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Mail Sorter

Parcel Sorter — Sorting Conveyors — Package Sorter — Mail Sorting Equipment

Here are two sample installations of GBI Mail Sorters:


Cross Belt Sorters
Mail Sorter, USPS Distribution Center - Sample Installation

Here we present a Wally Cross Belt priority mail sorter for the USPS Air Mail Facility [AMF] at Oklahoma City International Airport, OKC, OK.

Located on the flight line, this system sorts priority mail [to 17"x14"x14"]  into 144 zip code locations where it is automatically accumulated in mail sacks or into rolling hampers.

Regional mail arrives by truck in rolling carts whose contents are automatically dumped on conveyors leading to 2 semi-automatic induction workstations. Item zip codes are scanned, keyed in or voice entered after which the item is automatically loaded onto on of 100 cross belt units which transport the item to the designated chute and discharged.

Priority mail is sorted during the evening shift. The USPS also uses the sorter during the day shift to sort non-machinable first class mail. This includes items as small as a matchbook to as large as priority mail (weights to 80 lbs).

 


Click the image above
to view a video of the
Cross Belt Sorter
USPS, OKC Air Mail Facility
Distribution Center

Cross Belt - Mail Sorter
Operation Overview

  • System length 180 ft
  • Speed 150 fpm
  • Throughput 4000 per hour
  • 4 Tow Units
  • Items range from
    3" x 3" to 14" x 17"
  • Weight up to 80 lbs

 

Major System Components —
Cross Belt Mail Sorter

   Cross Belt Units
  • No air
  • No hydraulics
  • Self contained dontrol system
  • Intelligent server drive on each unit
  • Independent tracking
  • Reliable
  • Low weight
  • Small footprint

Custom designed discharge and controls
to meet customer requirements

 

   Feed System on Mail Sorter

  • 2 dumpers
  • 2 incline belts
  • 2 foot switchess



    Induction on Mail Sorter

  • 2 semi-automatic workstations
  • Keypad, voice or scanner for
    Zip entry (1st three digits)
  • Brake belt and 45 degree
    merge belt

     Chutes on Mail Sorter

  • 140 Chute Outlets (70 pairs)
  • Moveable for maintenance access
  • Load sacks directly or hampers
  • Overhead displays
    (full sack/hamper local)
  • Pull-out sack holder with
    auto-dumping shelf

    Chutes are custom designed
    to best fit customer requirements

 

  

  Software Controls on Mail Sorter

  • User friendly graphical screens and controls 
  • Safeguards to monitor system
    and protect integrity of the sort
  • Communications link with existing warehouse management system
  • Tracking Software is available for remote examination by network or modem to assist in diagnostics and other analysis reports.

 

 

 

Mail Sorter Summary

This system has been in use at the USPS Air Mail Facility [AMF] at Oklahoma City International Airport, OKC, OK. for 26 months and has proven to be the most accurate sorter in the region.

Software, service, and installation provided by GBI.
The sorter is designed by Transport Systems, Inc. and sold exclusively by GBI Data and Sorting Systems. 
 

 

 

 

Additional information on this sorter: Cross Belt Sorter

Contact GBI* today – we offer sortation solutions for a wide range of goods across many industries.

*GBI Data & Sorting Systems has exclusive distribution rights for the
Wally Sort Cross Belt Sorters in the United States and South America
.

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Tilt Tray Sorters
Bulk Mail Center Sorter Application (BMC)

  > with weigh-in-motion & manifesting system

Here we present a Tilt Tray Carrier, Mail Sorter (Package Sorter) specifically designed to handle small packages for a Bulk Mail Center (BMC) Sorter application, with weigh in motion and manifesting system.

All GBI's Tilt Tray Sorters will simultaneously sort irregularly shaped products such as from small lightweight polybags to larger boxes weighing up to 25 lbs.

An offshoot of the Tilt Tray sorter is GBI's Bulk Mail Center (BMC) Package Sorter used as a conveyor sorting system to separate packages by postal code for manifesting. This sorter is built to scan and weigh the induced packages and communicate all pertinent information to our proprietary or third-party manifesting systems.

Our Manifest System is a Windows based tracking system that interfaces to our sorting equipment. It provides automatic pricing by weight and method of shipment with flexible user controls. Manifest documents are created in the same graphic form that the carrier uses. The system handles Federal Express, USPS, third, fourth, and priority mail classes, as well as UPS mail classes. Appropriate rates are applied by zone and weight as recorded from the scale input.

