Postal Centre has problem

Press, 14 May 1981, Page 4

Postal Centre has problem

An environmental problem may be the cause' of the breakdown in the new’ Christchurch Postal Centre’s second class mail automatic sorting system. The contract engineer at the centre. Mr S. G. Bull, suspects that the atmosphere on level five (the fifth storey) was so dry it reduced friction on the mail conveyor, causing parcels to slip. The conveyor has been out of action for more than a week, and second class mail has been sorted by hand. “Mechanically, everything is fine. We are seeking a replacement belt, even if we have to get one from England,” said Mr Bull. The belt that did not work

satisfactorily was nylon. Two conveyors that are “working beautifully” elsewhere in the centre have PVC belts, and that type is sought for the second class system. Despite the temporary manual sorting, there has been little or no delay in mail distribution since the initial breakdown backlog was cleared. "It is very disappointing to us all. but we are doing everything possible to get it going again.” Mr Bull said. He is in daily touch with his superiors at the General Electric Company’ (England), and, if efforts to find a belt in Australia are unsuccessful, a new PVC belt could be installed and working in Christchurch within one

week of dispatch from Eno land. «' "A system like that whU failed is working well u Jamaica. The situation changes in different parts nr the world." he said. Static electricity- within' the building caused initial disturbances, but the contractors have installed wires along the conveyors to defeat it. . j; Mr Bull said that over-all the automatic sorting svs-h terns were working to expect tations. and he had received many favourable comments about them from the staff He will remain jp Christchurch for another month before returning to England.