To advance the informatization of cargo handling operations, the first automated volume and weight measurement device for “probe boards” in air cargo transportation has recently been deployed. BGS The international cargo terminal has passed acceptance testing.

BGS The international cargo terminal is a first-class cargo terminal at the capital airport. At the receiving and consolidation stations, it is necessary to measure the weight and volume of bulk cargo and consolidated pallets. Based on these measurements, freight charges and payload balance are calculated. The accuracy of cargo weight and volume measurements not only affects flight safety but also has implications for economic efficiency.

Under the existing operational model, cargo weighing has already been automated. Electronic scales are used to automatically weigh goods during the freight-handling process, and the data is simultaneously uploaded to the operating system. However, volume measurement of the goods remains a manual task: employees use tape measures to determine the length, width, and height of the goods and then manually calculate the volume. This manual approach has several drawbacks. On the one hand, it involves high labor intensity and low measurement efficiency. On the other hand, due to the irregular shapes of some goods, inconsistencies in operational standards, inaccurate measurements, and complicated calculations may arise. As a basis for fee collection, manual measurement carries certain risks of fraud.

The Freight Department has identified an urgent need to address the aforementioned issue through automated equipment. Based on the actual challenges faced by the Freight Department, the Technology and Information Department conducted a thorough investigation into several automatic volume-measuring devices, taking into account the department’s specific requirements. Currently, all products available on the market employ top-view optical sensors that scan goods and calculate their volume by integration. This approach meets the precision and efficiency demands for most types of cargo—but it falls short when it comes to measuring “probe boards.” A “probe board” is a specialized container used in air freight to load cargo into the aircraft’s belly hold. Given that the cross-section of the aircraft’s belly hold is semi-circular, the freight department arranges these containers in a shape that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, with the bottom plates extending outward from both sides—hence the term “probe board.” Due to this irregular shape, conventional volume-measuring devices on the market cannot capture the lower half of the container using their top-view cameras, making it impossible to accurately measure its volume.

In response to this particular requirement, the Department of Science and Technology Information, in close collaboration with the Freight Department, consulted industry-leading specialized manufacturers and jointly developed an automated volume and weight measurement device specifically designed for air cargo. This equipment utilizes mainstream... 3D Visual technology, assembly 8 By combining multi-angle deployment of binocular cameras with intelligent algorithms, the system achieves one-step completion of board placement, weighing, and volume measurement, and is ready for assembly. PMC 、 PAJ 、 PLB Standard model container pallets, weighing range 3-6 ton, with a volume measurement range of 1.6 The meter boasts measurement accuracy down to the millimeter level and can precisely measure the volume of various types of cargo—including regular-shaped items, irregularly shaped objects, convex packages, and soft-packaged goods. The measured data is synchronously transmitted to the freight management system. The introduction of this new equipment not only significantly enhances measurement accuracy, ensuring flight safety and reducing labor intensity, but also eliminates the risk of human interference affecting measurement results.

Currently, the automated volume and weight measurement device for air cargo has passed acceptance by the user departments. Moving forward, the Department of Science and Technology Information will continue to promote the development of “Smart Ground Services,” leveraging the unique characteristics of ground service operations to introduce and widely deploy more intelligent and user-friendly products within the company.