New AutoPocket doesn’t need to slow down

The new design of pocket is able to drop goods off precisely and fully automatically without needing to slow down or stop, further increasing speed and efficiency in the warehouse.

Based on overhead conveying technology, the pocket sorter arranges suspended pockets containing picked goods from various warehouse areas into the precise sequence required for dispatch. Pockets with single-item orders travel automatically to the packing stations, while those with items from multi-line orders are sequenced by the system's matrix sortation algorithm. 

KNAPP UK head of business development Marc Shaw explains: “Goods can be fed into the system from any location in the warehouse, and any workstation can process any order, with every pocket individually accessible at all times. So items can be picked in any sequence and for any sales channel, with RFID tags on the pockets ensuring full visibility of all products in real time.”

The technology really comes into its own during peak periods. With goods pre-picked into pockets and stored in a dynamic buffer, products can be pulled off for orders whenever they are needed. “Our pocket sorter system is helping The Very Group to fulfil customer orders in just 30 minutes at Skygate, its distribution facility in the East Midlands,” adds Marc Shaw.

Goods can be inducted into pockets either manually or by KNAPP's Pick-it-Easy Robot. Using AI-powered vision technology, the robot can even successfully handle apparel in polybags, as proven at GXO Logistics' fashion e-commerce warehouse in Tilburg, the Netherlands.

The first installation of AutoPocket in the UK will be for multichannel retailer, NEXT plc, at its new distribution centre in South Yorkshire, which will go live next summer.

For more information, visit knapp.com