Conveyor Solutions

Automatic Sortation

Some basic principles to consider when applying automatic sortation include:

1. Product must be released through the scanning area and then into the divert zones m single file, with a gap between cartons sufficient for both the scan and the sort to take place. Depending upon the divert device and the way divert signals are read, the required gap can range from a few inches to four feet or more. Careful engineering of the conveyor upstream of the sorter is required to achieve proper product induction..

2. Careful consideration must be given to the required throughput of a sorter. Throughput impacts many things including the sortation device to use, the speed of the sorter, and the design of the conveyor upstream. Throughput is usually expressed in terms of required number of boxes per minute, and should account for surges and peaks.

3. A decision must be made between positive and non-positive divert technology. Generally, positive sortation devices use shoes, flippers, trays, or slats to "catch" product like a catcher's glove, and then positively push it through the correct door. Non-positive devices use pop-up belts, rollers, or wheels to change product flow. Positive sortation is recommended when high throughput is required (above 40 cartons per minute), or when wide varieties of weights and sizes must be sorted.

Pushers are effective positive divert device that use a use a flat surface attached to an air cylinder to push product across a zone. Similarly, kickers are hinged devices that push to divert. Pushers and kickers can sort up to about 40 boxes per minute. They are relatively inexpensive compared to other devices, but require  additional safety guarding to protect personnel.

Siggins Co. is a distributor for Hytrol, Ermanco, and Interlake sortation devices.