Christmas is approaching. And as the number of online stores increases, so does the volume of parcels and packages. The task of sorting systems is to cope with such volumes and, above all, peak times. To do this, the sorters have to operate at high speeds without losing any parcels. A new high-end system achieves this with mini shock absorbers from ACE.

Not far from the North Sea lies the Dutch municipality of Hillegom. This picturesque polder environment is home to one of Europe's most powerful manufacturers of sorting systems. Equinox offers a wide range of high-quality systems for automation in logistics, including manual sorting systems, picking systems and warehouse management systems. Sorting parameters can be individually selected for the Dutch company's products. In addition to classic indicators such as zip code or shipping route, this includes, for example, the option of sorting by order. This is an important factor for e-commerce companies.

Equinox sorters often use trays to transport products in the system. When a product is entered into a tray, it is identified by scanning the barcode. Once the tray has reached the correct destination, it is opened and the product is sorted at the correct station. From this station, products can be packed or dispatched directly. The portfolio also includes so-called split-tray sorters, which are characterized by their oval shape and the fact that they have stations on both the inside and outside of the oval, doubling their number.

Tests have shown that the self-adjusting, maintenance-free representatives of the MC150 to MC650 family are the ideal decelerators for continuous operation. © ACE

Test phase: looking for the best automation solution
The Dutch company has also reduced the curve radii on these models to achieve a particularly space-saving design. This brings the transport containers so close together in the curves that they can start to vibrate. In the worst case scenario, this could result in valuable freight falling off the sorting system. To avoid this, Equinox contacted ACE, a partner already well-known in the in-house design department for damping solutions. As the speed on the conveyor belt was significantly slower on the inside than on the outside of the sorting system in the tight curve radii, Han Titulaer, who works as a technical consultant for ACE in the Netherlands and Belgium, initially had the idea of installing different dampers on the inside and outside. However, because Equinox preferred to use a single type of damper, partly for maintenance reasons, these were initially installed and tested on site. This resulted in vibrations that the damping technology of the installed models from the SC190 product family was not fully suitable for permanently eliminating. For this reason, the ACE team made adjustments.

Centrifugal forces successfully slowed down
Small shock absorbers of the type MC150EUM-PP150 turned out to be the right solution. The secret here is their rolling diaphragm, whereby the damping technology from ACE ensures phase separation of the damping fluid from the ambient air. This also enables direct installation in the pressure chamber, for example as end-position cushioning in pneumatic cylinders up to around seven bar. The rolling diaphragm also favors the low restoring forces of the ready-to-install dampers. Graduated hardness ranges, high energy absorption and the integrated fixed stop are further plus points. In addition, the use of a bolt preload enables impact angles of up to 25 degrees.

The decisive factor for Equinox was the fact that, in addition to reliably smoothing the fast movements of the containers in the curves, these miniature shock absorbers also offer a service life of up to 25 million load cycles thanks to the hermetically sealed rolling diaphragm technology. Under simple conditions, this corresponds to four times the service life of conventional shock absorbers. Under difficult, vibrating conditions, the difference in service life between standard shock absorbers and the MC types is even greater. Small shock absorbers from this product family can be used universally, as they are also available in stainless steel. In addition to the logistics sector, they are also used for automation and handling in mechanical and plant engineering.

The self-adjusting and maintenance-free machine elements installed in the Netherlands have an energy absorption of 20 Newton meters/stroke or 34,000 Newton meters/hour with a stroke of only 150 millimeters. This means that there are virtually no limits to the continuous operation of the sorting system. Tjalling Dolman, Project Manager at Equinox, was correspondingly positive: "Working in partnership was very pleasant, and the final solution fits our requirements perfectly." as