11

CONVEYING TECHNOLOGYLOADING TECHNOLOGYPALLETIZING TECHNOLOGYPACKAGING TECHNOLOGY SORTATION AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

Tilt Tray Sorter

Tilt Tray Sorter

2

The BEUMER Tilt Tray Sorter is a keymember of BEUMER’s modular sortersystem family. The sorter is based on BEUMER’s longproven design with torsion-resistantcarriages travelling in a sturdy frameconsisting of two track rails. The sorteris available in three sizes (BS7, BS25and BS55) to meet project specific pay-load requirements.The tilting element of the sorter ensuresa fully controlled tilting process and, asa result, a smooth discharge of the trans-ported goods to either side of the sorter.One of the many patented features isthe unique tilting mechanism. While thetray is being tilted sideways, the pivot

point of the tray is slightly lowered ina vertical track. This not only movesthe actual center of tray rotation tothe side opposite the discharge chute,but also allows the weight of the product to support the tilting process.The overall result is that each item isdischarged in a very precise and gentleprocess, eliminating catapult effectsknown from other tilt tray systems. At the same time, the speed of thesorted goods when leaving the tray is significantly lower compared withother systems. No matter which sizeof the product, BEUMER’s tilting pro-cess is fully reproducible and “on target” each and every time.

BS 25 with 2D-Tilting Element

3

Some of the special features ofthe BEUMER Tilt Tray Sorter are:

• Superior sorting accuracy

• Smooth and gentle handling of each andevery product

• Proven, sturdy design of all system components,available in sizes to meet project requirements

• Tray material (wood, plastic mold, steel, aluminium, etc.), tray design (concave, flat with grooves, etc.), and tray features (retractable sidewalls, leading/trailing edges, etc.) can be customized to best meet the product characteristics

• Double-Density tray arrangement (“split tray”) possible to increase system capacity

• Tilting elements are available in 2D (standard sideways tilt) and 3D (directed sideways tilt with a rotational component) design to meetproduct requirements

• Patented, low-maintenance design of the tiltingelement

• Fully controlled tray tilting, resulting in items sliding off the tray without being catapulted off the tray

• Low-maintenance, torsion-resistant carriage assembly design

• Low-maintenance and low-wear linear motor drive system

• Smooth and „super silent“ travel of the sorter

• Robust modular system design

• Quality system in compliance with ISO 9001 quality standards

4

Sorter Drive System

BEUMER sorters are driven by linearmotors, also known as linear inductionmotors (LIM). Each linear motor consistsof two sets of electromagnetic coils,one on either side of the vertical bladethat is part of the carriage. As a result,the generated propelling forces act onlyin the direction of sorter travel. Thisavoids any additional loads on trackand rollers as known from horizontallyarranged blades and single-sided coils.Low wear and tear as well as low noiselevels are assured. Power loss and theneed for frequent adjustments that aretypical for single-coil, horizontal LIMarrangements are avoided.

Brakes

In normal operation, deceleration andstopping is effected by generativebraking via the linear motors. Optionallyand if required, one or more mechanicalbrakes with adjustable braking forcecan be mounted to the frame.

Sorter Frame and Sorter Track

The frame profiles with integratedtrack rails are extruded from anodizedaluminum. Safety covers, photocellsand other components are attachedconveniently at any position along theframe.

Carriage

Low-maintenance carriages made ofdie-cast aluminum are assembled toform a continuous, closed loop. Supportand guide rollers are polyurethane withintegral, sealed and lifetime lubricatedbearings. The carriages are connectedby high-strength bolts and universal-type joints for simple assembly anddisassembly.

Optional equipment of the Tilt Element

Key components of the BEUMER Tilt Tray Sorter are:

2D-Tilting Element

The 2D-tilting element consists of acast aluminum body with an integratedbase to mount the tray. It houses movingcomponents such as the shift devicewith slide tappet.

As the slide tappet is lifted by a tipper,the roller at the upper end of the slidetappet engages with the guide channelin the stationary discharge rail. Guidedby the outward directed channel, the roller travels inside the rail and movesthe shift device sideways. This results inthe tray being simultaneously loweredand tilted sideways.Length and shape of the discharge railare optimized for a fully controlled andgentle tilting movement.

Each tilting element carries a tray. Most commonly, trays are concave andmade of laminated beech wood whichprovides for cost efficient, robust andreliable long-term performance. However, material, size and shape ofthe tray can be selected depending onthe type of product to be sorted.

For round, cylindrical or otherwise difficult to handle items, BEUMER hasdeveloped the “Tub Tray Sorter”. Thetrays are mounted on regular 2D-tiltingelements. They can have a flat surfaceand are equipped with retractable side-walls, in combination with leading andtrailing edges; effectively generating a“tub” that prevents items from rolling offthe tray. A simple mechanical linkageretracts the sidewall when the tray isbeing tilted. The tub tray is perfectly suited for bothmanual as well as automatic inductions.

