Delay in the Day-to-Day: Sortation Delay Survival Guide

Sortation conveyors are integral components of conveyor systems, designed to direct products to various locations within a facility.

These systems are crucial in industries that require the sorting of materials into different categories or destinations based on specific attributes like size, weight, or type. Whether you’re in a warehouse, a distribution center, or a manufacturing plant, sortation conveyors help optimize floor space and streamline the movement of goods.

By improving efficiency, these systems enhance the speed and accuracy of order fulfillment, reducing labor costs and accelerating processes across the supply chain.

How Do Sortation Conveyors Work?

Sortation conveyors rely on specific equipment and techniques to guide products to the correct location. Key components include:

• Diverters and Gates: These pieces of equipment help change the direction of products, guiding them to one or multiple locations based on specific criteria.
• Pushers: Pushers help move materials horizontally, stacking them as needed to ensure efficient sorting.
• Lane Guiding: Lane guiding accumulates products and organizes them into groups for easy distribution or merging them into a single lane.

These components rely on technology such as proximity switches, photo eyes, and counters, often powered by electric or pneumatic systems, to ensure smooth operation. They provide a gentle, high-speed ride for materials, minimizing product damage and boosting profitability while maintaining low noise levels.

Why Are Sortation Conveyors Beneficial?

Sortation conveyors are known for their numerous benefits:

• Increased Productivity: They move products swiftly and with high throughput rates.
• Lower Labor Costs: Automation reduces the need for human labor.
• Minimal Maintenance: Sortation systems often require less maintenance than other systems.
• Gentle Handling: These conveyors ensure minimal product damage during transit.

Types of Sortation Conveyors

Sortation conveyors come in various types, each suited for specific tasks and environments. The most common types include:

• Shoe Sorters
• Right Angle Transfers
• Narrow Belt or Strip Belt Sorters
• Cross-belt Sorters
• Pop-up Wheel Sorters
• Arm or Pusher-style Sorters
• Tilt Tray Sorters (Loop Sorters)

Each type offers unique advantages, depending on the material handling needs of your operation.

What is a Sortation Delay?

Despite the sophistication of sortation systems, delays can still occur. A sortation delay typically refers to a situation where products get held up or misrouted during the sorting process, which can disrupt timelines and affect customer satisfaction. Common reasons for sortation delays include:

• Technical Issues in Sorting Facilities
• Large Volumes of Packages or Products
• Misrouted Packages
• Software or Equipment Malfunctions

Shipping carriers like UPS, USPS, FedEx, and third-party carriers may all experience sortation delays, which can lead to missed delivery deadlines or disrupted operations.

Learn more about shipping delays and common causes from FedEx.

Common Causes of Sortation Delays

• Unscanned Shipments: If a package hasn’t been scanned at any checkpoint, the tracking system will not update, creating uncertainty.
• Shipping Network Backups: High volumes of packages, especially during peak seasons, can overwhelm sorting systems.
• Inclement Weather: Bad weather can lead to delays in shipping and sorting.
• Misplaced Shipments: Items that get placed on the wrong vehicle or fail to be sorted properly will experience delays until they are rerouted.

For a deeper understanding of how logistics and sorting facilities are impacted during high volumes, see this resource on how logistics work.

How to Respond to a Sortation Delay

When faced with a sortation delay, the first step is often to contact the carrier’s customer service for more details. Although the information may be limited, you can typically get an idea of where the shipment is and what might be causing the issue. Some general responses to a delay include:

• Scan Delays: Sometimes shipments are simply not scanned at key points, which causes a delay in the tracking updates. These are usually resolved when the package reaches the next facility.
• Wrong Vehicle: If a package is placed on the wrong vehicle, rerouting is necessary to correct the mistake.

While customer service can help provide more information, they may not always have the exact details, especially during high-volume periods. Learn about shipping best practices to minimize delays.

How to Prevent or Mitigate Sortation Delays

To avoid or minimize sortation delays, it’s critical to implement preventive measures before any shipments are processed. Here are a few strategies:

• Understand Your Volumes: Knowing the volume of products you’ll be handling helps determine the type of conveyor system needed. This understanding allows for the implementation of the most efficient automated sortation systems, ensuring faster, more reliable processing and streamlining order picking for greater productivity.
• Plan for Downtime: Create a comprehensive maintenance plan to minimize downtime. Having backup equipment and spare parts available ensures smoother operations during unforeseen circumstances, reducing the need for manual handling during breakdowns and keeping the process running efficiently.
• Optimize Sortation Systems: Implement automation systems that fit the size, shape, and speed requirements of your products. Ensure that your sortation conveyors are adequately designed to handle your specific needs, including short distance transfers, to minimize delays and optimize throughput.

At Russell Conveyor & Equipment, we offer turnkey systems with quick installation times, ensuring you’re ready to handle high volumes efficiently. We also provide 24/7 customer support, preventive maintenance services, and a large inventory of spare parts to keep your systems running smoothly.

At Russell Conveyor & Equipment, we understand the importance of meeting deadlines and minimizing disruptions. Here’s how we help prevent sortation delays:

• Turnkey Solutions: We offer customized, rapid-installation sortation systems tailored to your specific needs.
• Preventive Maintenance: Our team is available for proactive maintenance, ensuring that your systems are always running efficiently.
• Spare Parts & Software: We stock a wide range of spare parts and offer software solutions to prevent downtime.
• 24/7 Support: Our remote support service is available through VPN connection, allowing our engineers to quickly diagnose and resolve issues from anywhere.

By combining the latest automation equipment with professional expertise, we can help you avoid the common pitfalls of sortation systems and ensure smooth, efficient operations.

Sortation conveyors are essential in improving productivity and reducing labor costs in material handling. However, even with the most advanced systems, delays can occur. By identifying items on a conveyor and understanding how to choose the right sortation system for your needs, you can ensure the sortation process is as efficient as possible.

Whether you’re dealing with complex materials or simple items, optimizing your materials handling equipment is key to preventing delays and maintaining smooth operations. Understanding common causes of delays and how to mitigate them will help ensure your operations remain efficient. Russell Conveyor & Equipment is here to support your sortation needs, offering solutions and expert advice to keep your systems running without interruption.