Sorting refers to systematically identifying and distributing goods, products, or materials according to specific criteria.
The main objective is to distribute the various goods to the correct means of transport, storage locations, or even shipping routes according to destination, shipping class, CEP service provider, or other identification features. Efficient and accurate processes are critical to prevent delays, optimise storage and production, and ensure punctual delivery or processing of products.
Automatic sorting solutions are becoming increasingly important, especially given the strong growth of the online market. Automatic sorting reduces manual activities, minimises errors, increases productivity, and significantly shortens delivery times. At the same time, it increases the accuracy and speed of processes and leads to higher performance in the warehouse pre-zone. Automatic sorting systems help make logistics processes more efficient and cost-effective—resulting in lower costs and faster customer deliveries.
The market for sorting solutions is diverse and continues to grow. There is a solution for almost any sorting application, whether crossbelt, tilt-tray, shoe, bag, push-tray, split-tray, pop-up, or arm sorter. It can be challenging to navigate this range and select an appropriate sorting system that meets your specific needs.
The criteria
The right system selection depends directly on the goods to be sorted, the throughput, the available area, and other factors. Sorting performance and quality can only be optimised if the performance features match the requirements. The following criteria support the selection process.
The general cargo
A fundamental question that needs to be clarified before investing is which unit loads must be sorted. This ranges from cartons to totes, envelopes, poly or paper bags, and various unpackaged products (e.g. tires). It is also important to consider the weight and size of the unit load.
The sorting rate
Depending on the desired throughput, various solutions are available. The required sorter speed is determined by the desired throughput rate and the size and weight of the products to be sorted. There are a wide variety of sorting solutions that are suitable for different performance ranges. For example, the GEBHARDT SpeedSorter® Loop is used for medium and high throughput/performance requirements.
The market for sorting solutions is diverse and continues to grow. There is a solution for almost any sorting application, whether crossbelt, tilt-tray, shoe, bag, push-tray, split-tray, pop-up, or arm sorter. It can be challenging to navigate this range and select an appropriate sorting system that meets your specific needs.
Space requirement
The issue of available space is crucial due to the increasing scarcity and high cost of real estate. Optimising space with high flexibility is essential, as available space determines the technology feasible for the project.
A line sorter is a very space-saving sorting solution due to its vertical design. The compact design of line sorters achieves high sorting performance with low space requirements. Infeed and discharge areas can be flexibly arranged at a short distance to the left and right of the sorting line.
The line sorter typically receives the unit load from above (top loader) and discharges it on both sides. The loop sorter, on the other hand, usually receives the infeed from the side, which can happen at several infeed points to achieve a better sorting factor. The discharge of the conveyed goods can be carried out on both sides along the straight sorting sections.
After identifying all the necessary criteria and determining the specific points, selecting a suitable system becomes possible, paving the way for a successful sorting process.
Tilt-tray, push-tray, and split-tray are typically loop sorters. Shoe, pop-up, and arm sorters are usually designed as line sorters. Crossbelt sorters can be realised in loop and line form.
The solutions
The GEBHARDT sorter portfolio offers an individual solution for most applications and performance requirements and contributes to an efficient in-house material flow process.
Line sorter
The GEBHARDT SpeedSorter® line is suitable for sorting a diverse range of products. It offers the optimal combination of effective use of space, long service life, and low maintenance costs. The smart features of the SpeedSorter® line use digital services and predictive maintenance, resulting in optimised operating costs and, ultimately, TCO. In addition to the infeed conveyor, the SpeedSorter® line comprises the infeed, sorting line, and destinations.
The GEBHARDT SpeedSorter® line can be used flexibly thanks to its modular design. For example, the type and number of infeeds and destinations, as well as the number and size of carriers, can be perfectly adapted to customer-specific applications through simple plug-and-play. This guarantees a simple layout design and subsequent modification of the system. While the top loader is the most common and highest-throughput infeed variant, laterally arranged semi-automatic and fully automatic infeeds offer further choices.
