Conveyor machines serve multiple purposes apart from simply transporting goods from point A to point B. Certain speciality conveyors such as sortation conveyors help segregate goods from the assembly lines, making them an integral part of warehouses. One of the most common sortation conveyors is the sliding shoe sorter, which uses a shoe-like apparatus to push cartons to a different line for collection or segregation. However, product placement in this sliding shoe conveyor is a major challenge. This blog will address 2 such problems associated with product placement and their possible solutions.
Problems Related To Sliding Shoe Sorter
Carton Toppling Due To Impact
The main problem is the carton toppling due to the high impact from the sliding shoe sorter. There is a belief that reducing the distance between the carton and the sliding shoe will lessen the impact. The truth is that the impact of the sliding shoe will depend on the angle at which it strikes the carton. One way to actually reduce carton toppling is by reducing the divert angle.
Carton Rotation Due To Prolonged Contact
If a carton is placed too close to the shoe instead of the diverting lane, then the sliding shoe will be in contact with the package for a prolonged period. This will increase the odds of rotating the carton. This is even more true for small cartons or cartons with convex bottoms. The impact of rotation can either place the carton behind the, resulting in an unsorted package that will need to be sorted again, or a half-diverted carton that can choke up the conveyor ahead. To avoid these scenarios, the best solution is to place the carton near the diverting lane and minimize the time of contact between the sliding shoe and the product.
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