Automated Sortation - Facility Logistics
Why Automate?
GBI's sortation systems offer a rapid return on investment due to decreased labor costs and increased accuracy when used to automate order fulfillment, returns processing, loose receipts or zip code sorting. Our systems utilize less space and complete the work in a much shorter time frame. GBI's sorters are modular and may be expanded, contracted or rearranged as your growth dictates. Many options are available, and as always, GBI will customize the system and software controls to best suit your application.
Example of a Process that is improved with Automation
When using a sorter for order fulfillment:
- Many orders are completed simultaneously by rapidly delivering
product according the individual order requirements.
- Bulk picks from stock become more efficient since order requirements
are combined in waves reducing the amount of visits to each stock location.
- Labor is reduced: A sorter can be loaded by three to four employees and is
capable of attaining rates of up to 12,000 sorts per hour per load area.
- Higher Accuracy: Our customers report accuracy rates up to and exceeding
99.99%, depending on the level of verification installed with the system.
Aside from the faster turn-around, reduced labor, improved accuracy, and space savings other benefits of automated sortation include:
- Electronic transfer of information.
- Better product and order tracking
- Process measurement for monitoring efficiency
- Reduction of handling and paper processes
- Fewer charge-backs due to missorts
- And so on...
Which Sorter is right for your business
GBI offers a variety of sortation solutions including Pick/ Put-to-Light, High Density Bomb Bay Style Sorters, Light, Medium and Heavy Capacity Tilt Tray Sorters, Configurable Carrier Size Cross-Belt Sorters, Hanging Garment and Conveyor Controls for conveyor based sortation.
Why choose GBI's Pick-to-Light / Put-to-Light for semi-automated sortation
The pick/put-to-light system is an excellent lower cost entry-level sortation solution that speeds up the manual sorting process while increasing accuracy. You would use this solution for low order volume with low to medium line items (Put-to-Light) or few line items with low to medium order volume (Pick-to-Light). Higher volumes with many orders make more sense with fully automated sortation.
This system uses lights to direct operators as they pick or put product. Operator training is virtually unnecessary. Data is electronically transmitted resulting in real-time order and parts tracking.
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Why choose GBI's Tilt Tray Sorter for automated sortation
The Tilt Tray sorter provides the most secure method of transfer when sorting small, light weight or delicate products since the product is contained within the confines of the tray. GBI's small tilt tray has walls on the leading and trailing sides to add more secure containment when sorting small and/ or light product. Larger trays that carry larger and/ or heavier product are shaped in a "V" to center the product while it is conveyed to the proper destination chute.
The tilt tray design provides a gentle and gradual deployment from the tray to the collection chute since gravity is the only force acting to move the product off the tray. Forward vector paths are accommodated by appropriately chosen drop widths and the horizontal vector path is a slower gentle motion.
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Why choose GBI's Cross-Belt Sorter for automated sortation
The Cross-Belt sorter may be more appropriate when working with larger and heavier products, or when available floor space is at a premium. The cross belt sorter has more control in that it can dispense the product faster allowing a smaller chute width. The Cross-Belt "car" can make use of a smaller drop width since the product is ejected from the conveying carrier.
GBI's Cross-Belt features contactless induction motors to drive the cars and wireless infrared communications to transmit on-the-fly instructions reducing wear and maintenance requirements. As such, GBI's Cross-Belt has the ability to control the speed of deployment expanding its capabilities to handle fragile products. |
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Why choose GBI's Bomb Bay Family of Sorters
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The Carrier-Based "Bomb Bay" Sorter is the most economical fully automated sortation system in price per sort. Look at this sortation system for sorting small packages or items such as check boxes, contact lenses, optical lenses and glasses, pharmacy products, photofinishing envelopes, or items within these size limits. It is best suited for items that fit within a 13 inch x 6.75 inch x 3 inch form factor. Product drops vertically into collection chutes, mailbags, or FedEx-style boxes that are arranged in a dense dual-row pattern to provide the maximum number of sort locations for a given footprint.
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Why choose GBI's Hanging Garment Sorter for automated sortation
The Hanging Garment Sortation System is a modular automated sortation system, designed to provide efficient conveyance of garments on hangers at average flow rates of 8,000 pieces per hour. Its features include such functions and controls as cross hanger detection, discreet conveyance, accumulation storage and conveyance, product scanning and tracking, sorting, and order staging.
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Why choose GBI's Conveyor Controls
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GBI's conveyor controls are used with all GBI's conveyor solutions to track cartons and divert them when and where appropriate as defined by the user's criteria. GBI's conveyor controls incorporate the same sortation system technology we use in our high speed sortation machines. The object oriented approach to the build function allows GBI to put together a working solution for any configuration in a short period of time resulting in a lower cost to implement.
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Here are some ideas worth exploring with or without automated sortation:
- Grouping orders of the same makeup and content for specialized operator stations.
- Grouping orders of the same packaging requirements for specialized operator stations.
- Batching small (under 4 pieces per order) mixed orders for Pick-to-Light processing.
- Setting up several slots on the sorter to sort by consolidation or specialization station (as described here). See the Internet Model.
- Sort several simultaneous waves on the sorter to optimize equipment utilization. Examples include larger orders that remain on the sorter for a longer period of time that is simultaneously sorted with a medium wave and consolidation wave. This sort is optimized by the product mix for better batch processing. See the Simultaneous and Multiple Batch Model.
Automated Sortation Operational Considerations and Sort Methodologies
GBIs Sorting Systems are designed to meet your material handling sortation needs for distribution center automation, warehouse automation, factory automation, and Systems Integration. GBI offers custom conveyor sorter applications.
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