Consumer habits have changed significantly in the past 10 years, writes Hilton Cambell, Managing Director at Interroll. The modern online shopper expects choice, speed, and flexibility, often in the form of smaller, more frequent deliveries. For warehouses and logistics operators, that means managing higher volumes of individual items and parcels, often of varying shapes, sizes, and weights.
The complexity of material flows through a typical facility has also increased, with many now handling a mix of e-commerce parcels, retail replenishments, and returns.
Throughput and accuracy have become the new benchmarks of performance, and high-performance automated sortation systems are increasingly central to achieving both.
Advanced automation for higher performance
The latest generation of sorters can transform warehouse operations, combining speed and precision with modularity and reliability. At Interroll, our approach is to offer a portfolio of scalable systems that match customers’ throughput and product-handling needs, from compact solutions for mid-range volumes to high-capacity sorters capable of managing tens of thousands of items per hour.
For example, our Split-Tray Sorter delivers throughput of up to 21,600 items per hour, ideal for lightweight, non-fragile products in sectors such as fashion and e-commerce.
Our Horizontal Crossbelt Sorter meanwhile, is more suited to larger, heavier items up to 50 kilograms, making it a strong choice for courier, express, and parcel operations. It is also capable of high-speed performance of up to 20,000 items per hour.
Our Vertical Crossbelt Sorter provides similar accuracy in a compact footprint, perfect for space-constrained sites, and the MultiBelt Switch offers cost-effective sortation for medium throughput applications.
Together with our MCP Conveyor Platform with High-Performance Divert, these systems cover the full spectrum of warehouse and distribution challenges, from gentle handling of irregular items to reliable sorting of bulkier goods. This system recently received a landmark upgrade with MCP PLAY, an enhancement that unlocks advanced automation with faster commissioning and reduced programming requirements.
Expanding capabilities through Sortteq
Our commitment to innovation was strengthened recently with our acquisition of Sortteq, a business that brings new depth and versatility to our sortation offering. Among its flagship products is the Chain Belt Sorter (CBS), a compact, space-efficient solution that can still deliver impressive throughput of up to 8,000 items per hour.
The CBS is designed for durability and low maintenance, capable of sorting everything from cartons and totes to polybags and envelopes. Its mechanical reliability and narrow-pitch belts ensure smooth handling of even the smallest items, a significant advantage in busy e-commerce and distribution environments where downtime and errors must be kept to an absolute minimum.
This addition to the Interroll family is perfectly in line with our goal of providing system integrators and warehouse operators with a complete, flexible toolkit of sortation technologies, all supported by our global service network and decades of experience in material flow solutions.
The importance of scalability
The pace of change in logistics shows no sign of slowing. Peaks in demand can arrive with little warning, while seasonal variations and evolving customer expectations can quickly alter throughput requirements. In this environment, scalability is essential.
It is for precisely this reason that we offer modular solutions.
Each sorter is part of an ecosystem of hardware, software, and controls, allowing customers to expand or reconfigure their systems as their needs evolve. Pre-assembled modules and intuitive design tools mean shorter project lead times, faster commissioning, and simpler upgrades.
Ultimately, choosing a sorter is about more than throughput figures. It’s about long-term reliability, low total cost of ownership, and the confidence that comes from partnering with a trusted global supplier.
As the industry continues to evolve, sortation technology will remain at the heart of efficient, flexible, and scalable operations. Our message to customers is simple: whatever the size, speed, or shape of your challenge, consider it sorted.
Learn more at interroll.com/products/sorters
Comments are closed.