Sorting All Sorts: Selecting the Best Wide-Range Sorter for Your Needs

Everyone wants the best deal for the dollar, especially when making a weighty investment such as a sortation conveyor. Hytrol has a wide array of conveyor options to fit any budget. Hytrol’s Sortation White Paper can help you determine which type of conveyor is best suited to your needs. If you’re looking for a work horse that can knock out a wide range of product in a decent time frame you might consider a pivot wheel sorter.

What makes a “Work Horse”?

When you consider the wholistic cost of conveyor ownership: i.e. start-up costs, maintenance, and operational cost, the pivot wheel serves dependable and long-lasting returns. These belt-driven sortation conveyors provide a reliable method of tracking packages to the divert stations. They work by using two sets of wheels that pivot separately and in sequence. Due to their flexibility and simple implementation, pivot wheel sorters are a popular choice across numerous industries.

The initial cost of the base unit is comparable to a shoe sorter. Where time and money can be saved are in the number of drives needed and their required costs such as installation, maintenance, and energy usage.

Other key considerations are the amount of necessary maintenance and support that goes along with the conveyor you purchase. Similar to a car, a well-maintained conveyor will last longer. Preventative maintenance is going to play a role in any conveyor purchase. And ideally you want to purchase through a company that stands by their product and is willing to work with you to achieve optimal results.

The belted pivot wheel is a good fit for most distribution centers and warehouse set ups with its middle of the road speed, capabilities, and price. It provides a sturdy low to medium throughput. As to what the pivot wheel will sort, it is ideal for moving any boxes or a tote-type system.

Hytrol’s belted pivot wheel sorter, the ProSort SC, is definitively this type of work horse. It can reach speeds over 350 FPM, depending upon application, and can power multiple diverts with a single drive. Utilizing one drive to cover multiple diverts saves on initial costs, power usage, and maintenance needs. A single drive of the SC can power up to 12 different diverts. The ProSort SC is also capable of driving an after-sort spur off each divert location.

And the support Hytrol puts behind their products is second to none. Hytrol offers 24/7 customer service through the Customer Care division. In addition, Hytrol’s Training Department can provide customer training which showcases crucial knowledge for operators and maintenance personnel to keep systems up and running with very little downtime.

When choosing a sorter make sure you consider the full cost of a conveyor purchase from the initial equipment, on through the life expectancy of the machine and the maintenance and parts required to keep it running at its best. A final consideration for your conveyor needs is customization. Hytrol works with integrators to manufacture product to the exact needs and specifications of the customers. Hytrol is also experienced in serving budgets of any size. If dependable sortation backed by unmatched service sounds like a fit for your business, visit hytrol.com today to find an Integration Partner near you.