DIMOS: X-Way Mover for cargo handling at the airport

• The X-Way Mover from DIMOS offers 5 times the air cargo transport capacity

170 billion packages per year and an increase of 50% by 2027. E-commerce experts IATA predict a huge boom in airport logistics, simultaneously driven by an increasing trend in shipping by air freight. Modern cargo handling equipment such as the X-Way Mover from DIMOS must stand up to these stresses. That is why the X-Way Mover is the first vehicle in the world to incorporate all five of the primary ULD transport functions from landside to airside.

The multifunctional vehicle for cargo handling at the airport

170 billion packages per year and an increase of 50% by 2027. E-commerce experts IATA predict a huge boom in airport logistics, simultaneously driven by an increasing trend in shipping by air freight. Modern cargo handling equipment such as the X-Way Mover from DIMOS must stand up to these stresses. That is why the X-Way Mover is the first vehicle in the world to incorporate all five of the primary ULD transport functions from landside to airside.

Four of the largest freight operators in the world are already using the X-Way Mover. The vehicle combines the functions of a truck dock, transfer vehicle (TV), pallet mover, ULD transfer vehicle and storage and retrieval machine or elevating transfer vehicle (ETV). It therefore covers all processes and interfaces of ULD handling at the airport, from landside to airside. "This results in less downtime or even no downtime at all, lower operating and maintenance costs and increased storage capacity. Combined with the accelerated and individual handling processes of the X-Way Mover, these are the elements that will allow air cargo operators to withstand the rising and yet dynamic freight rates of the coming years," explains Pascal Schütz, Managing Director of DIMOS Maschinenbau.

Multifunctional and multidirectional

Conventional ULD transfer vehicles or forklifts usually only have a two-way chassis and require wide aisles and plenty of space for manoeuvring. The X-Way Mover from DIMOS solves this problem with a patented 360° steering system and a multidirectional chassis that allows it to switch from lengthwise to crosswise travel without stopping. This makes it particularly nimble and flexible, and not just as a ULD transfer vehicle. Thanks to its height-adjustable platform, the X-Way Mover can replace truck docks and can be used both for loading and unloading trucks and for transferring to dollies. The roller deck integrated into the platform can be actuated proportionally, so that the loading speed of the ULD and the synchronous operation of the opposite roller platform can be actively controlled. When used as a storage and retrieval machine or ETV, the X-Way Mover also enables the ULD containers to be stored and retrieved up to the third rack level at a maximum height of 7.5 m. The vehicle's roller platform offers optimum stability and safety with the aid of two lift masts. This also ensures high positioning accuracy, regardless of the load. This allows users much greater flexibility in terms of warehouse design. Storage areas can be positioned individually in the hall, rather than always in aisles.

Individual configuration for versatile use

Thanks to the standardised, yet modular design of the vehicle, the X-Way Mover can be individually adapted to the user's requirements, processes and circumstances. For example, a user could select a vehicle with an individual lift height, in WEL (Wide Edge Leading) or NEL (Narrow Edge Leading) design with a width of 10, 15 or 20 feet and a load capacity of 7 to 14 t as required. The same applies to the type of drive. The fully electric X-Way Mover is available with both powerful lithium-ion batteries and conventional lead-acid batteries, which are ideal for shorter operating times. As well as the fully electric version, there is also the option of a diesel or hybrid drive for outdoor use. In addition, the X-Way Mover can be free moving or positively driven on both sides.