Bearings in Baggage Handling — What It Takes to Achieve BNP Certification

Airports move millions of passengers every year, and behind the scenes lies a vast network of baggage handling systems. These systems are the unsung heroes of air travel, tasked with moving bags from check-in to aircraft and back to carousels quickly and reliably. At the heart of this equipment are bearings, which enable the smooth and continuous motion of belts, rollers, and conveyors. Without high-performance bearings, bottlenecks occur, downtime increases, and passenger experiences suffer.

 The Critical Role of Bearings in Baggage Handling

Baggage handling systems are uniquely demanding. Bearings in these environments must:

•  Operate continuously: Airports run around the clock, with bearings seeing thousands of operational hours annually.
• Handle uneven and heavy loads: Baggage comes in all shapes and sizes, requiring bearings to absorb shock loads and misalignment.
• Resist contamination: Dust, debris, and temperature fluctuations can accelerate wear.
• Minimize maintenance interruptions: Every minute of downtime impacts passenger flow and airport efficiency.

Bearings that excel in baggage handling deliver durability, reliability, and low maintenance costs — three critical priorities for airport operators.

What It Takes to Achieve BNP Certification

BNP (Bureau of National Production) certification is a recognized industry standard that validates the quality and performance of industrial components. Achieving BNP certification demonstrates that a bearing is built to meet rigorous demands.

The certification process involves:

• Precision manufacturing audits: Evaluating dimensional accuracy and consistency across production runs.
• Material testing: Assessing metallurgical properties, heat treatment, and fatigue strength.
• Performance and lifecycle tests: Running bearings under continuous cycles to simulate real-world baggage handling.
• Safety and compliance checks: Ensuring components meet international safety standards.

Only manufacturers with strict quality controls, advanced testing capabilities, and engineering excellence can achieve BNP certification. For airports, this certification provides confidence that components are reliable, durable, and safe.