System allows two sorting modes

The omnichannel retailer has more than 1,000 stores in over 70 countries. 

Parfois logistics director Francisco Cano Rueda says: ”With an average annual growth of 24% we have set out to expand, optimise and improve our logistics processes and facilities. Our facility in Canelas (Portugal) is the heart of our logistics process and carries out the reception, storage, preparation of orders and dispatch of goods to all stores and franchises.” 

This location has now seen an immense upgrade with the installation of a slide tray sorter, shipping sorter, leftover storage solution and a conveyor installation with related labelling, strapping, dimensioning equipment. Equinox delivered the slide tray sorter with corresponding warehouse control system. This sorter exceeded the required capacity. Its currently running at 9.6000 usable tray halves per hour. The slide tray sorter offers the possibility to sort up to 12.000 tray halves per hour. The system will be used to sort a wide range of fashion items. 

Francisco continues: “There were three important pillars where our sorter concept rested on. First, there was limited available space for the sorter and its 204 stations. Secondly, the sorter needed to allow two sorting modes. Sorting in batches for our e-commerce orders and retail stores and sort the returns to our stock or outlets. Last but certainly not least, the sorter needs to have a high level of ergonomics for operators. Every point of user-machine interaction should be reviewed and tested to find an ergonomic solution that works well and unburdens operators as much as possible. In Equinox we found a partner that enabled us to deliver a solution that ticked all the boxes.”

Head of technical management João M. Cunha adds: “All items should be handled delicately, which made it a perfect match for the slide tray sorter. The products ranged from very small to quite large items, which justified the choice for a double tray. Each of the XL double tray exists of two self-functioning tray halves. This allows induction of one large item or two small items in one tray.

“Additionally we had a limited amount of space available for the sorter, as it needed to fit in our current building. This sorter provided a clear benefit for the sort destinations: double chutes. These chutes are designed to double the amount of exits in a given footprint. The footprint is therefore small, but the capacity is not affected. With 4.800 XL double trays per hour (9.6000 tray halves per hour) this system still provides a high throughput.”

For more information, visit https://equinoxmhe.com