Logopak International, print & apply labelling automation specialists, has partnered with Aramex, a leading global provider of comprehensive logistics and transportation solutions, to automate the application of shipping labels at their Colnbrook site. Aramex runs one of the largest international courier services in the world.

Under this strategic partnership, Logopak appointed Knapp as a turnkey provider to coordinate the system installation which also included an “Erwin Sick VMS” system and middleware from IDC. Aramex transports parcels from international hubs to the UK, once the parcels arrive at the hub, they are loaded onto a conveyor, the Erwin Sick VMS system then measures the volume of each parcel in order for the company to determine which carrier to use. The original barcode is scanned to determine whether a new shipping label needs to be applied. If a new label is required, it is printed and applied in real-time by a Logopak 515 TBH. The parcels then continue along the conveyor to be sorted according to postcode and courier. The combination of reliable engineering and the latest scanning systems have provided Aramex with such an efficient solution that it planned to be rolled out to other hubs worldwide.

Commenting on this partnership, Howard Jagger, Sales Director, Logopak, said: “It gives us great pleasure to add another leading global brand like Aramex to our clients portfolio. Our extensive knowledge of e-Commerce automated packing solutions was one of the main reasons for this important partnership. We quickly identified a solution with our partners and provided the site with a scalable solution to accommodate projected business growth. The Logopak labelling solution manages over 30 carriers and a 150 different service levels at 40ppm in real-time.”

Using the traditional sorting approach, some of the parcels are already correctly labelled for a predetermined courier to deliver, while others are sorted and distributed according to size and destination once they arrive. Moreover, some parcels require new shipping labels to be applied before they can enter the distribution network and this process was being carried out manually in a small hub at Colnbrook. At peak seasons, the hub was facing capacity challenges, therefore, parts of this process had to be outsourced. With this automated solution, Aramex’s small hub can cope efficiently with high volumes, without the need to outsource.