Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IMLCenturion Cargo, an airline specialised in the carriage of perishable goods, commissioned the Fraunhofer IML to develop and evaluate a utilisation and operation concept for its ground facilities.
Centurion handles air freight at its site at Miami International Airport in a number of separate logistics halls. The move to the new Centurion Cargo Center was to centralise all handling processes. There are, however, a number of challenges facing the new cargo centre. Vehicle access to the site, for example, is from a busy 6-lane road and tailbacks can build up rapidly. The move is also to be combined with the introduction of new handling processes and a new site ground safety concept. The concept commissioned was to factor in the expected traffic volume and the necessary operational, process and airsafety requirements using simulation and 3D mapping.
An »implementation plan« was developed for implementation; this included both the timescale, and the structural changes, technical equipment and functional layout needed, as well as the necessary adjustments to the process and information flow. The Fraunhofer IML drew up recommendations on implementing the concept. Centurion Cargo was to have implemented these recommendations in full by the beginning of 2013.