Book Sorter

SDIGroup UK's Book Sorter is a larger version of the CD/DVD Sorter, which is based upon a Bomb-bay Sorter framework and employs tilt-tray technology to sort the product. Books can be inducted on to the sorter manually or via one or more induction belts.

The system’s software control is triggered as the items are scanned at the induction points and it automatically monitors the progress of each tray-set round the carousel. As the tray passes over the appropriate dropstation the software activates solenoids to tilt the trays, releasing the books into the cartons.

The tilt-tray system has been specially adapted to provide a particularly ‘soft’ action, even when the sorter is operating at full speed, so the books slide gently from their trays down an angled chute on to an inclined roller bed and then into the store cartons. This slows the books down as they are released from the sorter’s trays, eliminating any risk of damage.

The sorter can be integrated with a powered conveyor, which runs beneath the sorter carousel, taking full cartons away from the sorter, and an in-line scanning station to generate downstream printing and application of address labels and packing lists. Optionally the cartons can then pass to an automatic closing machine and onto a shrinkwrapper and robotic palletiser, if desired.

To read about the fully automated system we installed at Bertrams Books, Norwich, which is capabable of processing up to 2,000 orders each day from around 50,000 books, please read our case study:  Bertrams Books Case Study, or press play to watch our video: