With several baggage carts on the market made of steel, ground service providers are often working with a heavy material that can corrode when exposed to the elements.
Because ground handlers and airlines must be able to rely on their equipment in a variety of climates and companies are looking for ways to reduce their overall carbon footprint, FAST Global Solutions sought a way to replace heavy steel carts that require a high amount of fuel use during towing.
After completing testing in 2019, FAST introduced the AlphaCart — a lightweight baggage cart that better endures the elements, has a long lifespan and reduces ground support equipment’s fuel use.
“Most baggage carts are manufactured with heavy-duty steel, which makes them heavy to pull or manually move around the ramp by operators,” says Barbara Ostrander, marketing communications director at FAST Global Solutions. “These steel carts are also susceptible to rust and corrosion, in particular in climates with harsh weather. We set out to develop a new baggage cart to outsmart the elements while decreasing the overall weight of the unit.”
The AlphaCart is made from a co-polymer resin. This allows the baggage cart to be lighter than its steel counterparts, reducing wear and tear and fuel use — an important consideration for companies trying to lower their ground handling equipment’s energy consumption.
“Its rotomolded body is significantly lighter than the steel baggage carts seen all over the world, yet able to take the same weight of load,” Ostrander says. “Also, the AlphaCart can take bumps and blows and rebound, unlike steel that readily dents.”
The cart weighs between 1,489 and 1,650 pounds but can move up to 8,000 pounds of cargo. According to FAST engineers, three to four AlphaCarts are usually towed in a train, allowing cargo payloads ranging from 24,000 to 32,000 to be towed at once. The length of the baggage cart train depends on the towing vehicle and what the airport authority or end user allows.
The co-polymer resin requires less upkeep than traditional steel baggage carts, as well.
“It doesn’t require painting, and the body doesn’t rust,” Ostrander points out.
What’s more, the AlphaCart has an interlocking framework design, allowing for easy repairs or replacements should the cart become damaged on the job. The damaged panel can simply be removed and replaced, eliminating the need to buy a completely new unit.
According to Ostrander, the interlocking framework design also makes it easier to ship large numbers of the cart to FAST Global Solutions’ customers.
The cart is used in locations with varying climates, which means it must be able to withstand a variety of weather conditions. Ostrander notes FAST Global Solutions’ customers, which consist mainly of airlines and ground handlers, helped refine the AlphaCart design through rigorous testing before it was introduced to the market.
The AlphaCart has been tested in temperatures ranging from negative 40 degrees to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. FAST Global Solutions monitored the wear and tear on the AlphaCart in these locations and then refined the design before it fully went into production. The cart has been purchased or tested in more than 15 locations in the US and Europe.
“In addition to the company’s high level of product quality testing during the manufacturing process, FAST partnered with a number of airlines in real-use trials of the AlphaCart — with a particular focus on areas with extreme climates, to be able to evaluate the cart’s durability in challenging temperature and weather conditions,” Ostrander says.
“Feedback from ground handling teams at each airline provided FAST with valuable insight as to how the AlphaCart performed in situations of rigorous daily use, monitoring any signs of wear, tear or corrosion. Input from the airline partners, especially those focused on product features intended to help improve operations and team member safety, was then utilized to refine the design prior to full-scale production,” adds Ostrander.
The AlphaCart has a variety of features designed to help ground handlers perform their jobs more efficiently, says Ostrander.
“The FAST team is always keeping the operator in mind with new product design and the AlphaCart is loaded with specific features to help the ground handling teams on the ramp perform their jobs faster and safer,” she says.
The AlphaCart’s floor is channeled, allowing rainwater to drain away easily. This reduces baggage drag when workers are moving cargo in and out of the cart.
FAST Global Solutions also integrated side-pull handles into the design to further increase maneuverability. Vinyl curtains with webbed reinforcements protect baggage from the elements. FAST Global Solutions partners with Quadro Inc., a Glenwood Minnesota manufacturer, to make the AlphaCart curtains. FAST Global Solutions carries replacement curtains should they become damaged on the job.
The AlphaCart features a few optional add-ons, including an interior light, color choice, a bolt-in middle shelf and advertising/branding space.
The optional interior light is powered by a battery located underneath the unit, which harnesses energy via a solar panel located on the side of the cart.
Customers can customize the color of the rotomolded structure and choose an optional bolt-in middle shelf to manage baggage placement. The top panel can be branded with the customer’s logo or used as an advertising space, if desired.
Ostrander says when purchasing a baggage cart, customers must consider its compatibility with existing fleets.
The AlphaCart uses common FAST running gear, according to Ostrander. The running gear can be either rigid mount or four-wheel independent rubber torsion axles.
“The AlphaCart was designed with the objective to keep the importance of commonality of parts a high priority,” Ostrander notes. “The ability to ensure that those parts most often needing replacement, such as tires, bearings, tow-bars and hitches, can be interchanged between units provides cost savings and improved ROI. In addition, the replaceable panels on the AlphaCart present a significant improvement over legacy carts.”
