Advice from Norpak on how to select the right sortation conveyor

Norpak's inventory includes sortation conveyors.

Norpak Handling Ltd. is the leading Canadian supplier of material-handling solutions, and a crucial part of material-handling systems in manufacturing operations and warehouses is sortation conveyors. These products can boost efficiency and accuracy in operations by sorting items primarily by type or destination – but choosing the right one can be complicated.

Aware of the many variables involved in this selection process, Norpak offers its five main tips on making an informed choice in a recent blog entry.

Identify and prioritize needs

The first step, according to Norpak, is to identify and prioritize the business’ specific needs. Every material-handling operation is unique, with its own requirements. Are spatial constraints important? Do the materials being moved require extreme care? Or does budget limit the options? After determining these factors, a customer must arrange them in order from highest to lowest.

Next, the customer must take a detailed look into the workspace footprint – taking break rooms, other equipment, entry and exit points, and more into consideration. To add extra clarity to this challenging step, the Norpak team recommends making a blueprint layout with a scaled conveyor added to the illustration.

Because most operations are not constant, Norpak suggests having room for reconfiguration. Most business operations add new products and destinations and/or experience seasonal growth, and several modular conveyor options are available to allow sortation systems to reconfigure as required.

It is also important to factor in the product type, as a sortation conveyor can vary greatly depending on the items moved. Some sortation systems may not work for certain container types; loose items are incompatible with pushers, for instance. But a pusher is ideal for moving cardboard or plastic boxes.

Finally, customers should stick to sortation systems aligned with the current throughput and upgrade only when required. The fastest or most advanced sortation conveyor may not be the most economically sound. On the other hand, businesses must consider room for later expansion, and this might necessitate solutions that they can upgrade or expand in the future. Working with Norpak’s experts can help to narrow down the right option.

To learn more, contact Norpak.

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