North Carolina-based Tompkins Robotics released a new automated sorting system, t-Sort, calling it the first portable automated sortation system of its kind.
The technology, which the company developed in partnership with robotics company SI Systems, replaces the need for human “pick labor” in the order-fulfillment sector, enabling it to compete with products like Amazon’s uni-channel fulfillment system.
”Combining t-Sort with SI robotic dispensing technology provides significant reductions in investment and operating costs for both brands and retailers,” said Jim Tompkins, CEO of Tompkins International, parent company of Tompkins Robotics.
The system can sort up to 36,000 units per hour – a metric that the company claims will make the return on investment for participating sorting facilities’ attainable within a reasonable period of time, depending on the customer’s current production rate. However, Tompkins was not specific on the price-point for the implementation of its system.
For those who would like to see the technology in action, a demo system is available to visit at Tompkins International Emerging Technology Center in Orlando.