Tilt Tray Sorter
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What Is a Tilt Tray Sorter?
A tilt tray sorter is an Automated Sorting System where each item rides on its own tray and slides into a chute when the tray tilts at the assigned destination.
Quinta designs and installs tilt tray sorters for e-commerce, courier (CEP), 3PL and warehouse operations across India, APAC and the Middle East.
How Does a Tilt Tray Sorter Work?
A tilt tray sorter works in four steps: an item is loaded onto a tray, a scanner identifies it and assigns a destination, the tray travels the loop, and it tilts at the right chute to release the item. The empty tray returns for the next item.
- Induction: An operator or automatic feeder places one item per tray.
- Identification: A barcode scan links the item to its destination.
- Tracking: The control system follows every tray around the track.
- Tilt and discharge: At the assigned chute, the tray tilts and the item slides out.
Benefits of a Tilt Tray Sorter
- Handles a wide mix of item types and packaging in one system
- Keeps rolling and soft items contained during transport
- Supports many destinations in a compact layout
- Works in linear, Z-type and loop layouts, and can scale as volume grows
- Integrates with WMS, WES, Dimensioning, Weighing and Scanning Systems
How Does a Tilt Tray Sorter Compare With Other Sorters?
A tilt tray sorter discharges by tilting a tray so the item slides off. A Cross Belt Sorter discharges by running a belt on each carrier sideways. Tilt trays suit small, mixed and rolling items. The right choice depends on your item profile, throughput and layout.
| Sorter type | How it discharges | Best for | Less suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tilt tray | Tray tilts and the item slides off | Polybags, small and rolling items, mixed streams | Very large or heavy parcels |
| Cross belt | Belt on each carrier moves the item sideways | Varied parcels needing controlled transfer | Very light or unstable items |
| Swing arm | Arm pushes the item off the conveyor | Uniform cartons | Soft or small items |
| Swivel wheel | Angled wheels steer the item to a lane | Cartons of varied size | Small or soft items |
What Should You Check Before Installing a Tilt Tray Sorter ?
In hot, humid conditions, static can build up on the trays and make some parcel types stick, which stops them from ejecting cleanly.
Before installing, check:
- Climate control: Humidity, temperature and anti-static measures
- Item profile: Size, weight and packaging mix
- Layout: Floor space, column positions and chute arrangement
- Integration: WMS, WES, DWS System and scanners
Specifications of Quinta's Tilt Tray Sorter?
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Throughput | [CONFIRM] items per hour |
| Operating speed | [CONFIRM] m/s |
| Item weight range | [CONFIRM] |
| Item size range (min / max) | [CONFIRM] |
| Tray size and pitch | [CONFIRM] |
| Destinations | [CONFIRM] |
| Sorting accuracy | [CONFIRM] |
| Layouts | Linear, Z-type, loop |
| Integration | WMS, WES, DWS, barcode scanners [CONFIRM] |
How Much Does a Tilt Tray Sorter Cost?
The cost of a tilt tray sorter depends on the layout, number of trays, number of destinations, feeding method, scanning and DWS setup, software integration and installation conditions. A sortation study of your item profile and throughput gives a firm quote.
How Do You Choose the Right Tilt Tray Sorter for Your Warehouse?
You can decide based on the below factors:
- Item profile
- Peak throughput
- Number of destinations
- Available floor space
- System integration needs
- Maintenance model.
Why Choose Quinta as Your Tilt Tray Sorter Manufacturer in India?
Quinta is an Intralogistics Automation company that designs, integrates and supports warehouse automation, including sortation. Our track record includes:
- A bulk order of 40+ automated parcel sorting systems for a leading India-based 3PL company
- Projects across India, APAC and the Middle East
- Hardware and software experts in one team, from consulting to integration and support
- A free Warehouse Automation Consulting Service before you commit
Need a Robust Tilt Tray Sorter? Check Out What Quinta Offers
Quinta, known for delivering optimised warehouse automation solutions, can help industry players select the best possible tilt tray sorters, which are:
- Efficient, matching the throughput aimed at by the business
- Customised to fit the dimensional and weight range of the shipments processed in the operations
- Durable, thanks to the top-quality components used, while engineering best practices were followed during solution-building
But why, in several cases, do our experts recommend tilt tray sorters over other sorter models?
Share your item profile, throughput and layout, and our engineers will recommend a configuration.
Don’t other sorter types of support loads with various packaging types? Don’t these models have their limitations vis-à-vis large and heavy shipments? If yes, what differentiates the tilt tray sorter? Usually, in CEP operations, several compact items need to be shipped to the same destination. Take, for example, two different e-commerce parcels of a customer who placed the orders back-to-back and to be delivered the same day, hence, the parcels are packed into a single unit. This merging of shipments requires the discrete items/orders to be carried and sorted together—this is where the form factor of the tilt trays proves to be critical. Further, some cylindrical items or parcels are prone to rolling. In such a scenario, the edges of the trays are handy.
Industries Served
3PL
Logistics Parks
Warehousing
E-commerce Order Fulfilment & Distribution Centres
Courier, Express, and Parcel (CEP)
