Material handling specialist Sitma has completed a trial installation of a custom-designed sorter for logistics firm Viapost – a subsidiary of the French postal service La Poste.
The sorter has two elements, one for sorting regular parcels and another for sorting irregular-shaped items originating from international e-commerce (PPI).
Sitma and Viapost have now outlined an agreement for the exclusive delivery of several sorting units to be installed throughout France in the next three years.
The Easy Sort solution from Sitma features an automatic loading conveyor equipped with a product code reading system. Its minimal footprint enables it to be easily installed within complex layouts, while its modular units simplify movement between various distribution sites. The unit is capable of sorting up to 7,200 items per hour.
Pascal Cesari, industrial director at Viapost, said, “We had the following needs: find a simple and economic solution, steady and compact, that could guarantee high availability rates and low maintenance. Sitma was able satisfy all of these requirements thanks to its capacity to listen, evolve its technology, demonstrate pragmatic creativity and deliver in a very short time scale.”
Alongside the sorting solution, Sitma has also been developing a vertical sacking system for PPI items after they have been sorted. The main advantage of this solution is to combine parcels by destination inside a sack. Sacks of different sizes are then labelled and handed over to mail staff for final delivery.