High performance parcel handling conveyor solutions
02-04-2022 547
You will be sorting and transporting parcels to more internal destinations than ever before, and your conveyor system must be designed for that fact.
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The pressure on companies of all types to constantly ship faster and more efficiently is growing, especially in an age of increased e-commerce, extremely tight labor markets, and the restrictions of Covid-19. Increased demand is also affecting retail distribution as companies work to develop efficient delivery channels outside of brick-and-mortar stores.
The core mission of these operations is parcel delivery - an old operation with new twists and turns.
The challenges of parcel transportation and sorting have changed, but the technologies you can deploy have also improved. The high speed and variability of these operations are the biggest impacts. You will be sorting and transporting parcels to more internal destinations than ever before, and your conveyor system must be designed for that fact.
Because package sizes and types can vary from single envelopes to large, heavy cartons, straps tend to be the choice for parcel applications. The belt supports the entire surface of the bottom of the conveyed carton, which also reduces problems with weak, sagging or difficult bottoms with problematic features such as staples or folded corners. The ability to adapt to almost anything you can put on a conveyor across the range of conveyor sizes and capacities makes conveyors an affordable choice. The belt also holds the load more stable due to friction between the parcel and the belt, which helps with tilting loads, reducing and overall stability.
In general, rollers tend to provide more ways to manipulate, rotate, move and transfer parcels without human intervention. You can use them during operation, but for many long hauls, straps may be more suitable. Belts allow you to convey more sizes, shapes, types and weights on the same system, but the rollers give you enhanced functionality. Keep in mind that tighter roller spacing is often needed for different types of loads to support and transport the product smoothly.
When the requirements and accuracy of product placement are important, roller conveyors can be used. The rollers should be placed close together to ensure the product is fully and smoothly transported. To ensure correct product orientation around curves, rollers with tight center, taper or waist curves are your best bet.
Whether you're shipping directly to the customer, shipping tends to be only one part of the equation. You will need to arrange the parcels to their destination efficiently and quickly. You should detail your plan for acceptable speeds and throughput to help you decide where and when to arrange.
- Manual sorting may work for certain SKUs and operations. It is labor intensive and relies on accuracy and speed to match package volume.
- Automatic sorting by nature is more expensive upfront, but offers a speed and accuracy that manual operations often cannot match. It is more complex to design and integrate, but offers significant benefits right out of the box. In today's tough labor market, labor is hard to hire and hard to retain, so automatic sorting has become more possible for more types of companies. Automated sorting systems take up more space in your facility, which can be a problem for some companies.
- Manual sorting
Low to moderate: systems that use labor are inherently less expensive than any other type of automation. The labor system involves hiring and administrative costs as well as investing in some equipment.
- Automatic sorting
High: automated sorting systems have upfront costs in terms of software, hardware, and installation. They require WMS/WCS integration and must expand to reach their potential.
- Manual sorting
Moderate: power for conveyors, workstations and lighting requires less maintenance than sorting machines. Relatively low maintenance costs.
- Automatic sorting
Medium: classification system that includes service and maintenance request mechanisms. The level of maintenance is not a problem, but a factor.
- Manual sorting
High to Very High: Depending on the number and type of grading points, labor costs for manual sorting can be very high. Expenses include salary, benefits, management, and more. To be fair, it's less expensive to start sorting manually, but more expensive over time.
- Automatic sorting
Very low: The sorting system removes the need for humans from most sorting tasks. This also contributes to better plant ergonomics. Automatic sorting not only reduces labor costs, but also reduces error rates and quality problems. It tends to reduce ongoing operating costs.
- Manual sorting
Good: The manual system means the presence of workers and possibly workstations at the placement points. If your workers need space to move around in the line, that will affect the overall space planning.
- Automatic sorting
Just right: The sorter is of course larger than a straight line conveyor - but without taking up too much space. Remember that sorting systems can be placed on overhead lines where they take up absolutely no floor space.
- Manual sorting
Slow: Your fastest workers can't match the speed of today's high-speed automation. They rely on visual identification of parts and destinations, in addition to hand crank speed and product delivery.
- Automatic sorting
Very fast: Depends on the load and the situation. Some sorters are extremely fast, while others are relatively slow in rotation. Mechanical speed is only one part of the assessment, as software, scanners, and recognition systems often drive speed.
- Manual sorting
Poor to Moderate: Manual systems depend on the productivity and reliability of employees and management processes. The tight labor market can make them less reliable because the system relies heavily on the presence of personnel to do the job. A shortage of workers could reduce the likelihood of overtime for seasonal spikes.
- Automatic sorting
Good: The grading system must be maintained and can be broken. They rely on good maintenance procedures, a spare parts inventory, and the presence of qualified personnel to keep them running or responding to problems. Most grading systems have excellent uptime statistics and are well documented.
An important factor is the ability to create the right spacing between parcels of different sizes and shapes. Any solution must consider the impact of creating holes for products of different sizes, from the size of a matchbox to the size of a large-screen television on the same conveyor belt. Creating a truly high-throughput system requires a thorough assessment of the gap and its impact on scanning and alignment.
Remember to keep your long-term goals in mind as you make decisions about parcel sorting. There are many "right" ways to do it. This may be your most important decision as you go through the process.
