With the rapid development of e-commerce industry and the growing logistics industry, Logistics automation technology has been widely used in the industry. The automatic sorting system is one of the important technologies with extensive application value in fields such as logistics distribution, express delivery, and warehouse management. This article will provide a detailed introduction to the working principle, main equipment, and advantages and disadvantages of the automatic sorting system from the perspective of logistics personnel, hoping to provide useful reference for readers.

1、 The working principle of the automatic sorting system

The automatic sorting system is a technology that automatically processes logistics sorting, classification, packaging, transportation, and other tasks through machine and computer control during the process of transporting items from the distribution center to the destination. The automatic sorting system is mainly composed of conveyor belts, scanning equipment, sorting machines, control systems, and other equipment, which can quickly and accurately sort items to designated positions, classify and pack them.

The conveyor belt is the most basic component of an automatic sorting system, responsible for transporting items to designated locations, usually using roller or belt conveyors. Scanning equipment is responsible for scanning items, usually using a laser scanner or camera to identify the barcode or QR code on the item and determine its attributes and destination.

The sorter is the core component of an automatic sorting system, which uses mechanical arms, pneumatic devices, and other methods to grab or push items from the conveyor belt to designated bins or vehicles, and achieve sorting and classification functions. The control system is the brain of the automatic sorting system, which can perform functions such as data processing, equipment control, fault diagnosis, and error prevention.

2、 The main equipment of the automatic sorting system

1. Conveyor belt

The conveyor belt is the basic equipment of an automatic sorting system, which transports items from the distribution center to the destination through rollers or belt conveyors. The conveyor belt can be designed with different lengths, widths, heights, and turning radii according to different logistics needs, in order to achieve the transmission of goods with different transportation requirements.

2. Scanning device

Scanning equipment is an important component of an automatic sorting system, which scans and identifies items through laser scanners or cameras to determine their attributes and destinations. Scanning equipment can adopt various technologies, including laser scanning, camera recognition, RFID, etc., to improve sorting efficiency and accuracy.

3. Sorter

The sorter is the core equipment of the automatic sorting system, which uses mechanical arms, pneumatic devices, and other methods to grab or push items from the conveyor belt to designated bins or vehicles, and achieve sorting and classification functions. There are various types and functions of sorting machines, including linear sorting machines, curved sorting machines, rotary sorting machines, etc., to adapt to different logistics sorting needs.

4. Control system

The control system is the brain of the automatic sorting system, which is controlled by a computer to achieve multiple functions such as equipment action control, data processing, fault diagnosis, and error prevention. The control system can be divided into two parts: software and hardware. The software includes control programs, databases, human-machine interfaces, and other components. The hardware includes computers, PLCs, sensors, actuators, and so on.

3、 The advantages of an automatic sorting system

The automatic sorting system has the following advantages:

1. Efficiency: The automatic sorting system can achieve continuous, high-speed, and accurate logistics sorting and classification, improving the efficiency and quality of logistics distribution.

2. Flexibility: The automatic sorting system can design different types and specifications of sorters and conveyor belts according to different logistics needs to adapt to different logistics sorting needs.

3. Accuracy: The automatic sorting system can achieve high-precision item identification and destination sorting through scanning equipment and analysis software, reducing manual operation errors.

4. Energy conservation and environmental protection: The automatic sorting system can achieve energy and material conservation, reduce environmental pollution and energy consumption, and meet the requirements of sustainable development.

Automatic sorting system is an important part of Logistics automation technology, which can realize automatic processing of logistics sorting, classification, packaging, transportation and other work, and improve the efficiency and quality of logistics distribution. Logistics personnel need to master the working principle, main equipment and advantages and disadvantages of the automatic sorting system, so as to better apply and manage the automatic sorting system and promote the development of Logistics automation and digitalization.