Royal Mail and Hermes deploy automated solutions in UK hubs

Parcel carriers Royal Mail and Hermes are both using automation in new UK hubs.

Royal Mail’s new parcel super-hub will use a solution which will automatically tip inbound parcels from roll cages onto a conveyor in order to enable sortation.

The system will also allow instant updates across the system, including the automatic allocation of chutes. This is made possible by an integration between solution provider BEUMER and Royal Mail’s existing business logic.

The hub is set to open in 2022 and will be located in Warrington in northern England.

Simon Barker, national operations director at Royal Mail, said: “We have seen a major rise in parcel demand over the past few years.

“Speeding up the passage of parcels within our system through automated sorting technology is key to boosting Royal Mail’s parcel processing capacity.

“BEUMER Group’s know-how has been instrumental in providing the flawless integration of this new technology into our existing network.”

Fellow parcel carrier Hermes has deployed a return automation conveyor system, which allows returns parcel traffic to be sorted automatically into 28 primary destinations, eventually feeding into over 400 client destinations.

It uses overhead scanners to identify which area a parcel needs to go into.

The system from L.A.C Conveyors & Automation offers capacity of 7000 parcels per hour and over 500,000 per week.

“No one else in the industry is using a system like this to sort their parcels at such an increased throughput and reduced expense,” said Steve Stanbridge, engineering manager at Hermes.