From Manual to Automated: The Evolution of Product Sorting in the Industrial Landscape

Sorting systems serve as a link between manufacturing and packaging equipment. Items are sorted using sorting systems according to various parameters so that they may be packed appropriately. Manual sorting requires a lot of time and work. Product sorting may be done quickly and effectively using automatic devices. Automated sorting technologies are utilized in industrial regimes at large to boost production rates.

Sortation has advanced significantly in the order accomplishment, warehouse, materials handling, and e-commerce sectors over the last several decades and years. In the past, manual sorting was the only choice available to operations; now, modern enterprises have access to a wide range of potentially automated solutions that may increase productivity, reduce labor expenses, and raise profits.

It might be difficult to decide and choose the finest machinery for your requirements, whether your organization still depends on more manual procedures or you need to replace an old sorter. However, automated sortation will be your best option in every circumstance and work condition.

A brief overview of the sorting process

Sorting is locating things on a conveyor system and moving them to a certain location within any activity. Automated sortation uses several methods, including barcode scanners and various other sensors, to do this task without any related human involvement, in contrast to manual sortation, which depends on human employees to identify and redirect objects as required.

Concerning the underlying technology they are based on, modern automated sorters come in a wide range of designs. Sensors, conveyance methods, and diversion techniques may all be customized to meet a given business’s unique product management and throughput requirements.

The early days of manual product sorting

With the start of the industrial era in Europe in the 18^th century, sorting products was completely manual, and this practice is also witnessed even in this era where the states and businessmen have not adopted digitization in their workplace.  Staff would manually sort stock amounts and inventory locations using a manual inventory method. That implies that staff will manually update the company’s inventory list when stuff comes in and out.

Alternatively, the business could not even continuously monitor inventories. The company will instead depend on actual inventory counts to ascertain what is currently in stock, what is running short, and what has to be ordered again. It’s a physical manual sorting method if the relevant team doesn’t know what’s on hand until they physically count it in a storage room.

These physical sorting practices might take place on demand or at predetermined intervals. Regardless of your chosen inventory method, the company will likely do some end-of-year inventory count.

Another option, however challenging, is for a company to maintain ongoing manual inventory. A permanent manual inventory management system is one where your team continually knows what is in stock in real time but manually updates an inventory sheet each time an item comes in or goes out.

Rise of Automated Sorting

Over the past couple of decades, unprecedented industry-wide sorting disturbances have caused much shifting and swinging on the factory floor. Unsurprisingly, employees involved in sorting operations are working harder than ever to find methods to streamline their procedures to increase throughput and save expenses. The employees seeking to use more automation technologies in the context of Industry 4.0 for effective results are motivated by this constant drive to reduce expenses and enhance efficiency. All of the major organizations and businesses are more inclined towards automated sorting. When goods are sorted more efficiently, taking less time than earlier, it is also easier for marketers to send the products to the online marketplace and manage their inventories. From PLC to Robotics, the nature and speed of automated sorting are increasing with each passing day.

Nature of work of Sortation Systems with the advent of time

Various elements got their significance in the sortation system with time. Picking often receives the most emphasis on sortation, and for a good reason—automated sortation may greatly improve your order processing system for the contemporary challenges your organization is experiencing. But it isn’t the only use for which it is appropriate. The usage of automated sortation (including selection) in order fulfillment is covered below.

1. Receiving

You may handle inventory as it reaches your business more quickly and with more inventory visibility if you use automated sortation throughout the receiving phase. A few receiving-focused programs that may improve sorting are:

Return Processing

Carton ID barcodes may be used to assign cartons to particular stations where returns can be processed most effectively if sufficient data regarding the return can be given. After the products have been disposed of, they may be automatically sorted to a place where they will be utilized to fulfill an open order, returned to the seller, put away into stock, or destroyed.

Putaway

As was already noted, a receiving system is a highly effective way to take floor-loaded cases off the trailer and sort the cartons by SKU so they may be palletized with only one touch before being stored in reserve.

Cross-docking

For combining active orders that need to be fulfilled with just-in-time inventories. Products that are ready to ship, such as certain hard commodities, may be sent straight to shipment, and individual items can be transported in a tote to an area where orders are consolidated.

You should be aware of the following when choosing a sortation option for your receiving requirements:

The number of incoming trailers that must be concurrently unloaded and the number of destinations where the incoming work must be divided up for processing or put away. You may use this information to choose the optimum equipment and system configuration for your requirements.

