The Basics of Parcel Sortation

Automating a warehouse doesn’t just help an operation complete tasks faster. It also makes an operation more reliable. Human error is an unavoidable part of work, especially when it comes to repetitive tasks. People lose focus, which leads to a drop in attention on the task at hand. That’s where mistakes happen, and one mistake can set off a chain reaction that takes time to untangle.

Any lost time chips away at the overall productivity of an operation. So how can a facility maximize output while minimizing mistakes? An automated parcel sortation system is the answer.

Parcel sortation can make a significant impact on the speed, accuracy, and throughput of fulfillment operations. Parcels come in a variety of shapes and sizes and need to be sequenced or routed to different outbound dock destinations. Conveyor systems and other mechanical processes help streamline fulfillment automation and keep things moving.

Parcel sortation can be essential to a well-run fulfillment center, but it’s also widely misunderstood. Here’s what to know.

What Is Parcel Sortation?

Order fulfillment and processing centers can see thousands of parcels move through their systems daily. Each one needs sequencing according to destination, size, and weight so it gets where it needs to go, efficiently and on time.

This can be done by hand. That approach involves multiple employees working along conveyor lines to scan, separate, and prepare parcels for delivery. However, these tasks are highly repetitive, fast-paced, time-consuming, and error prone.

Parcel sortation technology takes these tasks off employees’ hands. A sortation system works alongside fixed conveyors, automatic identification systems, and controls. Together, these systems merge, identify, induct, and convey parcels toward their correct destination, transferring items off the main line and onto spur tracks as needed. These systems can also read existing labels or apply new ones.

All of these steps matter. However, sequencing and grouping deliveries is the task that provides the most direct benefit. Parcel sortation arranges packages into the correct delivery areas so they’re ready to head to their final destination.

How Does a Parcel Sortation System Work?

Speed and precision are the defining traits of an effective parcel sortation system. A sortation system relies on one or more mechanical components to actually redirect parcels off the main line. Common types include:

Diverters

Mechanical devices that sit above the conveying surface. They use electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic power to push, pull, or move a parcel off the main line. Pneumatic pushers and pullers use air-powered rams or cylinders to move parcels at a right angle. Impact diverters use a mechanically actuated push plate to nudge a load in the right direction.

In-Line Diverters

Built into the conveying surface itself, these rise up on command to redirect a parcel through direct contact with its underside. This category includes pop-up rollers, pop-up chain sorters for heavy pallet loads, and pop-up skewed wheel sorters, which can handle up to 120 cases per minute.

Shoe Sorters

A continuous surface of linked slats, each fitted with an independently operated shoe that slides across to nudge a parcel off the line. Because the motion is gentle and precisely timed, shoe sorters are well suited to high-speed sorting.

Tilt-Tray Sorters

A continuously moving train of independent trays that circulate in a closed loop and tilt on command to discharge a parcel at the correct location. This design supports some of the highest sorting speeds available.

Cross-Belt Sorters

Short, motorized belt sections oriented perpendicular to the main conveyor line. Each cross-belt section’s own motor propels the parcel riding on it off to the side when triggered.

Activated Roller Belt (ARB) Sorters

Free-spinning angled rollers built into a modular plastic belt change a parcel’s direction, alignment, and speed without rails or mechanical arms. This technology is useful for sorting, aligning, and turning applications alike.

Each mechanism sorts parcels by size, destination, or weight, streamlining the process from receiving to shipping.

What Are the Benefits of Automated Parcel Sortation?

There are several advantages to implementing an automated parcel sortation system. First, these solutions are scalable to operations of any size. They can also be customized to fit exact needs, keeping operations running smoothly as they grow. Because sortation systems rely on smart software and controls, they also offer flexibility. They can handle different item mixes and volumes efficiently as demand shifts between slow and peak periods.

Parcel sortation can also save an operation significant time and money. These systems run quickly, which increases the number of packages that can be processed in a single day. With higher output and lower labor costs, automated parcel sortation makes the entire operation more efficient. Because a sortation system does the physical work of moving loads along a fixed path, it also improves ergonomics and safety by eliminating the operator injury and collision risk associated with manual pushing, pulling, or forklift movement.

Reducing manual sorting also frees up employees for other areas of the warehouse. Sorting packages by hand is extremely time-consuming and far from the only task on the floor. Shifting that work to a parcel sortation system lets teams put their efforts toward more valuable tasks.

Accurate sorting depend on accurate scanning. A parcel sortation system can perform thousands of scans a day as it routes each parcel to the correct location. This also helps maintain accurate tracking of everything moving through a fulfillment center.

Expertly Designed Parcel Sortation

As noted above, effective parcel sortation relies heavily on well-designed conveyor systems. These conveyors transport parcels through the necessary sorting mechanisms. They then move the sorted parcels to the appropriate shipping area to be sent out together.

A properly built parcel sortation system is essential to a well-functioning order fulfillment and processing center. To learn how Designed Conveyor Systems can optimize parcel sortation in your operation, connect with us.