Brutal baggage handling system

By Charles Carter, 10/11/22

A video of a brutal airport baggage handling system with an aggressive punching machine has been shared by actor Felix Perales Jr. on TikTok, with users expressing their dismay.

A high-speed swivel arm is seen bashing luggage between conveyor belts with such force that they collide with the wall of the second belt, leaving people wondering whether to pack precious items next time.

So far many things are unclear.

Which airport is shown in the video? Who is the manufacturer of the machine? Was it malfunctioning? And how common is this system around the world?

Screenshots from the video showing orange punching arm on left

Baggage Handling Systems (BHS) consist of everything that happens to your luggage from the moment you check in, to when you collect it from the carousel at your destination.

It includes IT systems at check in, bag tracking technology, sortation, storage, conveyors and containers for plane loading.

The ability to move luggage from one conveyor line to another is a common requirement of these systems.

Alternatives to the ‘bashing’ method include a moving plough arm which itself is a conveyor belt or loading each piece of luggage into its own tray that are directed using dynamic rollers beneath (both shown below).

Daifuku tray-based conveyance system

Who is the manufacturer of the ‘bashing’ machine? I couldn’t find the ‘bashing’ machine on the websites of two of the global leaders in BHS, Beumer Group and Daifuku but the search continues…