AMS - THE AUTOMATED MONORAIL SYSTEM AND ITS APPLICATION IN AIR CARGO HANDLING

This paper will review the design and operating characteristics of a new class of materials handling equipment, the automated monorail system (AMS), its components and controls. System characteristics such as speeds of up to 600 feet per minute, low noise levels, production surge adaptability, multi-spur and multi-plane layouts, load queuing, and integration with higher level systems will be discussed and their applicability to air cargo handling noted. An AMS installation, recently put into service for an air transport-related application by a major U.S. airline will also be described.