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Process
Optical character readers -
- scan the envelope looking for the address block panel;
- read most machine-addressed, standard-size envelopes; and
- sort them according to the mail distribution network.
Your letters are then -
- put into protective trays;
- labelled; and
- dispatched for transportation.
Optical character readers have been programmed to look for the address panel in an area 75 mm from the bottom edge and 15 mm from the side edges of the envelope.
What happens after scanning?
Once it has scanned the item, the optical character reader -
- recognises and interprets the address details;
- prints a machine-readable bar code on the envelope;
- reads the bar code to verify it; and
- sorts it to the correct destination bin.
Recognition
The reader's electronics -
- take a video image of the address (scanning - similar to fax machine technology); and
- identifies the characters in it by comparing them with a computer memory bank of characters (address directory).
The memory bank will contain -
- South African place names and associated postcodes;
- destination points including private boxes (down to nests of 100 boxes at the larger post offices) and private bags; and
- international addresses by country name of destination only, not the country's postcode.
Bar code
The bar code is printed as follows:
| An envelope's address has been scanned and recognised |
The bar code corresponding with the correct delivery point or destination is printed on the envelope. |
Sorting
The optical character reader or high-speed letter-sorting machine electronically reads the bar code, verifies it and sorts it to the correct stacker or destination bin. There is usually one outward sort and one inward sort in the mail centres:
- Outward sort: Where the letter is posted
- Inward sort: Where the letter is received for delivery
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