Click on the image below to view a video of the GBI Bulk Mail Center Sorter : with weigh-in-motion and manifest system

GBI Sorting
click on image for enlarged view
BMC - Sorting System 

How one example of a GBI Mail Sorter  (Package Conveyor Sorting Systems) works:

GBI provided a segmented conveyor with flights every 24" (as dictated by this application). The conveyor transports packages that vary in weight from ounces to up to  25 lbs. and vary in dimension from 6" x 5.25" to 18" x 14" at a speed of 2 ft./second.

A GBI singulating mechanism receives the packages with the bar coded label up from two automatic packagers and separates the packages so that only one package per flight is loaded onto the conveyor. The transport conveyor then carries the packages under an omni directional laser bar code reader, where the zip code and package identifier (11 digits) bar code is read.

Packages are then transferred from the loading conveyor to the scale where each package is weighed. The manufacturer's quoted accuracy for the scale used is:

0-1 lb. ± 0.005 lbs.
-6 lbs. ± 0.020 lbs. @ 2 sigma

The scale outputs the weight to the manifesting computer. The weight of the package and the bar code data is combined as a record and stored in the database. The manifest computer checks for exceptions in the file to see if that package needs to be diverted to a different location than would have been designated by the zip code. This option allows  the customer to search for a particular package. On all other packages, the computer looks up the destination determined by the last three digits of the package identifier, and transfers the information to a control processor that activates the tilts.

Packages are sorted into BMC's that measure 40" x 40" and 5 feet high. The manifest computer automatically and intelligently overrides the third or fourth-class classification for a package depending what the actual weight of that package is, i.e. a third class package that weighs greater and 1 lb. will be classified 4th class and visa versa.

The control processor instructs the sorter to tilt the tray at the appropriate drop location and confirms the drop to the manifest computer after the package has been sorted. When a BMC gets to its full count (determined by the operator at set-up or by cube limit), the computer prompts for the BMC ID number and creates a file for all full BMC's.

When the truck arrives at the loading dock, the operator at the loading dock will, via menu, call up the BMC full file to his screen and select from the above list which BMC's will go on the truck. The computer then generates a manifest for those BMC's in the carrier's accepted format. The manifest contains the following information:

  1. Detailed per package weight information
  2. Summary sheet totaling the package information
  3. Statement of mailing sheet.

Several reports are available or may be customized according to customer needs. As with all our sorters, informative messages and reports are available to diagnose irregularities. Internal programming safeguards are in place to protect the integrity of the sort as well as the equipment.

Call us for a video demonstrating this sorter.

Specifications of a GBI Customers .BMC Sorter (Package Sorter) Installation

Type: Straight, in line, over-under layout
Drops per sorter: 24 drops
Drop width: 40" wide dropping into a BMC measuring 40" x 48" x 5' high
Sections: Six 7' sorting sections, with 4 drops per section, (2 drops per side) Expandable in 7' sections
Sort speed: 3,600 trays per hour, belt speed of 120 feet per minute. Faster speeds available
Tray Size & Centers: 22" x 16" on 24" centers. (used for this application - custom tray sizes are built to suit)
Tray capacity: Ounces to up to 6 lbs. Larger capacity available
Induction method: Auto induction from packagers and manually induction
Power requirements: Each sorter runs on one single 3 Phase 208 Volt AC power supply
Bar Code specifications: 128 and 2 of 5. (as specified by customer)
Dimensions:
(for this application)
System Length 83'-4"
Sorter Length 61'-0"
Height from floor to tray - 6'-5"
Height from floor to top incline - 8'-7-1/2".
Additional equipment: Weigh in Motion Scale integrated with Full Manifesting System

Additional benefits of Package Sorter:

This sorter is comprised of few moving parts, reducing the risk of repair downtime. The sorter is modular and can be extended as your needs expand. Sorter requires little ongoing maintenance. This sorter runs quietly requiring only a three-phase 208V AC connection. No compressed air.

Options:

  • Complete Manifesting System
  • Drop verification.
  • Dynamically communicate with your existing software to: match invoice to sorted product, update customer service information files, track shipments, and so on.
  • Automatically weigh packages prior to sortation.
  • Custom reports.

This is a description of a single application of GBI's BMC Tilt Tray Sortation System (Package Sorter). GBI will customize the system to meet your requirements.

See Sorter Types for a complete description of our BasicTilt Tray Sortation System, or for other sample installations see Automated Distribution Systems. 

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GBI Data & Sorting Systems • 1143 West Newport Center Drive • Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 USA
954-596-5000 Ext. 231 • Fax 954-596-5015 • E-mail contact: info@gbisorters.com

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