CASE STUDY: Automated Parcel Shipping System

The Problem

Alliance Entertainment wanted to reduce costs and improve efficiencies by installing an Automatic Small Parcel Manifest & Common Carrier Shipping System. No Cubing system was supplied, at the customer request.

The Automatic Small Parcel Fulfillment Solution

CASI supplied an Automatic Parcel Fulfillment solution utilizing SolidLabel for the automatic shipping labeling, SolidComm for the CLS multicarrier shipping system interface and SolidRoute for the shipping sorter.

EQUIPEMENT LIST:

• CASI ZoneMaster Low Profile Belt Conveyor
• CASI 851 In Motion Parcel Scale
• CASI SortMaster 120 Bi-Directional Small Item Sorter
• Datalogic DS2100N barcode Scanners
• Impinj Speedway RF ID Readers
• Weber 5300 Printer Label Applicators
• ZoneMaster Low Profile Belt Conveyor

System Overview

The heart of the system is the SolidComm interface with the CLS multicarrier shipping system. An RF Tag is placed in the cleat of the cold seal machine conveyor. After the order is sealed, it exits the cold seal machine onto the ZoneMaster Low Profile Belt Conveyor where the RF Tag license plate is read as shown below as it enters the in motion scale.

Several zones of zero pressure accumulation are used between the in motion scale and the Shipping Labeling zone. This process allows the multicarrier parcel shipping system to rate - shop the parcel and choose the best method of shipment for the parcel. Once this is done, the UPS, FedEx or USPS label is applied using the top apply printer label applicator as shown below.

Once the shipping label is applied, placement is confirmed by a DS2100N fixed position barcode scanner. At the same time, the RF Tag is read again to confirm the label is on the correct parcel.

If an exception occurs such as a no read or license plate RF Tag number not found in the database, the carton is diverted using a SortMaster 110 small parcel sorter.

After the shipping label process is complete, the cartons are transported up an incline conveyor to the correct height for sortation into gaylords.

Once the parcels are at the correct height, the parcel is re-identified using a DS2100N barcode scanner and sorted to one of 12 shipping lanes.

Benefits from the new efficiencies

The key benefits from installation of the automated parcel fulfillment system are as follows:

1. Reduced Labor Rate from automated manifest and sortation
2. Higher throughput
3. Reduced shipping errors
4. Flexibility to handle both peak and off season volume without temporary labor