Solving the Challenge Facing Parcel Delivery Companies with Virtual Chutes

Even large and awkwardly shaped items can be sorted

Parcel carriers typically handle packages measuring 1200x600x600 millimeters and larger manually. EAE Solutions has developed a solution—the E-Cross / MAX crossbelt sorter—that can process these items automatically. Corbin Joosen, Head of Solution Design: “This suddenly makes large or bulky products sortable.”

Many courier, express, and parcel companies—the CEPs—face the practical challenge that sorting chutes quickly fill up when two or three large packages are headed to the same destination. This mainly concerns packages longer than 1,200 millimeters. Joosen: “After two or three packages, a chute is full and manual intervention is needed. Without that intervention, packages end up much further down the chute in the reject bin. With the E-Cross / MAX, we solve this challenge by assigning these packages a virtual destination.”

Chutes together form a ‘region’

The virtual destination Joosen is referring to, of course, also exists in the physical world. These are chutes like the ones in use today. “Suppose a large package on the cross-belt sorter is supposed to go to chute fifteen, but that chute is full; in that case, the sorter knows that chutes fourteen or sixteen are also acceptable destinations. We specify this in the software as a ‘region’ for a package. The entire chute may be as wide as twenty meters, containing twenty virtual destinations. One of the major advantages of this modification is that companies can even process packages up to two and a half meters in length, as long as the sorter knows which region or operator a package is headed for.”

Ergonomic Benefits

The sorter also offers significant ergonomic benefits, according to Joosen. “People order all kinds of things online, including large and heavy items such as bicycles, plants, or dog food. Operators would rather not handle these manually. Thanks to the E-Cross/MAX, these items are automatically transported to roll containers. As a result, employees spend less time lifting heavy packages, which makes the job more appealing. That’s becoming increasingly important to employers.”

Easy to integrate

According to Joosen, the smart automated sorting solution fits into virtually all distribution centers. “This is a relatively small machine that can easily be installed alongside a parcel service’s main operations. The payback period is short, especially if a company processes at least 800 to 1,000 large parcels per hour.”

The E-Cross / MAX crossbelt will be available starting in early 2027. A 3D model of the prototype is now available. “We’ll officially launch the product in September. This means that something that originated from a customer request is now actually available. It reduces operational and labor costs, and as a user, it allows you to adapt to the unpredictability of the labor market.”