Royal Mail Opens New Fully Automated Parcel Sorting Machine in Southampton

Royal Mail has installed a new fully automated parcel sorting machine in Southampton that can process 157,000 parcels per day.

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Paul Holmes, MP for Eastleigh, officially opened the parcel sorting machine, which is an automatic system consisting of conveyor belts and scanning technology that automatically sorts parcels for Royal Mail’s network.

“I was delighted to visit Southampton Mail Center and see the new state of the art parcel sorting machine with can handle 157,000 parcels per day. This is welcome investment by Royal Mail, and one which will serve many of my constituents and businesses who rely on efficient and worry free parcel handling as part of their daily lives.”

Paul Holmes, MP for Eastleigh

The parcel sorting machine, located at the Royal Mail Southampton Mail Center, is capable of processing up to 7,500 parcels per hour to local delivery offices throughout the south and the country.

Developed by automated technology company Solystic, the machine can handle parcels up to 20kg in weight.

Royal Mail is Transforming Its Network

The installation is part of Royal Mail’s multi-million pound investment program to replace time-consuming and physically demanding manual sorting processes. This will assist the company to meet the surge in demand for parcel shipping, much of which stems from the rapid rise in online shopping.

Royal Mail is expanding its automation capabilities rapidly. As of March 2022, it had automated 50% of parcels, up from 33% last year. By 2023-24, the company plans to reach its overall goal of 90% parcel automation.

Parcel automation can speed up parcel sorting by up to four times compared to manual sorting.

“We are transforming the way Royal Mail processes parcels given the rapid growth in online shopping in recent years. Our investment in state-of the-art parcel sorting machines will help us better meet the growing demands of our customers in Southampton and the rest of the UK and is a vital part of the ongoing reinvention of Royal Mail.”

Sarah Coulson, Parcels Automation Programme Director, Royal Mail

Royal Mail plans to have 39 parcel sorting machines in operation by October 2022, an increase of nearly 100% in one year.

This includes installations at the new hubs being built in Warrington and Daventry, which once operational will be able to process more than 1.5 million parcels per day.

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