Royal Mail has completed the installation of a new fully automated parcel sorting machine at its Tyneside mail center, capable of processing 180,000 parcels per day.
Built by automation specialist Bowe Group, the parcel sorting machine uses 200 sorting trays to process up to 10,000 parcels per hour and can handle a variety of parcel shapes and sizes weighing up to 31kg.
It is part of Royal Mail’s multi-million-dollar investment program to replace manual sorting processes to help meet the surge in demand for online shopping.
Achim Dunnwald, chief operating officer, Royal Mail, said, “We are transforming the way Royal Mail processes parcels, which are rapidly growing in popularity thanks to the boom in e-commerce and new online shopping trends accelerated by the pandemic. Our investment in state-of the-art parcel sorting machines and automated technology enables us to compete more effectively for business and meet the demands of our customers, while helping to secure quality jobs for the future of Royal Mail.”
Ian Mearns, MP for Gateshead, who inaugurated the new machine, said, “I’m very honored to have been asked to unveil this new state-of-the-art machinery for Royal Mail at the major Tyneside depot in my Gateshead constituency. It will undoubtedly enhance Royal Mail’s capacity to respond to the demands of business customers and domestic customers alike and help facilitate the ever growing demands for a universal parcel service that only Royal Mail can provide.”
Lisa Banton, managing director for Bowe Group UK and Ireland, said, “We are extremely pleased to partner with Royal Mail on this journey towards fully automating their sorting centers with our very latest technology. We believe our parcel sorting solution and services will enable Royal Mail to effectively meet the demands of their customers now and in future. We are particularly pleased that the Bowe Group and Royal Mail teams collaborated together to deliver this automation just in time for the peak period.”