What is the purpose of a feed lane in a sorter system?

• A. To separate different product sizes
• B. To move inducted products to the main line for sortation
• C. To calibrate sensors
• D. To collect rejected items

Answer: (B)

In a sorter system, the feed lane is the controlled path that carries items from the induction area onto the main sortation line. Its job is to move inducted products into the main line in a steady, aligned, and properly spaced flow so the sorter’s sensors and diverting actuators can accurately decide and perform the required sortation. Without a properly functioning feed lane, items can arrive irregularly or clustered, leading to misreads, jams, or reduced throughput.

The other tasks listed aren’t the feed lane’s primary role: separating product sizes is done by upstream sizing or handling steps, sensor calibration is a separate setup process, and collecting rejects happens in dedicated reject channels downstream rather than in the feed path.