- March 12, 2024
March 11, 2024 - OPEX Corporation, a global leader in Next Generation Automation for almost 50 years, has announced the launch of its newest automated sorting and order retrieval solutions―OPEX Sure Sort X with OPEX Xtract. These innovative technologies were officially unveiled by company leadership at MODEX 2024, the largest manufacturing and supply chain trade event, held this year at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
OPEX Sure Sort X represents the next generation of high-speed, automated sorting. It is the most robust industrial sorting solution available in the market, unmatched in terms of its compact footprint, performance rates and cost-effectiveness. This universal system can handle nearly 100% of customer-sortable items weighing up to 20 pounds (9 kg) and sort items into a configurable array of mixed bin sizes and types.
When Sure Sort X is paired with Xtract―OPEX’s revolutionary new automated order retrieval system―the task of retrieving totes and transferring their contents into shipping containers is now fully automated, as well. The result is a one-touch solution that can eliminate the need to manually sort and transfer boxes downstream.
"OPEX remains dedicated to innovations that align with the evolving demands of the market," stated Alex Stevens, President of Warehouse Automation at OPEX. "We have received feedback from our customers that they want one integrated solution to sort, retrieve and automatically get the product into its final container. Our new solutions, Sure Sort X and Xtract, are a response to those requests. This cutting-edge technology is designed to automate multiple manual tasks with a simple, one-touch solution.”
Developed based on feedback from the international business community, Sure Sort X applies OPEX Corporation’s innovative, industry-leading Sure Sort technology, introduced in 2017. With its enhanced product handling capabilities, Sure Sort X is the single most versatile and configurable sorting solution available. It can handle items 60% smaller, nearly 20% larger and up to 300% heavier than its predecessor, all while maintaining a consistent throughput of up to 2,100 items per hour.
The system’s iBOT delivery vehicles utilize sophisticated motion algorithms that allow them to maneuver throughout the system efficiently, with the ability to change destination in real time while in transit. These iBOTs can drive in and out of the system while Sure Sort X continues to run, ensuring the highest level of uptime and availability. In addition, Sure Sort X can operate in both chilled and ambient environments. Installation can occur in as little as one week.
OPEX Xtract can be added to any Sure Sort X system by introducing retrieval iBOTs to work in conjunction with the traditional sortation iBOTs found in Sure Sort X. Xtract iBOTs move in a loop that has both horizontal and vertical segments within the Sure Sort X aisle, and can handle up to 200 extracted totes per hour. All of the iBOTs are self-charging and can easily be added to or removed from the system.
The system can retrieve standard totes or can be outfitted with Xtract totes, which are uniquely designed to transport items from the sort location to any available roller, v-chute, transfer (RVT) module. If these totes are used, once all products for a relevant order have been deposited into the Xtract totes, each tote is retrieved and transported to the RVT module, where the tote door opens and releases the items into the final shipping box or order container.
Soon after its unveiling in the US at MODEX, Sure Sort X will make its European debut at the LogiMAT expo in Stuttgart, Germany, on March 19, 2024, at the OPEX exhibit in Hall 7, Stand 7D53.
Sure Sort X and Xtract join the existing Warehouse Automation portfolio at OPEX, which includes Sure Sort—the industry-leading, high-speed, small-item robotic sorting system; Perfect Pick, a robotic goods-to-person picking solution that dramatically improves speed, efficiency and reliability and Infinity―the most advanced goods-to-person solution available in warehouse automation. All are custom configured for each client and designed to completely transform supply chain infrastructure.