Latest news with #ShivaliBest
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Inside Britain's busiest airport: SHIVALI BEST goes behind-the-scenes at Heathrow's Terminal 5 to find out what really happens to your bag
It's the best-connected airport in the world, linking to over 230 destinations in nearly 90 countries. So it should come as no surprise that Heathrow Airport also features one of the world's most sophisticated baggage systems. In 2024 alone, Heathrow handled a whopping 39.47 million outbound bags. To put that into perspective, that's an average of 75 bags per minute, or 1.25 bags every second! Unsurprisingly, the transport hub is usually extremely private about what happens behind closed doors. However, MailOnline's Science and Technology Editor, Shivali Best, was invited behind-the-scenes at Heathrow's Terminal 5 for a rare look inside. With 150 check-in positions, over 18 miles of conveyor belts, and an early bag storage warehouse managed by 30 cranes, the baggage system is meticulously designed from start-to-finish. So, whether you're a happy holidaymaker or a busy businessperson, here's what really happens to your bag as it passes through Britain's busiest airport. Heathrow's Terminal 5 opened back in 2008, and is mainly used by British Airways. It's safe to say that its baggage handling system went off to a rocky start, with the then Aviation Minister, Jim Fitzpatrick, claiming the terminal had fallen 'well short of expectation'. In the opening days, issues with Terminal 5's IT systems forced British Airways to cancel hundreds of flights and suspend check-in, with a total of around 42,000 bags failing to reach their owners. Thankfully, in the 17 years since, Heathrow has ramped up its system and processes, with Terminal 5 now boasting the largest automated baggage handling system in the world. I met with Baggage Engineering Duty Managers, Alec Burge and Nigel Jinman, at the departure gates for a tour of this world-class operation. Terminal 5 alone has 150 check-in positions 30 metres above ground, where passengers can drop off their luggage. 'When each passenger checks in, their bag is given a tag with a Baggage Source Message (BSM),' Mr Burge explains. 'Every passenger has a unique one, containing information on everything from their name, flight number, class, and seat. The first stop is a volumetric scanner, which detects whether a bag is lying flat or upright 'The BSM is used to route the bag through the baggage system to the correct flight.' Behind the scenes, the baggage system is split into two sections - north and south - where bags are transported on mirror journeys to airplanes at the 53 departure gates. Armed with our passports and security passes, we make our way through an unassuming door and begin our exploration of this mysterious baggage labyrinth. After climbing 10 metres down, we see bags first entering the system. 'As the bag drops down into the system, an automatic reader will look at the BSM,' Mr Burge explained. 'There are dozens of scanners throughout the baggage system.' The first stop is a volumetric scanner, which detects whether a bag is lying flat or upright, and whether it is too big or heavy. If the scanner detects a bag is upright - a prime position for it to get into a jam - it will reroute it to a special rotating belt that flips it on to its side, before it rejoins the main conveyor belt. Just when I think the whistle-stop tour is coming to an end, the experts show me the Early Bag Storage unit, where any early bags can be stored safely until they're needed If the bags do happen to get into a jam at any point, engineers are watching on CCTV and can step in to try to clear the blockage. Next, it's over to the X-ray scanners, where the bags go through five levels of screening. If they fail at the first level, they are escalated to the next, and escalation continues as required, with the police being called if the bag cannot be cleared. Once a bag has been given the all-clear at security, it passes through to a 'sorter' conveyor belt - a huge track made up of 1,300 moving trays. As the trays wind their way around the track, much to my surprise, they suddenly tip, launching the bags off into one of 132 outputs. Finally, the bags at each output are loaded onto a unit loading device, which is driven by the airline to the plane to be loaded on. One of the biggest stresses for travellers is the risk of bags being lost during tight transfers. Thankfully, Terminal 5 also has a rollercoaster-like connection system to ensure bags are whisked through at top speed - and precision. 'If you're on a tight connection, your bag is flagged as time-critical,' Mr Burge explains. 'Connecting bags go through 16 transfer belts to a destination coded vehicle, which loops around to where it needs to be.' Just when I think the whistle-stop tour is coming to an end, the experts show me the Early Bag Storage unit, where any early bags can be stored safely until they're needed. Reminiscent of the Door Warehouse in 'Monsters, Inc', this unit is managed by 30 automated cranes, which can whisk over 6,500 bags around with impressive precision. As with most systems, Terminal 5's baggage system isn't fault-free, with occasional blockages requiring engineers to come and rejig the bags. 'A lot of the time, it's due to the ways the bags were offloaded,' Mr Burge tells me. 'The airline handlers place the bags on the conveyor belt, and they should leave a space so bags can run through the system nice and easily.' Other issues come down to the nature of the bags themselves. 'If every bag was a square box, it would process through the system much better,' he joked. As a passenger, there are several easy things you can do to reduce the risk of an issue with your bag, according to Mr Jinman. 'Bag straps are always getting stuck, and we can't repatriate them so they just go in the bin,' he said. 