Sortation Conveyor

Sortation conveyors keep things rolling, building momentum with every move.

AEC is an industry leader in sortation conveyor integration, helping businesses stay ahead in today’s fast-moving logistics and distribution landscape. We know that getting products to the right place – fast and accurate – is critical to your success. That’s where sortation conveyors come in, seamlessly identifying items and directing them exactly where they need to be, boosting sorting accuracy to 99.9% and achieving an impressive 4X increase in handling speed to keep your operation running at maximum performance.

Whether you’re managing a steady flow or a high-speed rush, sortation is the smart solution to keep things moving. Our experts are in the business of delivering tailored solutions every day – ensuring the perfect balance of low-speed precision and high-speed hustle to meet your evolving operational needs.

What is Sortation Conveyor?

Sortation is an advanced, automated process that combines specialized conveyors with smart technology to quickly identify and direct items to their correct destinations. Whether it’s based on shipping location, product type, or order priority, the system uses barcode scanners, RFID technology, or sensors to read product data and seamlessly sort and route items to the right lanes, chutes, or workstations.

Smart sortation boosts accuracy, reduces errors, and accelerates processing and delivery times – all while handling everything from small parcels to bulky boxes with ease.  With the ability to process thousands of items per hour, you’re ensured a smooth, efficient flow that keeps operations on track and your customers satisfied.

Sortation Conveyor Benefits

When it comes to keeping up with the demands of modern logistics, efficiency is everything. Sortation ensures products move seamlessly through your operation with speed and precision. They do more than just move items from point A to point B; they streamline operations and keep everything flowing smoothly. Implementing sortation conveyors offers several great advantages:

• 4X Increased Speed: Automated sortation systems can significantly boost throughput, with some systems capable of sorting up to 4X the current speed, dramatically enhancing operations.

• 50% Reduced Labor Costs: With automation handling repetitive sorting tasks, labor costs can be reduced by up to 50%, allowing teams to focus on strategic operations while minimizing manual handling errors.

• 99.9% Improved Accuracy: Automated sortation can achieve up to 99.9% accuracy, ensuring products always reach the right destination, whether it’s a retail store, warehouse, or direct-to-consumer shipment.

• 40% Increased Scalability: Sortation systems provide an adaptable solution for fluctuating production demands with up to a 40% improvement in operational flexibility.

• 20% Enhanced Space Utilization: Strategic buffering capabilities allow for better organization of warehouse space. Facilities can optimize up to 20% more floor space, leading to increased storage capacity and improved workflow efficiency.

Cost Saving Advantages

Investing in a sortation system isn’t just about improving efficiency – it’s about driving serious cost savings across your entire operation. By automating product movement through momentum and buffering, they help reduce labor expenses, prevent product damage, and optimize space utilization.

• 50% Lower Labor Costs: Automating product flow reduces reliance on manual labor, cutting wage expenses and minimizing costly human errors. Businesses can achieve up to a 50% reduction in labor costs.

• 30% Reduced Product Damage: Gentle handling features help minimize wear and tear on products, resulting in fewer returns and lower replacement costs. This translates to a 30% reduction in product damage for many operations.

• 15% Drop in Energy Costs: Smart technology is designed to minimize power consumption without compromising performance, leading to a 15% reduction in energy costs.

• 25% Reduced Downtime: Improved workflow control helps prevent costly bottlenecks and production delays, ensuring a smooth and consistent operation with a 25% decrease in downtime.

Types of Sortation Conveyors

Choosing the right sortation conveyor is key to optimizing your operation’s efficiency and accuracy. Each type is designed to meet specific sorting needs, from high-speed distribution centers to more controlled, low-throughput environments. No matter the size or complexity of your operation, there’s a sortation conveyor designed to improve your workflow, enhance accuracy, and keep your business moving forward. Here’s a closer look at the most popular options:

• Diverter Sortation Systems: These systems use mechanical or pneumatic arms to divert products quickly and efficiently onto different paths. Perfect for handling irregularly shaped items or products with varying weights, diverter sorters offer a high degree of customization to fit unique operational demands.

• Cross-Belt Transfers: Designed for ultimate precision, cross-belt sorters use a series of small belts to transport items in multiple directions. This makes them a go-to solution for facilities that require exact placement, such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, and fragile goods, ensuring every item reaches its correct destination without damage.

• Narrow Belt Sorters: Designed to maximize space, narrow belt sorters use multiple belts running in parallel to move and divert items efficiently. They’re an excellent choice for facilities with limited floor space that still require high sorting accuracy and reliability.

• Angled Roller Sorters: Utilizing angled rollers to guide products to their intended path, these sorters are perfect for operations needing precise control over product orientation and positioning. They work well for fragile or lightweight items that require careful handling.

• Pivoting Wheel Sorters: These flexible sorters use pivoting wheels to adjust the direction of items on the fly. Ideal for operations that need to handle a variety of package sizes and weights, pivoting wheel sorters offer quick adaptability without compromising accuracy.

• Pop-Up Wheel Sorters: With wheels that rise to redirect items to different locations, these sorters are best suited for lower throughput applications. They provide a cost-effective solution for smaller operations that still require reliable and accurate sorting without the need for high-speed capabilities.

• Sliding Shoe Sorters: These workhorses of high-speed distribution use sliding shoes to gently push items onto designated paths with precision and care. Ideal for operations handling thousands of packages per hour, sliding shoe sorters are a top choice for industries like e-commerce and retail, where accuracy and speed are non-negotiable.

• Tilt Tray Sorters: Featuring trays that tilt at just the right moment, these sorters efficiently guide products into the appropriate chutes. They’re perfect for operations with a variety of product sizes and shapes, from delicate parcels to bulkier items, offering exceptional flexibility and gentle handling.

Custom Design & Automation Integration