How to automatically sort Big and Small parcels simultaneously in a CEP Operation

Since joining EAE Solutions in 2018, Corbin has played a central role in developing technical concepts for CEP clients. He has worked on projects with companies such as PostNL, DHL, An Post, InPost, Amazon and JD Sports.

In his presentation, he highlighted key industry trends, including the ongoing growth of e-commerce, labour shortages and the increasing difficulty of estimating fluctuations in parcel volumes. One of the main topics was the rise of the “Delivery Economy”, where consumer behaviour has shifted significantly. This trend was further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Goods that were previously collected in stores are now ordered online. Consumers now expect CEP companies to handle and deliver these items quickly and effortlessly.

Some of these goods require different handling, which presents serious challenges, particularly for material handling equipment. At the same time, they represent a significant opportunity and a potential competitive advantage in a market where process reliability and cost-efficiency are essential.

Over the past year, Corbin has worked closely with key clients to assess what they are experiencing in terms of parcel trends. Together, they identified several notable developments within the parcel spectrum:

1. Growth in small parcels
   There is a rise in small-item shipments, including service parts for consumer goods, parcels from China, and subscription products. These items vary in form stability and size, often requiring specialised handling and creating challenges for standard sorting systems.
2. Rise in gentle handling requirements
   More parcels now require gentle handling, including high-value goods, e-bike batteries, and food deliveries like “Pie as a Service”. These items demand extra care due to their fragility, value, or sensitivity.
3. Sustainability-driven packaging
   Retailers are increasingly using reusable and eco-friendly packaging materials such as recycled plastics and cardboard, influencing how parcels behave in sorting processes.
4. Consumer health and lifestyle products
   Healthcare items and large sports equipment, once purchased in-store, are now delivered to the home, contributing to the diversification of parcel types in both size and handling needs.
5. Increase in oversized and bulky parcels
   There is notable growth in the volume of very large parcels, including pet food and fully packaged bicycles, which pose significant challenges to standard CEP operations.

When categorised by size, the trends become even clearer. The standard category, often referred to as the “happy flow”, includes typical, form-stable parcels about the size of a shoebox. These volumes continue to grow consistently and do not present major challenges for most sorting systems.

Non-conveyable items, such as bikes and plants, are also increasing. Although the volumes are not extremely high, the number of such shipments is growing rapidly. Handling these parcels is still often done manually, which makes the process labour-intensive. However, the potential of sorting them automatically presents an interesting opportunity.

Large parcels are becoming more common as well. This shift is mainly driven by consumer convenience. Many customers prefer having heavy or bulky items delivered to their homes instead of transporting them from a shop themselves. This creates a clear opportunity for CEP providers.

Small goods represent the largest volume segment. Their growth is being driven by an increase in single-item shipments and imported goods from China. However, these small parcels can have a serious impact on automated sorting processes.

In addition to market opportunities, customer expectations are also rising. Customers now expect gentle handling of parcels, with no damage during processing or delivery. They also expect fast sorting and delivery, with high precision and no margin for error. When asked to estimate parcel volumes, many provide a very wide range, making accurate forecasting nearly impossible. All of this is expected at the lowest possible cost. Corbin believes that automation is the only way to meet these demands efficiently.

Together with customers, parcel trends were assessed in relation to their impact on various types of sorting systems. These systems included wheel sorters, droptray sorters, tilttray sorters, pushtray sorters, shoesorters and crossbelt sorters.

It was observed that wheel sorters tend to experience the most difficulties, particularly with smaller, non-form-stable parcels. The main issues occur during the tracking of parcels towards the end chute.

To address the increasing diversity in parcel types, EAE Solutions developed the E-Cross / Slim Line system. This system is designed to sort both small and large parcels at the same time. The solution is based on four essential principles:

1. Adaptability. The system is capable of handling different parcel sizes simultaneously.
2. Capacity. It can process more than 10,000 parcels per hour.
3. Precision. It delivers a tracking and sorting accuracy rate of 99.9 percent.
4. Gentle handling. This is ensured across all parcel types.

Corbin concluded his presentation with three key takeaways:

1. Understand both general and parcel-specific trends.
2. Assess how these trends affect sorting systems.
3. Recognise the opportunities they present for modern CEP operations.