Klatt Fördertechnik commissions two new parcel sorting centres
French postal service company La Poste contracted the Beumer Group to deliver, install and commission two parcel sorting centres near Paris. Beumer engaged Austria-based Klatt Fördertechnik GmbH to supply a complete belt conveyor system for each of these sorting centres. ‘The Beumer Group has been one of our best customers for years, and we have been growing together,’ said Peter Klatt, managing director of Klatt Fördertechnik. He added, ‘The main reasons the Beumer Group has so much faith in us are the reliability of both our conveyor systems and our project management as well as the efficient use of energy, limited servicing requirements and sheer longevity of our equipment, coupled with low life cycle costs.’
Belt conveyor systems, often used on production lines, provide a way of transporting items to and from a sorter. ‘In technical terminology, sorters are logistical sorting and distribution systems,’ explained Florian Pöckl, technical manager and authorised signatory at Klatt Fördertechnik. The first system was installed in France in June 2020, with the second following in August that year.
Each system has a sorting capacity of more than 31,000 parcels per hour. It uses more than 1,000 drive motors and can accommodate loads of 35 to 50 kilograms per meter of belt. The Klatt conveyor system has a total length of roughly 2,450 metres. It is integrated in the cross-belt sorters installed by the Beumer Group, which measure 2x600 metres and 2x900 metres in length. Cross-belt technology enables the sorting system to convey and sort almost any type of item via an automated high-speed system, including handling objects with complicated surfaces.
The versatile nature of the belt conveyor
The belt conveyor from Klatt Fördertechnik can convey items to a defined destination horizontally, uphill, downhill, up and down vertical interchange points or through infeed merge sections. ‘There are innumerable ways it can be used as part of a parcel sorting system,’ said Pöckl. The system is driven by highly efficient geared motors.
The belt conveyor is set in motion by means of a head or centre drive. The stripped-down structure of the head drive contributes to a lower overall weight, and fewer spare parts are needed. The greater wrap angle of the belt with the centre drive enables the drive power to be transferred to the belt more effectively. This allows for longer belts and for heavier weights to be transported, as with the La Poste project.
The belt conveyor is also fitted with individually adjustable legs, which means that it can be set to the ideal level. In the case of ceiling-mounted systems, Klatt Fördertechnik can design suitable suspension fixtures to enable easy on-site installation. ‘Our technology is tailored to the specific needs of the customer, and that combined with our reliable services is a recipe for a worry-free all-in-one package. What sets us apart from our competitors is our stable, durable and low-maintenance conveyor system design featuring highly efficient drive technology,’ said Pöckl.
