Narrow-pitch carriers in a straight layout with destinations on one or both sides: a small footprint and moderate investment for mid-volume parcel depots and e-commerce warehouses; a Chinese strength.
Narrow-pitch carriers in a straight layout with destinations on one or both sides: a small footprint and moderate investment for mid-volume parcel depots and e-commerce warehouses; a Chinese strength.
A narrow-belt sorter (in China a linear narrow cross-belt sorter, not to be confused with strip-belt pop-up sorters) is a string of narrow-pitch carriers, each with a short cross belt, laid out in a straight line; at the destination the belt turns sideways and puts the item into a chute on one or both sides. Narrow pitch lets items run closer together; the number of destinations depends on chute width and layout, on one or both sides, on a narrower footprint than a loop cross-belt. A Chinese association standard covers it and groups it by induction: manual, gapping automatic, and multi-section side induction. It suits mid volumes from a few thousand to over ten thousand items per hour.
| Carrier pitch | ≤ 300 mm (association standard) |
|---|---|
| Layout | Straight, destinations on one or both sides |
| Line speed | Vendors state up to about 3 m/s |
| Throughput | About 5,000–15,000 items/h as a first estimate only; actual figure set by item length, induction and destinations |
| Induction | Manual, gapping automatic, multi-section side induction |
Figures are typical configuration ranges; exact specifications are set per project.