Sortation Products
Product sortation is required in many applications for both low and high volume flow rates. A wide variety of equipment types are available from simple ball transfer tables through to tilt tray and cross belt sorters.
Choosing the correct sorter can be difficult once one moves beyond manual-sort applications and into more automated systems. Norpak believes a sorter must be chosen based on the overall system requirements. All sorter devices have pros and cons. The advantages of any one particular design can only be realized when it is integrated into a properly designed system. Layout constraints can have just as much an impact on system throughput as the device chosen. What appears to be inexpensive as a stand alone product may become very expensive when placed in an integrated system.
Higher Throughput Automatic Sortation
Higher throughput systems typically include devices such as sliding shoe, tilt tray and cross belt sorters. Other sorters such as a comb type or bomb bay may also be used dependent upon the size of product being handled. Higher throughput systems typically handle products at rates in excess of 6000 articles/hour.
Lower Throughput Automatic Sortation
Lower throughput systems typically handle products at rates up to 6000 articles/hour. The actual speed of operation is governed by the size of the article being handled.
Specialty Automatic Sortation
Where a significant amount of the overall volume is distributed by the piece, different types of sortation technology are required. Catalogue, apparel and shoe distribution are just a few markets that utilize high speed special sortation equipment.
Manual Sortation
Manual sortation can be an effective sorting method in a low volume/high destination application. Throughput is governed solely by the speed of the operators. When sort destinations are low, consideration should be given to automation. The cost of labour to undertake the sort can be greater than the cost to automate.