Logistics automation and software company Fortna has announced the launch a new robotic solution to automate the labour-intensive sorter destination changeover tasks in high-volume e-commerce and sortation distribution centres.
Called Fortna OptiSweep, the solution uses Geek+ robots to collect orders from sorter divert locations and bring them to specially designed goods-to-person locations to deposit orders for bulk consolidation and outbound processes.
Fortna WCS software and its proprietary algorithms orchestrate the workflow, managing the mobile robots and communicating with the sorter and consolidation stations to maximize efficiency and balance product flow.
Ergonomic improvements
According to Fortna, OptiSweep brings an innovative, proven and flexible robotic technology to the sorter close-out process, replacing both manual operations and legacy technologies such as the bombay sorter.
Traditionally, high-volume distribution centres use large linear and loop sorters to organize packages into categories, diverting them down appropriate chutes into destination-specific bags. These processes often have workers assigned to monitor specific destinations, physically remove items and walk them to a consolidation station for downstream processes.
The Fortna OptiSweep solution significantly reduces these labour requirements and provides ergonomic improvements. It eliminates the need for workers to bend and reach into bags to move items and substantially cuts the distance and time spent walking in the warehouse.
“Labor challenges are ubiquitous across supply chains, and this post-sorting process is a prime example, marked by frequent over or understaffing,” said Rob McKeel, CEO, Fortna. “Businesses need automation solutions that provide consistent outcomes and can scale to match the spikes and dips of e-commerce.
“OptiSweep exhibits how Fortna is merging robotic proficiency with unmatched design and implementation capabilities to effectively address issues related to labour dependency, variable throughput demands, capacity constraints and more,” McKeel added.
Processing flexibility
Fortna OptiSweep integrates with sorter systems and can match a range of throughput requirements, offering processing flexibility from 4,000 to more than 34,000 pieces per hour. The solution also minimizes the recirculation rate in high-volume distribution centres.
By mitigating the need for excess labour to accommodate demand fluctuations, OptiSweep enables businesses to maintain prolonged runtime without disruption, scale effectively and optimize facility-wide efficiency, Fortna noted.
