INNOVATION CASE STUDY · FIVES MAINTENANCE
The Connected Parcel: monitoring conveyors by travelling with the parcels.
What if maintenance could simply travel with the parcels to monitor several kilometres of conveyors?
Fives Maintenance has developed an autonomous monitoring device that follows the parcel route to assess conveyor condition, detect early signs of deterioration and locate equipment requiring attention. A six-month pilot was conducted at DPD’s Sublaines sorting centre.
Client
DPD sorting centre, Sublaines, France
Sector
Logistics and parcel sorting
Solution developed
An autonomous device for monitoring conveyors as it travels through the system
Pilot Duration
Six month
About DPD
Fives Liné Machines designs and manufactures machines and production lines for the manufacturing industry. The company delivers projects involving a high level of technical integration, combining several subsystems within a single manufacturing cell.
In 2024–2025, Fives Liné Machines secured a multimillion-euro project from a major industrial customer: a complex cell combining a machining centre, a turnover system, an inspection system and a shuttle system connecting the subsystems. The contract includes a guaranteed equipment availability rate throughout the warranty period, making part of the manufacturer’s contractual risk dependent on its ability to keep the installation operational.
Challenge
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Monitor several kilometres of conveyors while reducing the need for technicians to move around the installation
Maintenance teams play a central role in sorting centre performance, working every day to keep equipment available and reliable. They carry out regular inspections across several kilometres of conveyors.
These inspection rounds are essential, but they take time and require access to numerous checkpoints, some of which are difficult to reach.
Fives Maintenance launched this project to improve logistics equipment monitoring: reduce the time spent on inspection rounds while enabling more frequent checks, target maintenance interventions more precisely and move towards predictive maintenance.
The longer-term objective is to improve equipment performance and reduce unplanned stoppages.
Solution
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A parcel unlike any other
Behind its parcel-like appearance, the device carries several sensors. It operates autonomously within the logistics flow, following the same route as the parcels moving through the installation.
As it travels, it monitors conveyor condition through three complementary functions.
1. Capture
Collect temperature, vibration, sound, video and position data throughout the journey.
2. Detect
Identify early signs of deterioration to help teams pinpoint equipment requiring closer attention.
3. Locate
Identify the conveyor concerned and the anomaly detected, enabling maintenance teams to target their intervention.
The idea is simple: send the device through the conveyor system to automate some of the checks usually carried out during maintenance rounds.
Results
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A six-month pilot at DPD’s Sublaines sorting centre
The pilot identified four qualitative benefits.
Time saved on inspection rounds
Automating some of the checks reduces the time maintenance technicians spend on inspection rounds. They can devote more time to interventions that require their expertise.
Standardised checks
Checks use the same sensors and analysis criteria on every pass. They become more consistent and less dependent on individual perception.
Reduced spare parts consumption
Identifying signs of deterioration helps teams replace parts at the right time and avoid prematurely replacing components that are still functional.
Energy savings
Identifying and eliminating points of excessive mechanical resistance on conveyors helps reduce unnecessary energy consumption.
NEXT STEPS ___
Prepare a second version and a new pilot phase
Following this initial trial, the project is progressing through four workstreams:
- Develop a V2 prototype, with completion targeted for the end of 2026.
- Launch a new pilot phase in the first quarter of 2027.
- Find a manufacturing subcontractor.
- Undertake business development activities.
The innovation goes beyond adding sensors to equipment. It rethinks conveyor monitoring by using something that naturally travels through the system: a parcel.
What if your next parcel could also help maintain your installation?
Do you operate conveyor systems and want to optimise your maintenance operations? Let’s discuss your challenges and how this solution could be adapted to your environment..