SDI Group, the global integrator of automated material handling systems, has dramatically boosted the sortation rate of its highly innovative automated ‘Empty Hanger Sorter’.
Launched last year to the accolade of the ‘world’s first’ automated solution for recycling and sorting empty coat hangers – used extensively by the fashion sector – the new system upgrade more than quadruples the capacity of the sorter. Developed by SDI Group at the company’s Hinckley facility in the UK, the new super-fast Empty Hanger Sorter uses an automated in-feed process, meaning that one person can now load up to six empty hangers at a time onto the sorter – replacing a laborious process of hooking each individual hanger directly onto a designated point on the sorter.
Although Empty Hanger Sorters already installed at several sites for a major international fashion retailer are delivering results way over the company’s expectations of 65 million hangers a year, the much faster in-feed solution developed by SDI Group will enable far greater efficiencies to be made.
The highly advanced system uses ground-breaking camera technology to identify a hanger from over 80 different profiles in under 300 milliseconds – whilst on the fly – and then automatically sorts them onto rails where they are accumulated by type. The innovation is fast revolutionising the labour intensive operation of sorting empty hangers returned from high street retail outlets, bringing efficiency gains and cost savings to a growing number or retailers.
Barry Pemberton, Senior Support Supervisor at SDI Group, said: “Fashion retailers face a huge task each day sorting empty hangers returned from stores. For major international brands this can amount to tens of millions of hangers a year, which, until recently, could only be processed manually. With many varying styles of hangers for adults, children, knit ware, jackets etc., recognising and sorting each particular type of hanger is a demanding process for the individual. Using a camera recognition system speeds the process up and increases accuracy – now with the fast-induct system developed at Hinckley, the rate of sort has been quadrupled, which takes the machine through a giant step-change in productivity.”
Gordon Smith, CEO of SDI Group, said: “Once again British engineering expertise is being successfully applied to solving problems across global markets. This is a ground-breaking innovation that has taken a further leap forward, making it even faster, more efficient and more cost effective. For the fashion retail sector this technology is the ‘green option’ for re-using and recycling empty hangers and represents a huge productivity gain over presently used manual methods.”
Amanda Dowsett, Marketing Manager
Tel: 01763 244 299
Comments are closed.