5

3D-Tilting Element

As an alternative to the 2D-design, theBEUMER Tilt Tray Sorter is availablewith 3D-tilting elements. In addition to the sideways tilt of the 2D-tilting element, a rotational movement of thetray in the direction of the dischargechute provides for additional productguidance during the discharge process.As a result, product is discharged inlengthwise orientation. Key benefit of this design is that longeritems can be discharged into narrowerchutes, while maintaining all the superiordischarge characteristics of BEUMER’s2D-tilting elements.

The 3D-tilting element uses the samebase design as the 2D-tilting element.The integrated tray base is modified toallow for the tray to rotate; the rotationitself is generated via mechanical linkageto the tilting element base.

Double Density (DD) Trays

In order to allow for high-troughput applications, two trays can be mountedside-by-side while travelling on the same carriage, effectively doubling thenumber of trays in the system and thesorter capacity. Each tray can be tiltedindividually; however, each tray can only be tilted to one side (left trays toleft-hand chutes, right trays to right-hand chutes). As a result, double density sorter systems typically utilize a pre-sortation to assign sort items to the appropriate induction area.

BEUMER’s double density sorters utilize the well proven 2D-tilting elementdesign, with trays typically made of aluminum. Like the other BEUMER tilt tray sorters,double density systems can be equippedwith manual induction stations or automatic induction lines.

2D-Tilting Element 3D-Tilting Element Double Density (DD) Trays

6

Tipper and Discharge Rail

Each discharge point along the sortertrack is defined by a discharge rail anda tipper device, both mounted to thesorter track.The tilting movement of the tray is intro-duced by the interaction of the slidetappet roller of the moving tilting elementand the guide channel of the stationarydischarge rail. In order to engage theslide tappet roller with the dischargerail, the slide tappet is being lifted bythe tipper. The tipper action is preciselytriggered by the sorter control. The tipper is a rotary DC voltage sole-noid. When the solenoid is activated,the tipper lever is rotated in a verticalposition. A roller at the end of the tipperlevel pushed the slide tappet of theapproaching tilting element upwards,thus engaging the slide tappet rollerwith the guide channel of the dischargerail. The roller travels inside the rail and- guided by the outward direction of thechannel - makes the tray tilt towardsthe discharge chute. The mounting bracket for dischargerail and tipper solenoid utilizes a tongueand groove design. This assures proper

fit during installation or replacement,and effectively prevents misalignmentin long-term operation.

Sorter Tracking

In order for the sorter control to inductthe goods and to “fire” the solenoidsat the exact correct moment, it needsto track the location of the trays, nomatter how fast or how loaded thesystem is.The sorter control uses signals from two(2) devices to calculate tray locations.The first device is a linear impulsegenerator, generating a pulse signal forevery 25 mm of sorter movement – basically, the “heartbeat” of the system.The second device, the reference pointproximity switch, tells the sorter controlwhen “Carriage #1” passes the pre-defined reference point. This carriageis equipped with a trigger flag that triggers the proximity switch and makesit uniquely identifiable for the sortercontrol, thus providing a “life-sign” signal to the control.

During system start-up, after the correctspeed (or heartbeat) is reached, thesorter control awaits the first referencesignal, and then starts tracking thesorter movement. As a result, the controlcan effectively calculate the exact location of each tray at any given point.The sorter control is programmed for a“fail-safe” shutdown in case of faults,e.g. when the heartbeat or the timebetween life-sign signals are outside of normally acceptable ranges. In thiscase, the sorter control displays thecorresponding tracking fault message,while maintaining all system and traycontent information for a restart afterfault clearance.

More than one reference point proximityswitch can be installed for very longsorter systems, in order to acceleratesorter synchronization during start-upor after tracking fault clearance.

BS 25 with Double Density (DD) Trays

Set-Up Device with Tray Checking

In order for trays to be ready to beloaded with product, they need to bereset to their horizontal “home” positionafter being tilted. The resetting of traysis done by set-up devices which typicallyare installed in front of induction areasand in front of horizontal and verticalcurves.A set-up device typically consists oftwo steel brackets with one vertical andone horizontal guide rail each. Eachside of the sorter is equipped with onesteel bracket. The horizontal guide railconsists of a replaceable plastic railwhich unlocks the tilted element bylifting the slide tappet when passing.After the element is unlocked, the verticalset-up rail pushes the shift device of thetilting element sideways into its homeposition. After reaching the home position thevertical set-up rail ends, allowing theslide tappet to drop and lock the tiltingelement in its home position – the trayis reset. As a fail-safe mechanism, athird rail at the end of the set-up deviceassures that the slide tappet rollers arefully dropped into the locked position.

7

As an additional safety feature, three (3)photo eyes are installed with a set-updevice; one photo eye just before thetrays are being reset, and two photo eyesafter the trays have been reset. Thefirst photo eye checks the mechanicalposition of the tray, i.e. tilted vs. nottilted. The second photo eye monitorswhether the tray is occupied or not.The sorter control compares the signals of both photo eyes with theanticipated status of the tray. In caseof a discrepancy the sorter controlsends a fault message indicating traynumber and type of fault, and disablesthe tray. This evaluation allows the sorter controlto detect faults such as items “sticking”to the tray, e.g. because of only partiallyapplied adhesive router labels.The third photo eye checks the gapbetween two trays for items jammedbetween the trays. If such jam is detected, the sorter control sends afault message indicating tray numberand type of fault, and the sorter stopsimmediately in fail-safe mode to avoiddamages.

