The Department of Post, Government of India, has ramped up its mail processing centres at New Delhi with an automated system that enables processing of up to 55,000 mail pieces per hour.
India Post achieved a significant milestone in its efforts to modernise and ramp up its mail processing centres when its automated mail processing system installed by Siemens at New Delhi became operational. The system consists of a sorting machine with integrated reading and video coding machine (IVR), which reads bar code or manually-written addresses on the letter line-by-line. Based on the address, the sorting machine automatically sorts the letters and collects it in a specified bin in a single run.
For successfully implementing the new automated sorting technologies, besides the supply, installation and commissioning of the sorting machines, video coding stations and power supply, Siemens provided operational consultancy services to the Department of Post which undertook a massive data collection exercise, where over 650,000 addresses of cities, villages and towns was incorporated in the system at the sorting centres.
The Postal Automation Technology will enable India Post to significantly reduce processing time, improve productivity and deliver high quality of service. The system is capable of processing different types of mails such as packages, plastic-wrapped items, magazines and letters. The system has a throughput of up to 55,000 items per hour - approximately 35,000 letters and about 20,000 mixed mail packages. The sorting centre in Delhi has a built up area of 6,500 square meters. This will enable the Department of Post to provide better and more efficient services with high level of productivity.
Globally, Siemens has installed more than 22,100 such systems for letter, parcel and courier express parcel services in more than 40 countries.