The express courier network Skynet Worldwide Express has over 1,000 locations in 209 countries. The company has its UK headquarters in Hounslow, right next to London Heathrow Airport. Originally the facility was built for warehousing only, but Skynet decided to install a new sorting facility to keep up with increasing customer demand.

The new sorter will mainly handle parcel shipments for customers in Europe and Asia. High sorting accuracy and a small footprint were important factors when selecting the solution. Due to the compact design, L.A.C, which was commissioned with the conversion, opted for the crossbelt sorter from Interroll. "A width of just 1.7 meters is sufficient to install a vertical sorter with cross belt carriers measuring 400 x 400 mm. This configuration also saves valuable space when full containers are transported in the sorter. This is a unique selling point on the market," says Steve Nuttall, Sales Manager at L.A.C. Conveyors.

In order to keep the system as compact as possible, the sorting chutes were installed on one side, as only this configuration allows for optimum space utilization. L.A.C. installed a belt conveyor with index markings in front of the sorter in order to maintain a safe distance between parcels right from the start of transportation. The parcels are then scanned and the weight and volume of each parcel is recorded.

Lee Smith, Operations Manager London at Skynet, was satisfied: "Interroll and L.A.C. have done a first-class job for us with the delivery of the system and its installation," says Lee Smith. "The sorter and associated conveyors and scanners have helped us to improve our operations enormously. The professionalism with which the Interroll team coordinated the installation ensured that the project was handed over on time."