Parcel and Postal Technology International
  • News
    • A-E
      • Automation
      • Business Diversification
      • Construction / Development
      • Cross-border
      • Delivery
      • E-commerce
      • Expo
    • F-O
      • Freight
      • IT & Systems
      • Last Mile
      • Lockers / PUDO
      • Logistics
      • Mail
      • Operations
    • P-R
      • Packets
      • Parcels
      • Peak
      • Retail
      • Returns
    • S-Z
      • Sorting Systems
      • Staff / Personnel
      • Sustainability
      • Technology
      • Vehicles / Fleet
  • Features
  • Online Magazines
    • March 2025
    • September 2023
    • June 2023
    • March 2023
    • December 2022
    • SHOWCASE 2019
    • Archive Issues
    • Subscribe Free!
  • Opinion
  • Videos
  • Analysis
  • Awards
    • 2025 Awards
    • Previous Winners
  • Supplier Spotlight
  • Parcel + Post Expo
LinkedIn YouTube Twitter
  • Sign-up for Breaking News Emails
  • Meet the Editors
  • Contact Us
  • Media Pack
Subscribe
LinkedIn Facebook
Parcel and Postal Technology International
  • News
      • Automation
      • Business Diversification
      • Construction / Development
      • Cross-border
      • Delivery
      • E-commerce
      • Expo
      • Freight
      • IT & Systems
      • Last Mile
      • Lockers / PUDO
      • Logistics
      • Mail
      • Operations
      • Packets
      • Parcels
      • Peak
      • Retail
      • Returns
      • Sorting Systems
      • Staff / Personnel
      • Sustainability
      • Technology
      • Vehicles / Fleet
  • Features
  • Online Magazines
    1. December 2024
    2. September 2024
    3. June 2024
    4. March 2024
    5. SHOWCASE 2019
    6. Subscribe Free!
    Featured
    April 2, 2025

    In this Issue – March 2025

    Online Magazines By Web Team
    Recent

    In this Issue – March 2025

    April 2, 2025

    In this Issue – December 2024

    December 5, 2024

    In this Issue – September 2024

    September 19, 2024
  • Opinion
  • Videos
  • Analysis
  • Awards
    • 2025 Awards
    • 2024 Award Winners
    • 2023 Award Winners
    • 2022 Award Winners
    • 2021 Award Winners
    • 2020 Award Winners
    • 2019 Award Winners
    • Previous Winners
  • Supplier Spotlight
  • Parcel + Post Expo
LinkedIn Facebook
Subscribe
Parcel and Postal Technology International
Features

Case Study: Royal Mail’s switch to a predictive maintenance approach for letter sorting infrastructure

mmBy Dan SymondsOctober 21, 20215 Mins Read
Share LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email
Schaeffler SmartCheck device

Royal Mail delivered around 14.4 billion letters in 2017-18. Its ability to process, sort and get letters, packages and parcels to their final destinations quickly and efficiently relies on a plethora of devices such as carousel sorting machines.

Carousel sorting machines form a vital part of the Royal Mail’s post processing infrastructure, and any unplanned downtime can have a significant impact on the organization’s delivery quality criteria. As such, it took the decision to implement a condition monitoring solution from Schaeffler across 26 of its sites to keep things moving.

How and why?
How a large letter (A4 size and above) carousel sorting machine works is straightforward: mail is fed into it at one end, the letters are read by an automatic address read function then dropped into a carrier and then into the appropriate trays ready for despatch. However, despite the relative simplicity of these machines, any disruption to their operation can have a massive knock-on effect.

“With each machine successfully sorting over 20,000 items of mail every hour, large letter carousel sorting machines are critical in meeting our quality targets,” explains Tim Brook, automation technical analyst at Royal Mail. “Failing that delivery quality criteria can result in a regulatory fine, as well as negative publicity.”

New approach
In 2017, Brook decided to move from a preventive to a predictive maintenance approach. He attended a vibration monitoring seminar by Schaeffler at the University of Hull, which convinced him that a condition monitoring solution with remote support was needed.

Soon after the seminar, Brook contacted Schaeffler to discuss the best solution for his application and to arrange a trial at Royal Mail’s Nottingham sorting office. Schaeffler recommended its SmartCheck condition monitoring system, with SmartConnectBox connectivity hardware and a SmartLamp alarm beacon mounted above each of the carousel sorting machines. These were complemented by Schaeffler’s SmartVisual and SmartUtility visualization and analysis software.

Cause for alarm
With the help of the team at Schaeffler, four SmartChecks were installed on the Nottingham site’s carousel sorting machine. A single SmartCheck is installed on the geared motors of the upper and lower carousel drives.

“During the trials at Nottingham, SmartCheck almost immediately started to indicate a potential problem with a motor, so we were convinced of its effectiveness,” says Brook. “It provided everything we were looking for in terms of integrating with our internal networks and predicting impending failures. Furthermore, it was easy to configure and manage.”

Sally Sillis, Schaeffler Technology Centre manager at Schaeffler UK, adds, “Every machine has its own characteristic vibration level. SmartCheck has an automatic learning mode that determines the appropriate alarm thresholds, while the SmartVisual software is used to remotely monitor and manage a machine’s condition by Royal Mail analysts in Leeds.”

