How the ferag.skyfall pouch sorter works
ferag.skyfall uses a carrier-based overhead conveyor principle. Each item is loaded into an individual hard pouch — a robust load carrier that can hold items up to 10 kg. Pouches travel along gravity-driven and motor-driven track sections at up to 2 m/s, routed and sorted by the integrated control system without manual intervention.
The system handles the full intralogistics chain in one pass: loading at goods receipt, buffering during peak hours, sorting by destination or order, and unloading at packing stations or dispatch. Because it operates overhead, it leaves the floor free for picking staff, robots, and other equipment.
ferags pouch sorter is deployed across industries where flexible, high-throughput sorting is critical:
- Order picking and consignment for e-commerce, retail, B2B and 3PL
- Sorting and sequencing for dispatch, incoming goods and returns
- Extending process chains with no need for transfer points
- Material flow with process decoupling and buffering
- Inter-process linkage with buffering and sorting
Integrators specify ferag.skyfall because it reduces system complexity while increasing throughput capacity:
- One system replaces multiple conveying, buffering, and sorting solutions
- Fully automatic loading and unloading for seamless process integration
- Overhead installation keeps 100% of floor space available
- Modular design allows phased expansion without system downtime
- Energy-efficient: rolling friction and gravity-driven sections reduce power consumption
- Full traceability via barcode, QR, RFID or camera recognition
- High-quality, low-maintenance engineering reduces lifecycle costs
- Identification by barcode, QR code, RFID, camera recognition
- Customised load carriers with pockets, hooks, grippers, etc.
- Trolleys with carrier devices for containers and large payloads
- Fully automatic, semi-automatic or manual loading and unloading
- Loading and unloading by means of conveyor belts, lifts, robots, etc.
- Material flow controller (MFC) and warehouse control system (WCS)
- Interfaces to higher-level and peripheral systems
| Capacity | up to 12,000 load carriers / h |
| Speed | up to 2 m/s on gravity-driven stretches, 0.75 m/s on conveyors |
| Loading | up to 20 kg including load carrier |
| Inclination | up to 90° |
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Impressions
Case studies
Case Study
Skyfall Pouch Sorter for Industrial Laundry: The Blanchisserie Dumoulin Case Study
April 5, 2018
Trusted by our clients
A pouch sorter system is an overhead conveyor-based intralogistics solution where individual items are transported in carrier pouches suspended from a track. Items are loaded at induction stations, buffered, sorted by destination or order, and discharged at packing stations or dispatch points — all in a single continuous overhead system. The ferag.skyfall pouch sorter handles items up to 10 kg per carrier at throughput rates up to 12,000 carriers per hour, and routes across curves, inclines, and multiple building levels without transfer points.
Hard pouch sorters use rigid, self-supporting carriers that maintain their shape regardless of the item inside. This provides better item protection, supports heavier payloads, and allows reliable automated loading and unloading. Soft pouch sorters use flexible fabric pouches that conform to the item shape — suited for lighter, flat goods such as apparel and polybags, but less effective for heavier or irregularly shaped items.
ferag.skyfall overhead conveyor connects to any warehouse management system (WMS), warehouse control system (WCS), or ERP via standard interfaces. The integrated doWarehouse software suite (WES/WCS, SCADA) manages real-time material flow and provides a single control layer between the sorter and higher-level systems.
ferag.skyfall is deployed in e-commerce fulfilment, fashion logistics, pharmaceutical distribution, B2B warehousing, 3PL operations, and industrial laundries. It is designed for any application requiring high-throughput sorting, dynamic buffering, or flexible sequencing in a space-constrained environment.
Installation timelines depend on system size and site conditions. Ferag supports the full project process from initial concept and system design through installation, commissioning, and operator training. The ferag.go online configurator provides a first feasibility assessment within minutes.
Yes. ferag.skyfall is built on a modular architecture that allows additional tracks, sorting points, loading stations, and capacity to be added without shutting down the existing system. This makes it suitable for phased investments and growing operations.
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