'They're an absolute nightmare. Cling film wrap is also awful - it gets wrapped up like the straps do.' Hard bags are the best option, according to the expert. 'We treat the trays like surfboards - we wax them so they're smooth. So some really soft leather bags or sports equipment bags can get stuck on the trays,' he explained. 'When the trays tip, those bags don't always fall down the right chute. 'Thankfully, this will set off an alarm in the control room and an engineer will go down to recover the bags.' Meanwhile, Mr Jinman's top tip is to always include a note inside your suitcase with your name, flight details, and phone number. 'If the tag comes off your bag, as soon as we open it up we can call you and see what flight you're on.' AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: HOW DOES IT WORK? Air traffic control aims to move planes safely and efficiently through the airspace system. Controllers keep aircraft set distances apart while moving them from airport to airport using designated routes. Before take off, airlines will file a flight plan with air traffic control so every controller who deals with the flight on its journey is aware of its details and route. When an aircraft is at an airport, the pilots on board will be in contact with controllers in the airport's control tower. Air traffic controllers will monitor the aircraft while it is on the ground and give it permission to take off. Once airborne the pilot will then normally talk to another controller using a radar screen to track the aircraft's progress through the airways system (equivalent to motorways in the sky). Each controller is responsible for planes in a set area of airspace. When an aircraft is nearing the edge of their sector they will coordinate its handover to the next controller. This will continue through the aircraft's journey until it is handed over to the controller at the destination airport. Most airliners are monitored by controllers using radar in airways and routes known as 'controlled airspace'. The majority of airspace that is left is known as 'uncontrolled', and this is used by the military and recreational pilots. In this airspace some air traffic control services are provided, especially near airfields, but in much of the airspace it is the pilots' responsibility to see and avoid each other.
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Daily Mail
I visited Apple's secret testing labs - here's what REALLY happens behind-the-scenes at the Cork campus
Apple is best known for its futuristic, spaceship-like headquarters in Cupertino, California. But what many people don't know is that the tech giant also has a huge campus in Ireland. Apple's Cork campus opened its doors in 1980 with a single manufacturing facility and just 60 employees. Fast-forward to today, the site is home to more than 6,000 employees, and serves as Apple's European headquarters. The tech giant is usually extremely private about what happens behind closed doors. However, MailOnline's Science and Technology Editor, Shivali Best, was invited to Cork for a rare look inside the testing labs. There, Apple puts its top-secret prototypes through their paces - and the gadgets won't leave until they pass the rigorous tests. From bashing and prodding, roasting and freezing, here's what really goes on inside Apple's European testing labs. Set against the stunning Irish landscape, Apple's Cork campus is mostly made up of a series of glass buildings, interspersed with slick landscaping. To our surprise, however, we were escorted just off the main campus, to an unsuspecting stone building. Chaperoned by several eagle-eyed Apple employees, we made our way down a series of white corridors, which wouldn't have looked out of place in the latest series of Severance. Passing rooms discreetly labelled things like 'Laser Lab', and 'Water Services', we eventually reached our destination - the Reliability Testing Lab. There, we were walked through the series of meticulous tests that each new iPhone, MacBook, and iPad must endure. Speaking to MailOnline, Tom Marieb, Apple's Vice President of Product Integrity for Hardware Engineering, explained: 'We do a huge variety of tests. Our main goal is to meet customers where they actually live and are. 'A lot of our tests aren't "standard tests" - they're tests that we've developed over time to mimic real life and usage.' First up is a huge oven, where we find four iMacs (with a combined cost of over £5,000!) being blasted with 65°C temperatures and high humidity. If the problem is internal, it's over to the Radiation Lab for a closer inspection. Labelled with huge signs reading 'DANGER! Radiation risk', this lab is kitted out with the latest, state-of-the-art machines, which allow Apple's technicians to peers inside at almost every level This, Apple tells us, is to test both the internal and external elements - and if any fail, it's back to the drawing board. Next is the shipping and transportation test, which involves vibrating and dropping a device - on its own, in a box, and in a pallet. 'If you look at the industry standard, they'd drop it on a piece of steel,' Mr Marieb explained to MailOnline. 'Well, to us that's not interesting. You don't live in a house with steel floors. 'So we look at wood, we look at granite, we look at asphalt - real surfaces that people really use.' For the next test, dubbed the 'tip test', I was even invited to get involved. Donning a pair of gloves, I tentatively toppled a £1,299 iMac over onto a hard surface - something I'll probably be having nightmares about for the next few weeks. Thankfully, the pricey gadget survived the test, and it was on to the next chamber - the dust test. Using the finest dust available, Apple blasts its devices to see if their ports can withstand the bombardment. 