Sorting System
Sorting System is one of the material handling systems used to sort items under different purposes in warehouses or distribution centers. Pop-up and wheel, ball, slide shoe, cross belt, tilt, and any other sorters are used.
Automated Sorting System
Automated sorting technology has a significant impact on labor costs and order fulfillment accuracy, resulting in fewer shipping errors and faster order processing. In other words, the lack of such an automated means of sorting items and orders would make it very difficult to meet the needs of buyers, as this enables more fulfillment of orders and fulfillment of same-day or next-day delivery needs.
Various sorting systems exist in the market, and since each system has its own characteristics and advantages, it is necessary to apply an appropriate sorting system depending on the requirements for processing items, the type of item and throughput.
Crossbelt Sorter
Crossbelt Sorter is a rail-based sorter with independently controlled bidirectional "belt sections" mounted at a 90 degree angle to the basic flow of the conveyor.
It is a high-speed sorting unit suitable for handling parcels, small cartons, poly bags, clothing, etc., and due to the flat conveying surface, it is not suitable for handling rolling products such as balls or cylinders. This system is among the fastest sorters on the market today, capable of sorting up to 25,000 pieces per hour, making it an ideal choice for tasks requiring high-speed sorting and high throughput.
Tilt Tray Sorter
The tilt tray sorter, as the name suggests, is a sorter that sorts the items in the trays on the conveyor by tilting them. Depending on the shape or characteristics of the items to be sorted, various models such as flat, bowl, or V-shaped trays can be use.
The sorter has a throughput of 8,000 to 15,000 pieces per hour and is recommended to handle items weighing less than 500 grams. Using a large number of trays are common as thy are typically used for products that cannot be transported by conventional conveyors, and it is suitable for e-commerce operations that process large volumes of small orders or small items.
Sliding Shoe Sorter (Slat Sorter)
The sliding shoe sorter is generally applied to a long straight conveyor, and it is also called a "Slat Sorter"because it uses a slat conveyor equipped with a series of slat chains to realize the mechanism by which the shoe slides.
The sliding shoe sorter is not as fast as a tilt tray or cross belt, but with a throughput of 100 to 300 per minute, it is still a high speed option suitable for most jobs, and can be used for a variety of items such as tote bags, boxes, bags, etc., depending on your needs. But the soft sliding advantage is great for sorting fragile items.
Narrow Belt Sorter (Pop-Up Sorter)
Narrow Belt sorter (or Pop-up Sorter) is among the most flexible sorters on the market. This sorter can sort boxes, polybags and etc., and can be switched to various angles (90°, 45°, 30°) as needed.
The pop-up sorter uses multiple lines of thin skinny belts for flow on the conveyor, and the switching mechanism uses a 90-degree roller or a 30-degree pop-up wheel configuration depending on the angle. It is quiet compared to most other sorters and can sort ca. 200 boxes per minute.
Pop-up sorters are relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain compared to most other sorters, and variety of diverting modules (roller, wheels, etc.) are available. It also has advantages, such as being able to use a dens multi-wheel configuration for products that are difficult to sort. At the same time, it has low energy consumption and is a model that can be easily reconfigured to meet changing business requirements.
Wheel Sorter
The wheel sorter is also used for basic sorting work, but because it can be switched at various angles (-90 ° ~ +90°), it is often used for angle-changing (turning) stations of conveyor lines. It is a simple yet effective sorting solution, as it is generally modular in design for easy mounting between rollers or belt conveyors, making it easy to install or replace, and has the flexibility to expand easily as needed. These systems typically process between 1,500 and 6,500 boxes per hour.
It is ideal for businesses looking for a solution that provides a medium to high level of throughput at a relatively low cost.
In the battle for ideas and designs, items that stimulate the various needs and consumption desires of various customer groups are increasing exponentially (multi-item), and the tendency of small lot size orders is getting stronger. In the current logistics market, which is struggling with logistics speed along with the increase in online orders, the necessity and importance of introducing a sorting system for quick and accurate sorting is growing.
Altiall selects a suitable sorter type by analyzing the current situation of your warehouse and distribution center, forecasting of item and order increase, and item characteristics. Further we provide a sorting solution that guarantees accuracy, speed and stability.
As with all systems, since the sorting system governs the basic flow in the logistics automation, it is highly required to provide a suitable and error-free solution in terms of mechanical, functional and system control.