Sorters (also known as classifiers) are one of the most used technologies in Distribution Centers when the order preparation process requires the classification of medium and high product flows.
According to the rate you require and the type of products you handle in your CEDIS, there are different kinds of sorters that can help you meet your goals.
On this occasion, we will talk about the differences between two of the most used classification systems in the industry: the Cross Belt and the Shoe Sorter. Keep reading!
Cross Belt or Shoe Sorter: Which of the two sorters is better for your operation?
Cross Belt
The Cross Belt is a sorter designed to handle products with regular and irregular shapes, such as boxes or bags.
Despite the fact that its investment cost is higher compared to the Shoe Sorter, its capacities can mobilize flows of more than 500 products per minute, depending on the arrangement or design that is implemented and the space restriction in the Center of Distribution.
Also, the Cross Belt allows to handle multiple high speed inductions (as long as they coincide with the carriers). It is an extremely versatile system that can be conceptualized in a linear way or in the form of a “loop”, which represents a great advantage in saving space and operating costs.
- If you handle products with different characteristics, the Cross Belt is your best option!
Shoe Sorter
On the other hand, the Shoe Sorter can only handle products with regular shapes (whether they are boxes, shrinks, etc.) and the number of outputs per linear meter is less than that of a Cross Belt.
This class of sorters achieves a sorting rate of up to 350 products per minute. However, it is a widely used equipment in multiple industries thanks to the flexibility it provides.
- If your products have very uniform shapes, with a flat bottom, in short, the Shoe Sorter can be your best ally!
It should be noted that when both sorters are controlled by a state-of-the-art Warehouse Control System (WCS), they become intelligent systems that provide an unparalleled degree of traceability and certainty to the operation.
Maximize the investment of your sorter with G.I.Eicom!
With more than 35 years of experience in the Latin American and southern US market, we are specialists in the design and implementation of intelligent intralogistics solutions that use the most advanced technologies worldwide.
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