Parcel Sorting Machines

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 08 May 2020, 12:50

Do they damage a lot of parcels?
I have customers coming into the CSP complaining about how long international packets are taking and how many are getting damaged.
The photos look like a blade has been taken to the parcel. These are soft parcels containing clothes.
It is so bad some have stopped sending anything international.
Is it the machines or is it something else? Most, possibly all, are going through Gatwick.
Any ideas?

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 08 May 2020, 13:54

clashcityrocker wrote:Do they damage a lot of parcels?
I have customers coming into the CSP complaining about how long international packets are taking and how many are getting damaged.
The photos look like a blade has been taken to the parcel. These are soft parcels containing clothes.
It is so bad some have stopped sending anything international.
Is it the machines or is it something else? Most, possibly all, are going through Gatwick.
Any ideas?

I don't think Gatwick has an PSM. I doubt that Heathrow will have changed their machine. Is Gatwick the MC that covers your DO?

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 08 May 2020, 14:16

SpacePhoenix wrote: I don't think Gatwick has an PSM. I doubt that Heathrow will have changed their machine.

One of the tracking posts states that the item is not machinable. (It since hasn't moved for 5 weeks.)
That is why I assume they are going through parcel sorting machines.

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 08 May 2020, 14:25

clashcityrocker wrote:
SpacePhoenix wrote: I don't think Gatwick has an PSM. I doubt that Heathrow will have changed their machine.
One of the tracking posts states that the item is not machinable. (It since hasn't moved for 5 weeks.)
That is why I assume they are going through parcel sorting machines.

Don't look like a tracking message generated by any RM machine. Are many of them ones going to European countries, that would be handled by GLS outside of the UK?

glenfiddich · Post by **glenfiddich** » 10 May 2020, 08:18

I delivered an empty amazon box in a damaged bag that looked like it had been sliced down the middle with a blade last week

Post by **britwrit** » 10 May 2020, 22:02

We have a big 2000s era PSM at Heathrow, plus a few smaller ones installed this year.

They;re about as gentle on packets or even a little more so than manual handling. (Which isn't saying much but there it is.) I can see a soft package getting caught in the rollers of the conveyor belt. Not often though?

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 10 May 2020, 22:55

britwrit wrote:We have a big 2000s era PSM at Heathrow, plus a few smaller ones installed this year.

They;re about as gentle on packets or even a little more so than manual handling. (Which isn't saying much but there it is.) I can see a soft package getting caught in the rollers of the conveyor belt. Not often though?

Could they get caught in the rollers if too many items are being tipped into the feed at the same time?

Post by **postman1979** » 10 May 2020, 23:28

clashcityrocker wrote:Do they damage a lot of parcels?
I have customers coming into the CSP complaining about how long international packets are taking and how many are getting damaged.
The photos look like a blade has been taken to the parcel. These are soft parcels containing clothes.
It is so bad some have stopped sending anything international.
Is it the machines or is it something else? Most, possibly all, are going through Gatwick.
Any ideas?

At a guess due to some info I got recently, I would guess that the items may have been routed through Atherstone PSC.

Post by **Steve_claret** » 11 May 2020, 09:37

The PSM treats every parcel the same. At least with manual sorting of parcels they can be treated with a modicum of care depending on the individual.

Post by **britwrit** » 11 May 2020, 15:12

SpacePhoenix wrote:
britwrit wrote:We have a big 2000s era PSM at Heathrow, plus a few smaller ones installed this year.

They;re about as gentle on packets or even a little more so than manual handling. (Which isn't saying much but there it is.) I can see a soft package getting caught in the rollers of the conveyor belt. Not often though?
Could they get caught in the rollers if too many items are being tipped into the feed at the same time?

Oh, yeah, sure. But not in such large numbers?

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 11 May 2020, 17:18

I don't know if HWDC sort their specials (either ones going out of the UK or ones coming in to the UK) but all MCs sort their specials by hand

Post by **jmcg** » 12 May 2020, 16:29

These machines do damage an awful amount of items, and certainly some of our customers are not so good at packaging what they send....

Post by **britwrit** » 12 May 2020, 20:09

SpacePhoenix wrote:I don't know if HWDC sort their specials (either ones going out of the UK or ones coming in to the UK) but all MCs sort their specials by hand

HWDC - and ILC (International Logistics Centre...? Something like that, I'm braindead) just do stuff coming into the country and going out. As such, they don't do specials.

Tracked/Regstered/Tracked and Signed is a mix and match.

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 12 May 2020, 20:53

britwrit wrote:Tracked/Regstered/Tracked and Signed is a mix and match.

They shouldn't be, on the UK side outside of HWDC they go through the SD lockers. You've two types of incoming "special", "Express" and "Registered". They both have lists of countries, if a country is on that list then it goes through the SD lockers at the inward MCs, if it's not on the list it goes with the normal mail.

@clashcityrocker Did they come in via your DO's SD locker? What MC covers your DO?

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 13 May 2020, 15:54

All outbound items were International Tracked and Signed. They leave the DO in the Special Delivery redskin.
All items would have gone to Gatwick from the DO. (And some have never left there)