Aramark Uniform Services

Softrol Delivers A SoftSort System That Automatically Sorts 40,000 Garments Per Day, At The Rate Of 3,800 Garments Per Hour And Reduces Workforce by 70%.

Automated Garment Sorting

Softrol Delivers A SoftSort System That Automatically Sorts 40,000 Garments Per Day, At The Rate Of 3,800 Garments Per Hour And Reduces Workforce by 70%.

Situation:

Aramark Uniform Services was building a new plant and needed equipment that would automatically sort customers’ garments.

Objective:

Achieve a guaranteed output of 3,800 garments per hour and reduce Aramark’s operating costs for sorting.

Results:

Softrol installed a SoftSort Autosortation System to reduce sorting labor from ten employees to two; utilized standard hangers without the need for mother hooks; took advantage of pre- and post-sort buffering conveyors for labor-free garment transportation. Throughput is exceeding the goal of 3,800 garments per hour.

Project Details:

Aramark Uniform Services in Sacramento, CA, required an autosortation system for their new plant with two primary goals: (1) a reduction in their operating costs for sorting over 40,000 units per day and (2) guaranteed throughput of 3,800 garments per hour. Softrol designed a SoftSort autosortation system that had the following features: (1) reduced labor from 10 employees to two; (2) smooth, reliable garment conveyance on standard hangers, without mother hooks (3) no loose pieces (4) automatic data collection and analysis (5) pre-sort and post-sort buffering conveyors for labor-free garment transportation.

Since Aramark was moving into a new facility with plenty of clear height, Softrol was also able to take advantage of the industrial engineering adage, “use the cube”, and designed the system so that powered primary storage rails were installed overhead.

Softrol thus provided better utilization of the square footage of the plant, permitting attractive payback considerations in addition to the reduction of sorting labor. According to Bill Ledbetter, Aramark Plant Manager, “We were able to consolidate three sort crews into one location and reduce our workforce by 70%. Sort accuracy is improved and quality has never looked better.”