BS 25 with 3D-Tilting Element

8

BEUMER Sorter Control (BSC)

The control of all machine level functions is handled by a robust, off-the-shelf, programmable logic controller (PLC). This real-time controller with worldwide available service and support, executes controlcommands for the sorter system and any peripheral components anddevices, such as induction lines, batch dividers, scanners, cameras,etc.

It also processes signals from all sensors and status monitoring units of the sorter. The BSC system can be equippedwith decentralized I/O devices andstate-of-the-art bus communication.

BS 25 with 3D-Tilting Element

BS 25 induction unit

9

BEUMER System Server (BeSS)

The BEUMER System Server is a customized server platform that handles upper level sortation controltasks, such as database managementand communication with host systems, e.g. warehouse management systems(WMS).

Typical BeSS tasks are:

• Communication with upper levelhost systems, via a multitude ofavailable network standards andcommunication protocols, ranging in complexity from providing simplesystem performance statistics to independently processing high-levelorder fulfilment tasks

• Providing the human-machine inter-face (HMI) for the sorter system, either web-enabled or via local operator station with screen andkeyboard, with secure, password-controlled, multi-level user access

• Providing extensive data loggingtools for statistics, maintenance and fault clearance

• Communication all necessary sortinginformation with the BSC via localarea network (LAN). A large numberof user selectable sorting tables canbe downloaded, edited and storedon the BeSS

• Buffering of system operations datato maintain system integrity in theevent of communication interruptionswith the host system

BeSS main menu

Control station with BeSS

10

Outlook

BEUMER prides itself with its well balanced range of products, its globalservice and support presence, and itsestablished tradition of excellence andintegrity.No one knows today all the sorting and distribution requirements we mayhave to face tomorrow. What we know,however, is that attention to robust system design, open control standards,and continuing education of our employees, provide the best insurance to be prepared for future challenges.

BS 25 sortation system at a courier and express service

11

Service and Support

BEUMER offers a global service concept, including 24/7-hotline. Online diagnostics tools are implemented with all BEUMER Sortation and Distribution Systems, allowing for remote expert support. Trained personnel are available for installation, commissioning, training and trouble-shooting.

How To Contact Us

BEUMER has offices and representatives in most countries of the world, with a total workforce of more than 600 employees.

Head offices are located in Beckum,Germany. BEUMER subsidiaries operate in the United States, Brazil, France, Poland, Thailand, India and China. For a complete list of subsidiaries and representatives, see our web sitewww.BEUMER.com.

Mission Statement

BEUMER was founded in 1935 as a company dedicated to the design and manufacture of material handlingequipment.Since that time, BEUMER has always focused on providing state-of-the-artmaterial handling equipment to maintainits position as a quality leader, servingmany industries with affordable machinery and systems that outperformother equipment available.Still a family owned and operated business, BEUMER’s mission statement has never been more true than today:

“Our goal is not the short-term profit,but the long-term success.”

For many years BEUMER has delivered sortation and distribution systems to businesses all over the world. We provide system solutions from stand alone machines to fully inte-grated material handling systems.Our customers appreciate ourproven, well-engineered technologyas much as the reliability of our project management teams.

BEUMER – your professional partner

BEUMER Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KGPostfach 12 54 D - 59267 Beckum/Germany Tel. +49 - (0) 25 21 - 24 0 Fax +49 - (0) 25 21 - 24 280E-Mail: BEUMER@BEUMER.com Internet: www.BEUMER.com

BEUMER CorporationBranchburg, NJ 08876/ USA Tel.: +1 (732) 560-8222Fax: +1 (732) 563-0905

Australian Representative Office of BEUMER • North Ryde / AustraliaPh. +61(0) 2-9889-5561Fax +61(0) 2-9889-5562

Asia Representative Office of BEUMER • Bangkok/ThailandPh. +66 (0) 2731-7190 Fax +66 (0) 2731-7194

BEUMER Ltda.Campinas - SP/BrazilTel.: +55 (0) 19-3243-1700Fax +55 (0) 19-3242-1411

BEUMER S.a.r.l.St. Ouen L’Aumone/FranceTel.:+33 (0) 1-3464-2520Fax +33 (0) 1-3037-6883

BEUMER Technology India Private Limited • Mumbai / IndiaTel.: +91 (0) 22-2577-2874Fax +91 (0) 22-2577-2876

+86 (0) 21-6921-3788+86 (0) 21-6921-3628

E514 0506The information contained in this brochure is intended to serve as a non-binding description of our products and is without guarantee.Binding information, in particular relating to capacity data and suitability for specific applications, can only be provided within the framework of concrete inquiries.