Electronic Fingerprint for Letters
The Siemens Mobility Division is to supply up to 97 large sorting machines, type Open Mail Handling System (OMS), to Deutsche Post AG.
This system is said to be unique throughout the world and distinguishes itself by its extreme speed. The new generation of sorting machines is the first that is capable of handling up to 50,000 flats per hour. The order calls for delivery to begin in 2010 and to end by 2012. Recently Deutsche Post had placed an order with Siemens Mobility for 288 standard and compact letter sorting systems intended for 82 mail centers in Germany. The volume for both orders invested by German postal service totals 420 million euros over the next years.
This Open Mail Handling System is characterized by its ability to integrate the latest postal automation technologies. An item of mail is identified through digital detection of its physical appearance, a method referred to in expert circles as fingerprint technology. Each letter comprises an individual combination of stamps, sender and address; all of these taken together constitute a kind of electronic fingerprint that clearly identifies the item and accompanies it through the entire mail delivery process.
Sorting can be extended to the carrier route sequence of the mailman and is achieved in one run. The machine also postmarks each item of mail to invalidate the postal stamps. Integration of the new technologies into a single overall system makes the new flats sorting machines the fastest in the world according to Siemens. Deutsche Post will benefit from higher productivity, lower operating costs, greater user friendliness and, last but not least, more careful handling aimed at minimizing damage to mail items. The flats sorting systems can cope with all sorting tasks for items with a thickness of up to 32 millimeters and a maximum weight of two kilograms.
Comments
Leave a Reply
