E-commerce has been steadily growing for many years now and has only been accelerated by the advent of COVID-19. Many businesses have taken operations online and are now looking for the best new ways to convey and sort parcels for shipment. A parcel or package conveyor system seems like the logical choice, but there is a lot more to a conveying system than just the type of conveyor you choose.
In today’s blog, we will be exploring parcel and package conveyors as a solution, and what you need to do to get the most out of them:
Type of Conveyor
Belts are a popular choice for parcel and package conveyors because of their ability to handle massive product loads efficiently. The friction generated from the product surface on the belt surface creates a secure way to transport large amounts of differently-sized and shaped parcels. This in turn minimizes catch points, allowing you to increase the load capacity of your conveyor and work more efficiently.
While belt conveyors are the go-to solution for bulk handling, they are not the best choice for applications where singulation and/or the accurate placement of the product is required. In these cases, roller conveyors are the better choice. The closer the rollers are together, the smoother the flow of the product will be. If your conveying system needs to have curves and bends, make sure to invest in tight-centered, tapered rollers or belt curves.
Sortation Equipment
On top of simply using a package conveyor system to transport parcels throughout and in and out of your facility, you will need an efficient system to help you sort through these parcels.
Sortation solutions have to carefully fit the requirements of your facility, and manual and automatic sortation systems have vast differences. If you are considering manual sortation, you will have to establish the labor requirements to handle the volume of packages you are projecting to process.
Automatic sortation will help you reduce the amount of manual labor needed, and is in general more efficient and able to handle larger volumes. These systems are substantially more expensive to purchase upfront and will require more maintenance and skilled support to operate. Increased floor space will likely be required to accommodate these systems. Some businesses find themselves having to invest in a new facility or warehouse purely for sortation purposes.
Other Key Accessories and Equipment
Some other equipment you may consider getting include scanning tunnels. When it comes to scanning, controlled happing is crucial in order to help create a steady flow of materials at high speeds. As such, make sure you invest in the best gapping products to help facilitate this process. Downtime during your scanning process can severely impair the productivity of your parcel or package conveyors.
On that note, you need to make sure that your systems can adequately handle the speed at which you wish to operate. This does not just come down to choosing products that have the right speed rating. You also need to make sure that maintenance and repair processes can be done without much hassle. There are many different types of package conveyor products engineered to make the maintenance and repair process as seamless as possible. Experienced Parcel Handling Integrators such as Norpak work with industry-leading suppliers/partners to offer the best solution. Supplier/partners such as Hytrol, Flo-Turn, FMH, and many others use advanced technologies and smart design to achieve this. They also make products that have a lower noise output, as high speeds can often result in noise increase, which can have significant negative effects on your employees.
Get the Best Package Conveyor Products at Norpak Handling
Knowing that e-commerce will experience even more growth in the years to come, Norpak Handling is continuously updating our inventory of conveyor systems to match the changing needs of facilities and warehouses. As the prime conveyor solutions provider in Canada, we work with the top manufacturers to bring you the most efficient solutions. Call us today to learn more about our products!