2. Selection & Packaging

The most labor-intensive activities that any order completion business will encounter are order picking and packaging. This implies that human employees must physically roam the floor to choose things and place them in orders for processing, which is costly regarding each time and compensation.

To increase or entirely alter their picking strategy, medium- and high-volume completion businesses may use an automated sortation technology to make their staff more productive. Workers can choose more items in an identical amount of time if they aren’t worried about sorting or conveying orders since they can remain in one aisle or area, spend less time moving, and allow the sorter to lead the flow of products to the right place for packaging and shipment.

Large batches (100–200 orders per batch) of units may be selected for many distinct orders by high-volume e-commerce operations, who can then let a unit sorter redirect and aggregate them into separate orders. The system will inform an operator to pack the order and submit it for shipment after the final item for an order has arrived.

Similarly, orders may be selected into totes in a medium-volume operation. Then, a sorter can combine numerous totes of an order from various locations in the picking area. They will arrive at the same packing station to put them into the same carton. Alternatively, split case orders may be routed to specialized packing activities depending on the kind of shipping container needed, such as polybags, cartons, gift wrapping, etc.

It would be best to be mindful of the smallest and largest goods, shipping sizes, cartons’ weights, and the needed number of packing stations when choosing a sortation solution for your picking and packaging requirements.

3. Shipping

The natural next step is to dispatch orders once they have been chosen, packaged, and delivered. By presorting groups of orders, an efficient sortation system can enable orders to skip parcel hubs, known as zone skipping. This results in fewer days spent in transit, a shorter overall order cycle time, and lower freight costs, all of which lead to more orders being processed in a given amount of time and happier customers.

LTL, small package, or carrier/service technique may be used to categorize orders. When choosing a sorter for your shipping requirements, you should be aware of the smallest and largest product sizes and weights that will be handled, the volume of shipping during your busiest hour, and the number of containers build locations or automobiles that will require to be loaded at once that are necessary for your operation.

The Integration of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Each phase has a crucial role to play in Industrial regimes. Each component of operations must be carried out with a high level of precision and attention, much like a well-choreographed dance.

One component of a comprehensive order fulfillment platform is product sorting. Robotic sorting is the answer for businesses trying to boost production, scalability, and efficiency.

What exactly is robotic sorting, then? An automated, AI-enabled robotic sorting technology may improve delivery times and save logistics and package handling expenses. Robotic sorting technologies offer efficient eCommerce order shipping and packaging pre-sorting with little to no human labor.

Companies can handle more goods and satisfy consumer delivery expectations using robotic sorting, all while streamlining warehouse operations. Your business supply chain management can just become a lot simpler. Not only this, it will also meet the challenges related to sorting in the next era.

Benefits of Automatic Sorting Equipment

Fewer labor works

Sorting systems operate equipment, so products may be automatically sorted without human sorting. Automated sorting speeds up work for businesses, lowers personnel expenses, and makes it simpler for them to handle stored items. Additionally, businesses may focus on other duties as sorting labor does not need as much time as it formerly did.

Data storage

While the sorting system is in operation, data may be saved and kept in the system. Data storage is mostly used to ensure that the items are accurately classified and not misplaced. There are several issues with sorting when items are sorted manually since there are commonly sorting mistakes or missing commodities. Sorting system storage for data can thus effectively prevent such issues.

Safety for Cargo

Using equipment to sort cargo makes sure that the cargo is sorted accurately and safely. The safety of the commodities cannot be assured, which is only one issue with the human sorting of goods.

High sorting effectiveness

The major benefit relevant to system application is its high sorting efficiency. Thus, every business is eager to employ the sorting system to accomplish efficient sorting.

Conclusion

The transition of product sorting from manual to automated technologies has changed the industrial environment. Numerous difficulties with conventional sorting have been resolved by automation, enabling previously unheard-of levels of precision and efficiency. Sorting systems serve as a bridge between production and packing machinery. Goods are organized using sorting systems based on several criteria to enable proper packing. Sorting by hand takes a lot of time and effort. Automatic machines may be used to swiftly and efficiently sort products. Automated sorting technologies are widely used in industrial environments to increase output rates.

This entry was posted on November 21st, 2023 and is filed under Automation, Education, Electrical. Both comments and pings are currently closed.