Airport Baggage Carousels

Chances are if you’ve traveled by plane, you’ve stood waiting for your luggage at the baggage carousel. This much maligned activity actually conceals some interesting mechanics that allow modern airports to work efficiently.

Single-Level or Multi-Level

Baggage carousels come in two main varieties. Single-level is where the conveyor exits an employee-only area via a door in the wall, loops around, and then re-enters through another door. In a multi-level system, luggage is loaded above or below the carousel and is delivered to a continuously rotating oval carousel. A combination system also exists and is found mostly in Europe.

In each type of carousel you’ll find single or multiple motors that drive the carousel; motors are also used to move the conveyor belts. In some newer airports, behind the scenes, there may also be a complex network of conveyor belt systems that help distribute baggage throughout the airport. Each carousel or conveyor is controlled by various motor control systems and can include photo and weight sensors to adjust the speed and number of motors employed (for power conservation).

Parts by Baldor, Reliance, Allen-Bradley, Siemens, etc.

There are many baggage carousel manufacturers, each using various motors, parts, and contacts from leading suppliers - motors from Baldor and Reliance and motor contactors and starters from Allen-Bradley and others.

Repco stocks 1000s of contacts, carbon brushes, and other motor and control accessories for leading OEMs, such as Allen-Bradley’s Bulletin 509-BOD Open Type Kit used on Unified Supply Carousel systems. Our OEM compatible replacement electrical contact kits offer an affordable alternative for baggage carousel maintenance and repair.