Siemens delivers six flats sorter machines to Australia Post
Siemens has been contracted to equip Australia Post’s mail centres with the Open Mail Handling System (OMS) for flats sorting. Six systems will be installed in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia for the sorting and sequencing of large letters, open and plastic wrapped magazines, as well as small parcels.
In a statement issued today (29 September), Siemens Postal, Parcel & Airport Logistics (SPPAL) said: “Particularly attractive features of the OMS are the high degree of flats automation together with fast sequencing and sorting processes in an ergonomic environment.”
Australia Post is currently investing in new mail processing equipment, such as the OMS, in order to reduce the higher maintenance costs associated with some of its older machinery and to benefit from greater operational efficiencies.
“We evaluated different machine types for flats processing and decided to go for Siemens’ sorting system because of its advanced technology. The OMS processes a larger spectrum of mail types and formats than the other solutions we looked at,” commented Andrew Howlett, General Manager, Postal Services at Australia Post.
“The OMS is our answer to our customers’ high requirements for innovation and individual solutions,” added Michael Reichle, CEO of SPPAL.
All the machines are being equipped with barcode reading and printing. The colour scanner, which is used for the first time in a flats sorting machine, ensures that the reading system gets high-quality pictures.
SPPAL’s new sorting system will replace the still operational flats sorting machines from Siemens, which have been running for more than a decade now.
Australia Post, which recently posted an annual loss of $222m, delivers 60 million items to more than 11 million delivery points across the country every week.
