TNT Pakketservice, part of TNT Post, has contracted FKI Logistex to design and install an energy efficient parcel sortation system at its parcel hub in Utrecht, in the Netherlands.
The LS-4000E sorter uses new motor technology, which is designed to use 75 per cent less energy than comparable sorters with conventional motors and also claims to achieve lower life-cycle costs.
Conventional high-speed sortation systems for postal operations use linear-induction motors (LIM) as their drive technology, whereas LS-4000 systems use a linear synchronous motor (LSM), which are the next generation development of LIM technology.
The power consumed by a sortation system is dependent on sorter length, speed and changes in level, as well as the average load per tray.
According to a recent study published in “Postal Technology International”, a conventional system creates an annual energy consumption of 68.9MWh, based on a 300m horizontal sorter with an 800m cart pitch travelling at 2.0m/s carrying an average load per tray of 10kg, which is being used 14 hours a day 300 days a year.
The power consumption for a similar configuration using the LS-4000 sorter with LSM would create a total annual energy consumption of just 16.4MWh.
The complete FKI Logistex installation will comprise an LS-4000E tilt-tray sorter with six feeding conveyor lines and 46 chutes, as well as registration stations for out-of-gauge and non-conveyable items.
It will be able to handle more than 11,500 items per hour and will incorporate optical character recognition (OCR) technology, as well as control software, which has easy, user-friendly interfaces and diagnostics.
TNT Pakketservice awarded the contract to FKI Logistex as part of the Planet Me initiative through which TNT aims to become the world’s first mail and express delivery company to achieve zero carbon dioxide emissions.