The SpeedSorter® line sorts up to 14,000 conveyed goods per hour at a speed of up to 1.8 m/s. Regardless of whether it is a matter of sorting packages, poly- and paper bags, containers, or other packaged products with a flat bottom - everything within the dimensions of 150 x 80 x 10 [mm] to 1,200 x 800 x 600 [mm] and a weight of 0.1 to 35 kg is reliably sorted by the SpeedSorter line. Conveyed goods larger than 600 x 600 x 500 [mm] are usually distributed by the sorter by occupying two carriers (double tray).
Loop sorter
Loop sorters are characterised by their versatility and high performance. This makes them ideal for quickly and efficiently sorting large quantities of packages, totes, polybags, or paper bags. The routing of loop sorters can be flexibly designed and adapted to local conditions. During transport, the goods are identified and distributed to the appropriate destinations based on predefined criteria such as destination, destination region, shipping class, CEP service provider, or other identification features. The modular design of the loop sorter guarantees short installation times, easy expandability in the future and a simple, configurable layout - perfect for any requirement.
Loop sorters are renowned for their exceptional sorting performance and high speed, making them perfect for use in logistics and parcel distribution centres where the efficient sorting of large volumes of shipments is vital. Crossbelt sorters increase throughput, speed up processes, and improve the efficiency of logistics operations.
The GEBHARDT SpeedSorter® loop is the perfect addition to the portfolio in this case. The SpeedSorter® loop is known for its highly modular and flexible system. The individual elements can be expanded and combined as required according to the plug-and-play principle with pre-assembled electrical and pneumatic cabling. The high scalability enables a simple layout design, allowing the sorter to adapt to new conditions at any time easily. Developed according to the maxim "Mechanical meets Digital", the GEBHARDT SpeedSorter® loop combines the best of both worlds. The robust and mechanical drive, as well as the purely mechanical discharge principle supplemented by digital functions based on IoT, such as predictive maintenance, maximises system availability, significantly reduces maintenance costs and optimises operating costs or the total cost of ownership (TCO).
With a speed of up to 2 m/s, the GEBHARDT SpeedSorter® loop sorts a wide range of products: clothing, letters, multimedia products, and even packaged food items are no problem. Whether totes, packages, poly- and paper bags, the sorter transports everything in the dimensions from 150 x 80 x 10 to 1,200 x 600 x 600 [mm]. Conveyed goods with a length greater than 600 [mm] are distributed by occupying two carriers (double tray).
ArmSorter
The GEBHARDT ArmSorter is the perfect solution for low-performance requirements of up to 2,500 conveyed goods per hour. Thanks to its unique price/performance ratio and compact, modular design, it is already suitable for the smallest parcel and distribution centres and inbound sorting.
The upstream conveyor system transports parcels, polybags, and paper bags to the sorting line. Once they reach their destination, swivel arms on the conveyor system's side eject the packages into the final station. The purely mechanical design of the swivel arms and the pneumatic drive make this process particularly robust and reliable. With a wide variety of metal chutes (discharge into containers or manual removal), gravity roller conveyors or a direct connection to the downstream conveyor system, the GEBHARDT ArmSorter offers complete flexibility and an individual destination design.
The GEBHARDT ArmSorter gently distributes standard formats in the dimensions 200 x 150 x 10 to 1,200 x 800 x 600 [mm] and a weight of 0.1 to 35 kg to the destination at a speed of 1.25 m/s. It thus achieves a throughput of up to 2,500 parcels, poly- or paperbags per hour. With a growing number of sorting destinations, the arm sorter can be easily expanded anytime.
This is because of the sorting line's simple modular design, allowing for easy adjustment of both destinations and individual elements. Each component is easy to integrate and thus lays the foundation for fast, uncomplicated commissioning and maintenance, as well as flexible adaptation to individual needs and spatial conditions.