Lietuvos paštas has seen an astonishing growth in the volume of parcels being sent. More than 800.000 customers trust the efficient and reliable handling of these parcels. In order to continue carrying out the shipping process quickly and accurately, the company needed to change its parcel sorting flow. Kastytis Valantinas, COO at Lietuvos Paštas, was part of the project team that created this new sorting flow and explains how they found a solution to the challenges they faced.
The increase in parcel volume is nothing new. Over the past few years, e-commerce has been driving the growth in parcel shipments. However, during the COVID pandemic in 2020, this reached an entirely new level. According to the Pitney Bowes Parcel Delivery Index [1], global parcel volumes in 2020 reached 131.2 billion. A total of 4.160 parcels were shipped every second!
"The project included a solution for our courier service and parcel flow," – says Kastytis Valantinas. "We decided to separate the parcels into two flows. By choosing a separate flow, we increase the throughput and efficiency of our parcel center without compromise."
By closely examining the range of parcels passing through the sorting center, the appropriate parcel sorting systems can be selected. After sketching several different flow diagrams, it quickly became clear that creating a separate flow would be the most beneficial. Two flows were defined: a small parcel flow for large envelopes and parcels up to 5 kg, and a courier flow, which mainly includes large and heavy parcels up to 30 kg. The parcels will be sorted using the appropriate SD sorting system (SD – Single Door) and a crossbelt-based sorting system.
At full capacity, the system will be able to process 340.000 small parcels per day. This is a result of how Lietuvos Paštas is handling the growth of parcel flows in Lithuania. It is worth mentioning not only the system's efficiency but also its distinctive appearance features.
First and foremost, the small parcel sorting system is designed with the unique yellow color of Lietuvos Paštas, which immediately catches the eye when entering the parcel sorting center. However, the system also features a unique parcel feeding solution for the sorting system. To fully utilize the available space, this feeding system is designed not with a standard conveyor belt for lifting parcels to the equipment height, but with a compact spiral conveyor that lifts the parcels into the sorting system.
SD sorting system for small parcels has an open layout. Since the space for this sorting system was relatively limited, a smart solution was needed for sorting and feeding parcels into the system. This layout is known as an exceptionally wide oval.
This allows operators to work within the inner area of the equipment. This approach enables sorting into chutes (destinations) located both inside and outside the system. By doing so, we maximize the number of sorting chutes within the operational space of the equipment. This system features 381 sorting chutes, each holding a postal bag where parcels are sorted.
Six operators manage the sorting system at the parcel feeding point. They place items onto the parcel feeding conveyor, which then transports the parcels to the sorting system via a spiral conveyor. This solution enables the processing of 10.000 parcels per hour.
The new solution enables Lietuvos Paštas to confidently handle the growing volume of both small and large parcels. The smart distribution program has optimized their efforts to serve customers efficiently. With this new solution, the company has turned a new page in its operations and is ready for the future!
