Sortation Conveyors
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Automate Sorting & Product Routing
Sortation conveyors direct products to the right destination based on order, SKU, size, weight, or other criteria. They help automate routing between processes, order fulfillment, shipping lanes, and other points throughout an operation.
Choosing the right sortation technology depends on your product mix, throughput, and number of divert points. RMH Systems designs and integrates complete solutions around these requirements and your overall material flow.
Types of Sortation Conveyors
Sliding Shoe Sorters
This high-throughput conveyor uses a series of slides with shoes that move along a track to gently sort products at higher speeds and throughput rates.
Key features:
✓ Gentle material handling
✓ Sorts up to 300 products per minute, including totes and boxes
✓ Recommended for products that are fragile, easily damaged, or cartons of varying weights
✓ Available with single-side or dual-side diverts, which are customizable based on conveyor design
Best for:
✓ High-throughput operations, varying carton sizes and products requiring gentler handling.
Narrow Belt Sorters
This high-throughput conveyor offers a 30- or 90-degree divert.
Key features:
✓ Quiet operation
✓ Suitable for a wide range of industries
✓ Fits into compact spaces and leads into robotic cells
✓ Sorts up to 100 products per minute
✓ Recommended for mid-size and mid-weight products, including totes, bins, boxes, and polybags
✓ Can be reconfigured as your operations grow
Best for:
✓ Mid-size products, multiple divert points, and layouts where space is limited.
Pivot Wheel Sorters
This medium-throughput conveyor uses pivoting wheels to divert products.
Key features:
✓ Saves floor space
✓ Suitable for smaller distribution centers and food processors
✓ Sorts up to 90 cartons per minute
✓ Available as multiple diverts, even along smaller conveyor sections
✓ Recommended for totes, bins, boxes and polybags
Best for:
✓ Cartons, totes, bins, and polybags in medium-throughput applications.
This medium-throughput conveyor is known for its reliable movement for conveyed items.
For applications involving products that flow into an industrial robot cell, a passive ARB transfer can be used that needs very minimal controls.
Key features:
✓ Uses modular plastic belting
✓ Saves floor space
✓ Sorts up to 60 products per minute
✓ Recommended for unstable products, square cases, tall cases, and polybags
Best for:
✓ Unstable products, cases, polybags, and applications requiring more product manipulation. space is limited.
Sortation Conveyor Applications
Order Fulfillment
Route orders to packing, shipping, or other downstream destinations.
Shipping & Distribution
Sort cartons and parcels by route, carrier, dock door, or destination.
Automated Packaging Lines
Route products between inspection, labeling, packing, and downstream equipment.
Returns Processing
Direct returned products to inspection, restocking, repair, or other processing areas.
Choosing the Right Sortation System
Sortation technology should be selected around the products you’re handling and how they need to move through the system. RMH evaluates your product mix, required throughput, number of destinations, and surrounding conveyor equipment before recommending a solution.
Key considerations include:
✓ Product Size & Weight
✓ Product Type & Stability
✓ Required Throughput
✓ Number of Divert Points
✓ Divert Angle & Direction
✓ Conveyor Layout
