High-capacity sorter wins first place in material handling category

MHS, a single-source provider of material handling automation and software solutions, has added another award to its portfolio, taking home gold in the material handling systems category of the 2019 Plant Engineering Product of the Year Awards. The HC sorter – the company’s first sliding shoe sorter – emerged from a field of five finalists to win the category, as voted on by the publication’s readers.

The HC sorter debuted in August 2019, offering high throughput and versatility for the parcel, e-commerce, and retail distribution operations. It provides the fastest speed of any closed-deck sliding shoe sorter, at 9.8 feet per second, and can handle products weighing anywhere from 0.55 to over 110 pounds. The HC sorter has a modular design and can be equipped with single- or double-sided shoes, offering easy scalability and configuration to match operational requirements.

With supply chains expanding their use of various packaging types to minimize shipping costs, the HC sorter can handle everything from bubble mailers and polybags to large corrugate cases, thanks to narrow slats and a fully closed-deck design. This helps prevent products from getting stuck and damaged while limiting the amount of dust and debris that can enter the sorter.

“This is the second MHS sortation product to win a product of the year award in less than six months, and we appreciate the recognition from Plant Engineering readers,” says Rush Fullerton, vice president, MHS. “The award validates our commitment to solving our customers’ most pressing challenges.”