AMR tilt-tray sortation uses autonomous mobile robots fitted with a tilting tray to carry and discharge individual items into destinations. Each robot receives one item at induction, navigates a floor grid to the assigned point, then tilts its tray to drop the item into a chute or bin. Unlike a fixed tilt-tray loop sorter, the tray rides an independent robot with no track.

Key facts

•   Tilting tray discharges items by gravity into a chute or bin

•   Each AMR carries one item, no fixed track or loop

•   tSortPost: up to 20 kg per load, 650mm grid or larger

•   t-Sort Mini handles items up to 5 lbs; t-Sort Plus up to 66 lbs

•   Full fleet throughput reaches 40,000 units per hour

•   Crossbelt or tilt-tray divert configurable on the same platform

How does an AMR tilt-tray sorter work?

An AMR tilt-tray sorter places one item on each robot at an induction station, where a scanner reads its barcode and assigns a destination. The robot navigates a floor grid to the correct divert point, then tilts its tray to one side, releasing the item into the chute or bin by gravity. The robot returns to induction for the next item. Because destinations live in software rather than fixed track, sort points can be added or moved in hours. This is the core difference between an AMR tilt-tray sorter and a traditional tilt-tray loop sorter, where carriers ride a continuous fixed track.

Tilt-tray vs. crossbelt vs. fixed loop

 

Where is AMR tilt-tray sortation used?

•   E-commerce parcel and item sortation

•   Returns and reverse logistics

•   Apparel, cosmetics, and small-goods fulfillment

•   Pharmaceuticals and small high-value items

•   Store replenishment and omnichannel

•   Operations with seasonal volume swings

When is tilt-tray better than crossbelt?

A tilt tray discharges by gravity, which suits flat, rigid, and stackable items and lower-cost trays. A crossbelt actively pushes items sideways, handling small, light, or irregular items and polybags more gently. On an AMR platform, both run on the same fleet, so the divert mechanism is chosen by item profile rather than locked in at install. For mixed or changing catalogs, that flexibility matters more than peak speed.

Plan a tilt-tray sortation system

HOJ engineers and integrates AMR tilt-tray sortation as an independent integrator, specifying Tompkins Robotics tSort platforms in tilt-tray or crossbelt configuration to match your item profile and throughput. Talk to a sortation specialist.