ULD Loading Station
A fixed-station baggage-hall transfer platform that uses pneumatic restraint and ball-transfer mechanics to secure and handoff ULD containers between dollies and terminal equipment at standardised apron heights.
The Lödige ULD Loading Station is a purpose-built ground-level transfer fixture installed at the baggage hall–airside interface, designed to accept Unit Load Devices arriving on dollies and hold them precisely in position while ground crew load outbound baggage. The working surface uses 30 mm ball transfer units to enable smooth, near-frictionless multi-directional movement, so a container can be slid off a dolly with minimal manual effort. Once positioned, pneumatically driven brake pads and mechanical stop pins lock the ULD in place, eliminating drift under the weight of bags being thrown in — a leading cause of operator injury and container damage.
The station operates at standardised system transfer heights of 203 mm or 508 mm, matching the interface heights of roller decks, slave pallets, AGVs and other terminal equipment in the Lödige and third-party ecosystem, so no intermediate lift is required during the handoff. The 508 mm working height is calibrated to ergonomic loading posture for standing operators, directly reducing musculoskeletal load during high-repetition build-up and break-down shifts.
This class of equipment is deployed in the baggage make-up rooms of medium to large hub airports that process high volumes of narrow-body and wide-body ULD (AKE, AKH, PMC, PAG formats) and need a controlled, replicable loading environment across multiple workstations. It is especially relevant at airports running A320/A330/A380-capable operations where container fill-rates and turnaround times are under commercial pressure. The station has a documented installation at London Heathrow. Lödige's regional headquarters in Dubai and offices in Doha and Riyadh mean the product is actively supported across the GCC, and the wider Middle East portfolio — including the automated cargo terminal at Queen Alia International Airport, Amman — demonstrates regional delivery capability. Designed and manufactured in compliance with IATA AHM and ULD Care standards. Lödige holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification (TÜV Nord) and is a Cargo iQ member.
Technical specifications.
| Transfer height (standard) | 508 mm |
| Transfer height (low option) | 203 mm |
| Ball transfer unit diameter | 30 mm |
| Restraint method | Pneumatic brake pads + mechanical stop pins |
| 5 ft workstation capacity | 1,600 kg |
| 10 ft section capacity | 6,800 kg |
| Standards compliance | IATA AHM, ULD Care |
| Quality certifications | ISO 9001, ISO 14001 (TÜV Nord) |
| Surface finish | Corrosion-resistant, weatherproof; cold-storage configuration available |
| ULD compatibility (Ball Deck variant) | 5 ft, 10 ft, 15 ft, 20 ft ULDs |
Use cases.
- ›Baggage make-up room build-up and break-down workstations at hub and gateway airports
- ›Controlled apron-side transfer of ULD containers between dolly trains and terminal conveyor or AGV systems
- ›Multi-workstation baggage halls requiring consistent 508 mm interface height across all loading points
- ›High-throughput narrow-body and wide-body operations where peak-period fill-rate and turnaround time are KPIs
- ›Airports targeting reduced ground-crew musculoskeletal injury rates and improved H&S compliance
- ›Integration into wider Lödige terminal logistics systems (FlexLoader, Cargo Pallet Mover, Ball Deck, AGV)