'We aim to mimic the Arizona desert in that test. So we purposefully find exactly the composition of the sand,' Mr Meriab explained. Now, having survived the heat test, the iMacs are subject to a cold chamber, where they're hit with short gusts of -20°C air, interspersed with heat. This, an Apple employee tells us, is to mimic the experience of a device being placed in the hold of an airplane, before being used in a sunny country. In addition, the 'salt test' see the devices sprayed with salt water to recreate the conditions using a gadget on the beach. Other tests in this lab are slightly less dramatic - but are no doubt just as important. One machine's entire job is to test a cable being pulled in and out of the charging port, while another simply presses the power plug from different angles. Meanwhile, one robot mimics sweaty fingers by repeatedly touching the screen with an infused cloth. 'Our goal is to find reality and then make it synthetic in a repeatable way to do science on it,' Mr Meriab added. 'So that covers a huge gamut of different things. Wherever you might dream of taking it, we've thought of it and tested it.' If Apple detects any external problems in the reliability tests, the entire design might need to be reconsidered. But if the problem is internal, it's over to the Radiation Lab for a closer inspection. Labelled with huge signs reading 'DANGER! Radiation risk', this lab is kitted out with the latest, state-of-the-art machines, which allow Apple's technicians to peers inside at almost every level. At the most basic level is an X-ray machine, which brings up a 2D scan almost instantly - much like an X-ray machine would let you examine a broken limb in a hospital. If the technicians need a 3D scan, it's over to the CT machine, which creates a 360-degree view of the device. But the machines don't stop there. Apple has also invested in a scanning electron microscope and a focused ion beam (FIB) microscope, which can achieve imaging resolution of just 5nm. Given the tiny size of some components, this allows the technicians to pinpoint exactly what might be wrong with a device - and how to fix it. While this level of testing might sound excessive, it's all part of Apple's 'longevity by design' approach. This company-wide effort aims to increase product longevity through new design and manufacturing technologies, ongoing software support, and expanded access to repair services. According to the tech giant, there are now hundreds of millions of iPhone that have been in use for more than five years - and that number is growing. 'We design these things to last a long time - that's our goal,' Mr Meriab added. 'If somebody wants a phone at a more frequent level, that's hopefully because we've made new features that are compelling.' THE TRILLION DOLLAR RISE OF APPLE 1976: Founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne created the company on April 1 1976 as they set about selling computer kits to hobbyists, each of which was built by Wozniak. The first product was the Apple I. 1977: Apple released the Apple II in June, which was the first PC made for the mass market. 1981: Jobs became chairman. 1984: The Macintosh was introduced during an ad break for the Super Bowl and later officially unveiled during a launch event. It was discontinued a year later and Jobs left the firm. 1987: Apple released the Macintosh II, the first colour Mac. 1997: Apple announces it will acquire NeXT software in a $400 million deal that involves Jobs returning to Apple as interim CEO. He officially took the role in 2000. 2001: Apple introduced iTunes, OS X and the first-generation iPod. The first iPod MP3 music player was released on October 23, 2001, at an event in Cupertino and was able to hold up to 1,000 songs. 2007: Apple unveils the iPhone. 2010: The first iPad was unveiled. 2011: Jobs resigned in 2011 due to illness, handing the CEO title to Tim Cook. Jobs died in October from pancreatic cancer. 2014: Apple unveiled the Apple Watch. It also unveiled its first larger iPhones - the 6 and 6 Plus. 2015: After purchasing Beats from Dr Dre, Apple launched Apple Music to compete with Spotify and other music streaming services. 2016: Apple returned to its roots and announced the 4-inch iPhone SE. Meanwhile, the firm is embroiled in a legal battle with the FBI, involving the agency demanding access to the locked phone used by Syed Farook, who died in a shootout after carrying out a deadly December attack in San Bernardino, California with his wife. The court order was dropped on March 28 after the FBI said a third party was able to unlock the device. 2017: Apple introduces the iPhone X, which removes the home button to make way for a futuristic edge-to-edge screen design and a new FaceID system that uses advanced sensors and lasers to unlock phones with just the owner's face. Apple CEO Steve Jobs speaks at an Apple event at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. 2018: In a first for the company, Apple introduces new features in its latest operating system, iOS 12, that encourage users to manage and spend less time on their devices. The move was spawned by a strongly worded letter from shareholders that urged the firm to address the growing problem of smartphone addiction among kids and teenagers. 2019: In January, Apple reports its first decline in revenues and profits in a decade. CEO Tim Cook partly blamed steep declines in revenue from China. 2020: In March, Apple closes all its bricks and mortar retail stores outside of China in response to coronavirus. 2021: In an online virtual event in April CEO Tim Cook declared Apple's goal of becoming carbon neutral for Earth Day. Later in the year the iPhone 13 was announced. 2022: In September the iPhone 14 was announced. One of the new features included a new sensor to detect if a user had been in a car crash as well as an improved camera system. 2023: Apple brought back its 'Home Pod' after the first generation was discontinued. The 'Home Pod' can be seen as an alternative to Amazon's Alexa or Google Home as it is powered by voice commands.
