Sortation in the material handling industry is a fundamental process in your daily operations. Sortation systems sort products automatically as they move throughout your facility warehouse. While there are many types of sortation which include simple pushers, tilt tray, or crossbelt, a sliding shoe sorter will convey and sort cartons based on size, shape and weight, down a linear path, before diverting them prior to reaching the end of the line.

Not all sorters are created equal. Predominantly, shoe sorters are implemented to handle high speed applications between 60-200 cases per minute, depending on the product sorted. They are a low-noise and low maintenance system.

Each shoe (a small rubber clock mounted on a slat of the conveyor) is operated individually and slides across conveyor slats as needed. After coming into contact with the product, the shoe will ‘move’ product off the main conveyor line and down another conveyor path.

One of the most critical aspects to any sortation system is the software and controls used to manage the system.  The implementation and integration of a WCS solution will help identify the product, usually through a scanner, and send that information to the sortation system controls. This seamless process ensures that the product will meet its final destination based on set criteria set by the WCS.

So if the shoe fits and you are looking for a system that can accommodate various throughput rates and sizes at high speeds, take a closer look at the shoe sorter for your sortation needs.

Author: Heather Connors, Director of Marketing, Conveyor Handling Company

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