Soon after being installed at Royal Mail’s Sheffield site, a mini-carousel motor registered alerts in the acceleration measurements. Analysis of the frequency spectrum suggested that this was a bearing or gearbox failure. According to Brook, a rapid deterioration was apparent: “I advised the engineers at Sheffield that a spare motor should be brought to site and changed in a normal maintenance slot, meaning no machine downtime.”

Financial benefits
Brook carried out a business benefit calculation by considering the man-hours and material costs – which would have been four hours to replace the motor and the cost of the motor itself. His figures were based on engineering costs alone and didn’t factor in any quality-of-service fines. Even so, the Royal Mail expects to save a minimum of £50,000 (US$69,000) per year in motor replacement costs alone, with a return on investment in three years.

Asked to drill down into these figures, Brook replies, “If a motor replacement is planned, it costs £3,756 (US$5,185) per motor based on parts and labor. If it is unplanned, then that cost nearly doubles due to operational loss. Motors were being replaced every three years to mitigate the risk of breakdowns, giving a figure of £65,000 (US$90,000) per year over 10 years. By predicting motor failures, the actual failure rate is far lower, with only four failures expected per year based on mean time between failure. The SmartChecks allow us to remove the mitigating ‘over-maintenance’ and save us £50,000 (US$69,000) per year on replacement costs alone.”

After being proved in Nottingham, the Schaeffler solution was rolled out to 24 other sites, with the final SmartCheck installation completed in Bristol in October 2020. Now, if an alarm level is reached at any of the 26 sites, the team at Leeds can contact the engineer at that site and recommend they get a replacement motor ready as a spare, and also additional maintenance to replace it.

Eyes on the prize
Schaeffler SmartVisual software is a key part of the Royal Mail’s condition monitoring solution. Its graphical user interface is based on simple drag-and-drop, so it is easy for the Leeds-based analysts to use, while mail center engineers can access it locally on their own PCs. This, coupled with the SmartLamps, provides a traffic light indication of any impending failure.

SmartChecks are also providing data on other machine drive components. Sillis says, “It’s not just about the traditional rotating machine components such as bearings – it’s also associated problems not covered in the original scope of requirements. Chain tension, for example, was not initially something the Royal Mail wanted to monitor, but the SmartChecks have picked up issues here too. We built the parameters with gear mesh frequencies, which have been really useful additions.”

Looking ahead
Brook is now looking to trial further Schaeffler conditioning monitoring systems including ProLink. He concludes, “After working closely with Schaeffler, I have absolutely no complaints. The company’s technical support and after-sales service have been second to none, and the knowledge and experience of the Schaeffler engineers who helped install the solution were invaluable. I’m very happy and look forward to continuing our relationship.”

Share. Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email
Previous ArticleIVM Micrologistics presents updated SaveFlex solution at Parcel+Post Expo
Next Article GeoPost acquires close to 22% shareholding in Aramex

Related Posts

Features

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Egypt Post

May 1, 202511 Mins Read
Features

FEATURE: Improving reverse logistics with better data and collaboration

April 15, 202514 Mins Read
Features

SUPPLIER INTERVIEW: Simon Thompson, Group CEO of Windracers Group

April 7, 20257 Mins Read

Receive breaking stories and features in your inbox each week, for free


Enter your email address:


Latest News

NZ Post’s Auckland Processing Centre becomes fully operational

May 13, 2025

XPO Logistics boosts cross-border capacity with state-of-the-art container trailers

May 13, 2025

InPost and ASOS launch next-day locker delivery

May 12, 2025
Getting in Touch
  • Contact Us / Advertiser
  • Meet the Editors
  • Download Media Pack
  • Breaking News Emails
Our Social Channels
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
Supplier Spotlights
  • BOWE INTRALOGISTICS
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Notice & Takedown Policy
  • Site FAQs
© 2025 UKi Media & Events a division of UKIP Media & Events Ltd

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.

CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Analytics" category.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional1 yearThe GDPR Cookie Consent plugin sets the cookie to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie stores user consent for cookies in the category "Others".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie stores the user consent for cookies in the category "Performance".
elementorneverThe website's WordPress theme uses this cookie. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time.
JSESSIONIDsessionNew Relic uses this cookie to store a session identifier so that New Relic can monitor session counts for an application.

Functional

Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.

CookieDurationDescription
__cf_bm30 minutesCloudflare set the cookie to support Cloudflare Bot Management.

Analytics

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

CookieDurationDescription
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded YouTube videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
uidsessionThis is a Google UserID cookie that tracks users across various website segments.
vuid1 year 1 month 4 daysVimeo installs this cookie to collect tracking information by setting a unique ID to embed videos on the website.
_ga1 year 1 month 4 daysGoogle Analytics sets this cookie to calculate visitor, session and campaign data and track site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognise unique visitors.
_ga_*1 year 1 month 4 daysGoogle Analytics sets this cookie to store and count page views.

Advertisement

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.

CookieDurationDescription
OAGEOsessionOpenX sets this cookie to avoid the repeated display of the same ad.
OAID1 yearCookie set to record whether the user has opted out of the collection of information by the AdsWizz Service Cookies.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysYouTube sets this cookie to measure bandwidth, determining whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYoutube sets this cookie to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's video preferences using embedded YouTube videos.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's video preferences using embedded YouTube videos.
yt.innertube::nextIdneverYouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
yt.innertube::requestsneverYouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.

Others

Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.

CookieDurationDescription
VISITOR_PRIVACY_METADATA5 months 27 daysDescription is currently not available.

SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by