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The core mission of these operations is parcel delivery - an old operation with new twists and turns.
Shipping parcels, packages and cartons is not simple
The challenges of parcel transportation and sorting have changed, but the technologies you can deploy have also improved. The high speed and variability of these operations are the biggest impacts. You will be sorting and transporting parcels to more internal destinations than ever before, and your conveyor system must be designed for that fact.

Belt conveyor is suitable for loading all kinds of parcels
Because package sizes and types can vary from single envelopes to large, heavy cartons, straps tend to be the choice for parcel applications. The belt supports the entire surface of the bottom of the conveyed carton, which also reduces problems with weak, sagging or difficult bottoms with problematic features such as staples or folded corners. The ability to adapt to almost anything you can put on a conveyor across the range of conveyor sizes and capacities makes conveyors an affordable choice. The belt also holds the load more stable due to friction between the parcel and the belt, which helps with tilting loads, reducing and overall stability.
Roller conveyors and parcels
In general, rollers tend to provide more ways to manipulate, rotate, move and transfer parcels without human intervention. You can use them during operation, but for many long hauls, straps may be more suitable. Belts allow you to convey more sizes, shapes, types and weights on the same system, but the rollers give you enhanced functionality. Keep in mind that tighter roller spacing is often needed for different types of loads to support and transport the product smoothly.
When the requirements and accuracy of product placement are important, roller conveyors can be used. The rollers should be placed close together to ensure the product is fully and smoothly transported. To ensure correct product orientation around curves, rollers with tight center, taper or waist curves are your best bet.
Sort options
Whether you're shipping directly to the customer, shipping tends to be only one part of the equation. You will need to arrange the parcels to their destination efficiently and quickly. You should detail your plan for acceptable speeds and throughput to help you decide where and when to arrange.
- Manual sorting may work for certain SKUs and operations. It is labor intensive and relies on accuracy and speed to match package volume.
- Automatic sorting by nature is more expensive upfront, but offers a speed and accuracy that manual operations often cannot match. It is more complex to design and integrate, but offers significant benefits right out of the box. In today's tough labor market, labor is hard to hire and hard to retain, so automatic sorting has become more possible for more types of companies. Automated sorting systems take up more space in your facility, which can be a problem for some companies.
A comparison of manual and automatic classification
1 - Prepaid investment costs
- Manual sorting
Low to moderate: systems that use labor are inherently less expensive than any other type of automation. The labor system involves hiring and administrative costs as well as investing in some equipment.
- Automatic sorting
High: automated sorting systems have upfront costs in terms of software, hardware, and installation. They require WMS/WCS integration and must expand to reach their potential.
2 - Maintenance and electricity costs
- Manual sorting
Moderate: power for conveyors, workstations and lighting requires less maintenance than sorting machines. Relatively low maintenance costs.
- Automatic sorting
Medium: classification system that includes service and maintenance request mechanisms. The level of maintenance is not a problem, but a factor.
3 - Labor cost
- Manual sorting
High to Very High: Depending on the number and type of grading points, labor costs for manual sorting can be very high. Expenses include salary, benefits, management, and more. To be fair, it's less expensive to start sorting manually, but more expensive over time.
- Automatic sorting
Very low: The sorting system removes the need for humans from most sorting tasks. This also contributes to better plant ergonomics. Automatic sorting not only reduces labor costs, but also reduces error rates and quality problems. It tends to reduce ongoing operating costs.
4 - Use of space
- Manual sorting
Good: The manual system means the presence of workers and possibly workstations at the placement points. If your workers need space to move around in the line, that will affect the overall space planning.
- Automatic sorting
Just right: The sorter is of course larger than a straight line conveyor - but without taking up too much space. Remember that sorting systems can be placed on overhead lines where they take up absolutely no floor space.
5 - Speed and throughput
- Manual sorting
Slow: Your fastest workers can't match the speed of today's high-speed automation. They rely on visual identification of parts and destinations, in addition to hand crank speed and product delivery.
- Automatic sorting
Very fast: Depends on the load and the situation. Some sorters are extremely fast, while others are relatively slow in rotation. Mechanical speed is only one part of the assessment, as software, scanners, and recognition systems often drive speed.
6 - Reliability
- Manual sorting
Poor to Moderate: Manual systems depend on the productivity and reliability of employees and management processes. The tight labor market can make them less reliable because the system relies heavily on the presence of personnel to do the job. A shortage of workers could reduce the likelihood of overtime for seasonal spikes.
- Automatic sorting
Good: The grading system must be maintained and can be broken. They rely on good maintenance procedures, a spare parts inventory, and the presence of qualified personnel to keep them running or responding to problems. Most grading systems have excellent uptime statistics and are well documented.
Consolidation, barcode scanning and packaging
An important factor is the ability to create the right spacing between parcels of different sizes and shapes. Any solution must consider the impact of creating holes for products of different sizes, from the size of a matchbox to the size of a large-screen television on the same conveyor belt. Creating a truly high-throughput system requires a thorough assessment of the gap and its impact on scanning and alignment.
Ending
Remember to keep your long-term goals in mind as you make decisions about parcel sorting. There are many "right" ways to do it. This may be your most important decision as you go through the process.
Related Posts: