01How cross-belt sorting works
Each carrier in the sorter is a short conveyor belt mounted across the direction of travel. A parcel is inducted onto a carrier — usually after dimensioning and scanning, so the system already knows its destination — and rides the loop or line until it reaches its chute. The carrier's belt then drives sideways, walking the parcel off the carrier and into the chute in a controlled motion.
Because the parcel is carried rather than slid, cross-belt handles what other sorters struggle with: polybags, soft packages, cylindrical and odd-shaped items, and fragile goods that cannot take an impact. Because every carrier discharges independently, destinations can be dense — chutes sit close together along the frame, which is how high destination counts fit into real buildings.
02Two frames: linear and loop
Goodscan builds cross-belt sorters in the two frame layouts the range is known for. The choice is about building shape and destination count, not about sorting quality — both discharge the same way.
Cross-belt frames in the Goodscan range
| Frame | Layout | Typical fit |
|---|---|---|
| Linear cross-belt sorter | Straight track, carriers travel one direction and return beneath | Long, narrow halls; sort plans with destinations along one line; phased expansion by adding track |
| Loop cross-belt sorter | Continuous oval loop, carriers circulate until discharged | High destination counts in compact footprints; multiple induction points around one loop |
03Cross-belt in a measured line
A cross-belt sorter is usually the second half of a line whose first half measures. Parcels are singulated, dimensioned, weighed and scanned — the automated dimensioning section — and the record from that pass assigns each parcel its carrier and chute. Dimension data also feeds load planning at the chutes: gaylords and roll cages fill by measured volume, not by guesswork.
Where volume or parcel mix does not justify cross-belt, the range offers wheel sorters and narrow belt sorters for simpler diverting duties; the sortation system page maps the whole sorting range.