Why You Need the AS35 Sorter for Your Distribution and Fulfillment Operations

Streamline productivity. Enhance safety. Drive profits.

It's all possible when you incorporate automated sorting solutions, such as the AS35 shoe sorter from Daifuku Wynright and Unit Load Systems. And as product volumes increase and fulfillment and distribution centers are put under more pressure to deliver for their customers, such solutions aren't just going to be a luxury, but a necessity if facilities want to maintain a competitive advantage. Read on to learn more about the AS35 in this post or contact us today for more information.

The Value of Automated Solutions

It's estimated that up to 80 percent of fulfillment centers today don't incorporate any automation whatsoever into their operations. Yet, among the biggest pain points such centers also face are outdated storage, handling and picking equipment - and lapses in productivity and labor shortages. Something has to give if you want to take your distribution and fulfillment operations to the next level - and automated technology is one key way to achieve this.

Beyond streamlining productivity and reducing overhead expenses, automated technology offers a variety of other benefits in warehouse, fulfillment and distribution center spaces. From enhanced accuracy to safety benefits, such solutions have the potential to have a big impact on how your facility does business, moves products and solves logistical bottlenecks.

Daifuku Wynright specializes in developing industry-leading solutions designed to inspire positive change in distribution and fulfillment centers. One such innovation is the AS35 case sorter, an advanced "sliding shoe sorter" designed to accurately and gently sort all different types of carton shapes and sizes.

What You Need to Know About the AS35 Sliding Shoe Sorter

Let's start with some of the basics about this next-generation shoe sorter. Designed to track and sort cartons of all different shapes and sizes, the sorter also works with totes and other materials to get items to their assigned zones along a transportation or conveyor line. The AS35 is a positive divert sorter, designed to track and move products to either the right or left of the conveyor to maximize productivity.

Here's what the AS35 can do for your operations center:

• Sort up to 400 items per minute, speeds that make the AS35 among the fastest solutions in the market today. (Sorting speeds vary by the type and size of the item being diverted.)

• Sort cartons, totes or other materials weighing up to 100 pounds and up to 60 inches in length. Items can be diverted at angles of 30 degrees, 20 degrees and 17 degrees for optimized positioning, depending on the conveyor speed and overall system design.

• Deliver items to pack stations and ship lanes along the conveyor line.

• Customization of drive stations to enable precise control and positioning. Unit Load Systems also specializes in the design and installation of the AS35 sorting system specific to the needs and requirements of each customer.

• It's flexible and scalable, able to integrate with other automated solutions to further streamline operations.

• It's able to integrate with sensors, scanners and other advanced software to provide real-time feedback and streamline further optimization.

There are a number of other key features of the AS35 that help streamline fulfillment operations. The system is designed down to the smallest of details, such as energy-absorbing elastomer cushioning on the divert shoes, which allows for gentle handling and better control when moving items. The AS35 is also easy to inspect and maintain. It incorporates a plexiglass side frame to enable convenient monitoring and easy access to remove debris trays to keep the line running efficiently and effectively and reduce downtime.

Key Benefits of the AS35 Sorter

Time is money in your distribution and fulfillment center. When you consider that the average fulfillment center has seen nearly a 20 percent increase in the number of SKUs (stock-keeping units) it handles, it becomes a challenge to manage this increase in volume while maintaining a high-quality operation. That's where automated technologies like the AS35 sorter can pay big dividends. To put it simply, this sorter delivers results.

There are other key benefits to incorporating the AS35 sorter and adding automation into any facility. These include:

Enhanced safety:

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it's estimated that there are about five workplace injuries for every 100 full-time workers in the warehousing and storage sector. Injuries don't just sap productivity, but they can also lead to poor morale and an increase in overhead, notably when it comes to workers' compensation claims. Automating operations can help reduce worker strain and thereby promote a safer overall environment. Studies also indicate that a safe work environment is a more productive one.

Reduced product damage:

Sorting has the potential to cause damage to boxes and products. The gentle sorting nature of the AS35 prevents product damage and subsequent product returns.

Reduced costs:

Whether it's workers' compensation claims stemming from on-the-job injuries to the cost of labor (it's estimated that wages in fulfillment operations have grown by 10 percent in recent years, making it among the fastest wage growth in any industry), automation can help reduce overhead expenses.

Accuracy:

Automating operations can also increase accuracy. This can lead to a more satisfied end user and help further enhance the reputation of your business. McGraw-Hill, a supplier of educational materials to elementary through high school students, implemented a sliding shoe sorter as part of an automatic distribution system. It raised sorting accuracy to 99.5 percent while managing three times the volume, while improving productivity without an increase in manpower.

Applicability:

The AS35 is applicable to a range of industries and markets, from e-commerce to retail, warehousing to manufacturing - and everything in between. Contact us today to learn more about all the applicable industries and markets that can benefit from our next-generation shoe sorter.

Contact Daifuku Wynright to learn more about the key benefits of the AS35 shoe sorter and how it can take your operations to the next level.

“We developed this patent for PLC based 750 FPM, over 400 items per minute, high speed sortation control so there would never be any calibration required on a sorter…ever. 100% configuration, never any PLC logic to write for any size system.”

Ron Meadows, Principal Engineer at Daifuku Wynright.

Contact Daifuku Wynright Today

For more information on the benefits of automated solutions such as the AS35 shoe sorter in distribution and fulfillment operations, contact Daifuku Wynright today. Along with our business units, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of innovation to help transform logistics. At Daifuku Wynright, we pair innovation with advanced, precision engineering to create solutions to help you take your operations to safer, more productive heights.

Contact us today for more information on the AS35 shoe sorter and to learn more about the other industry-leading conveying, storage, sorting, picking and control technologies that we offer.

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