Ukraine, combined with strong currency fluctuations and local political shifts.

Despite these challenges, the system was successfully installed and commissioned on schedule, maintaining both technical precision and operational reliability throughout the four-year project timeline.

Non-standard solutions

To meet the demanding requirements of the airport and client, Dimark implemented several advanced engineering solutions:

• Deep integration with the Dimark Video Management System (DiVMS), using over 380 cameras focused on BHS operations to ensure full traceability of baggage throughout the system.
• Integration with Dimark’s DiMS platform for intelligent maintenance management, enabling predictive maintenance and real-time fault detection.
• Adaptive operational scenarios configured within the control system to optimize system use depending on live traffic conditions.
• High-speed transport lines capable of processing up to 2,700 bags per hour per line, ensuring efficiency even during peak periods.
• Use of advanced materials and processes ensuring reduced vibration, noise, and wear, even under tropical environmental conditions.

Final results

The completed system delivers:

• Sorting accuracy exceeding 99.9%, ensuring full reliability and passenger satisfaction.
• Seamless integration across all BHS subsystems, maintenance tools, and the airport’s video network.
• Enhanced diagnostics and transparency through continuous visual monitoring and AI-assisted data analysis.
• User-friendly operation with pre-defined operating modes that automatically adjust to baggage volume and terminal load.
• Safe, efficient, and environmentally robust performance, compliant with international standards.

The Dhaka project demonstrates Dimark’s ability to design and deliver large-scale, high-performance baggage handling systems in challenging technical and environmental conditions, setting a new benchmark for airport automation in South Asia.