Royal Mail have recently unveiled its first new large parcel conveyor in Gatwick Mail Centre to support the automation and customer tracking of parcels weighing up to 30kg.
Alongside the Gatwick Mail Centre, Royal Mail have said that they will soon be launching a large parcel conveyor in their South Midlands Mail Centre with the potential for additional launches in mail centres across the UK in the future. These two initial Mail Centre’s have been chosen as they currently handle the most oversized parcels in the network.
The new conveyer is designed to process around 3,000 large parcels per hour, the machine is fitted with a dimension, weight and scanner system designed to handle bulkier items. This provides Royal Mail with a rich source of more accurate data that enables managers to more efficiently pack and route collection vehicles, thereby helping to reduce operational carbon emissions.
We are working hard to transform the Royal Mail operation to process all parcels more efficiently so that we can deliver an even better experience for our customers. By investing in machines that can process bulkier and heavier parcels, we are putting in place the building blocks for higher levels of customer tracking and transparency. This new large parcel conveyor is just another example of how we are investing in reinventing Royal Mail for the future.
– Grant McPherson, Chief Operating Officer at Royal Mail
Royal Mail is pursuing an ambitious programme of automation. In March 2022, it reached the milestone of 50% parcels automated – up from 33% the previous year. The business is aiming to reach its overall target of 90% parcel automation by 2023-24.
In June, Royal Mail opened its huge new North West Super Hub in Warrington which can process more than 800,000 parcels a day. Its Midlands Super Hub, based in Daventry, is on track to open in Summer 2023 and when operational, will be able to process more than one million items per day.
