OPEX® Sure Sort® X with Xtract™ Wins Red Dot Award for Product Design: A Milestone in Warehouse Automation Innovation
OPEX® Corporation, a global leader in Next Generation Automation providing innovative solutions for warehouse, document, and mail automation, has achieved an outstanding milestone in the automation industry. The company proudly announces that its Sure Sort® X with Xtract™ automated sorting, retrieval, and delivery system has won the prestigious Red Dot Award: Product Design 2025. This accolade underscores OPEX’s commitment to creating cutting-edge solutions that significantly improve operational efficiency and address the complexities of the modern logistics industry.
The Red Dot Award: A Hallmark of Excellence in Design
The Red Dot Award is one of the world’s most renowned and largest design competitions, renowned for its rigorous selection process and the esteem it commands in the design community. In 2025, OPEX joined a distinguished group of companies recognized for excellence in product design. The award is presented annually to products that demonstrate exceptional innovation, aesthetic appeal, functionality, and quality. The competition is judged by an international panel of experts, and the winners are selected based on a range of criteria, including creative design, smart engineering, and user-centered functionality.
This year’s panel consisted of 43 experts from 21 countries, who evaluated over 60,000 entries from across the globe. OPEX’s Sure Sort X with Xtract™ stood out as a remarkable example of innovative engineering and effective design, marking the company’s second consecutive win at the Red Dot Awards. In 2024, OPEX was honored for its Infinity® automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS), further cementing the company’s position as an industry leader in automation technology.
Innovation at the Core: OPEX’s Commitment to Excellence
“We are deeply honored to receive the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2025 for our Sure Sort X with Xtract system,” said Alex Stevens, President of Warehouse Automation at OPEX. “For 50 years, OPEX has been developing innovative, unique solutions to help our clients solve their most significant business challenges. This award reflects the commitment of our talented design team to lead the way in transforming how business is conducted.”
OPEX’s Sure Sort X with Xtract™ is a testament to the company’s dedication to advancing automation solutions that simplify and enhance business operations. The system integrates several critical tasks that have traditionally required manual labor into a fully automated, one-touch solution. These tasks include sorting, retrieving, and packaging orders – all performed by the system with exceptional efficiency and accuracy. This innovation is especially important in the context of the growing need to reduce labor costs and overcome the challenges posed by a tight labor market.
By automating multiple manual processes, Sure Sort X with Xtract™ is able to improve productivity and streamline order fulfillment workflows. As warehouse operations become increasingly complex and demand for faster shipping times intensifies, the Sure Sort X with Xtract™ solution provides a much-needed answer, empowering businesses to meet the rising expectations of today’s e-commerce-driven market.
A Groundbreaking Solution for Warehouse Automation
OPEX’s Sure Sort X with Xtract™ is not just another sorting system – it is a groundbreaking solution that pushes the boundaries of what is possible in warehouse automation. The system’s versatility and robustness set it apart from other solutions in the market, making it the most adaptable and efficient automated sorting system available today.
One of the standout features of the Sure Sort X is its compact footprint, allowing it to be implemented in environments where space is at a premium. Despite its size, it offers high-performance rates, processing up to 2,100 items per hour. This capability enables businesses to handle large volumes of orders, contributing to faster fulfillment times and greater operational flexibility.
The system is designed to handle nearly 100% of customer-sortable items weighing up to 20 pounds (9 kg). It is also capable of sorting these items into a configurable array of mixed bin sizes and types, a critical feature that allows businesses to meet the diverse demands of their product portfolios. Whether the items are small or large, delicate or durable, Sure Sort X can accommodate them all with precision and efficiency.
But the innovation doesn’t stop there. When paired with Xtract, OPEX’s revolutionary automated order retrieval system, the solution becomes even more powerful. Xtract automates the process of retrieving totes and transferring their contents into shipping containers, eliminating the need for manual intervention in these downstream steps. This feature is particularly advantageous for businesses that deal with a high volume of small-to-medium-sized orders, which are common in sectors such as e-commerce and retail.
Xtract is capable of handling complete orders weighing up to 30 pounds (13.6 kg), further expanding the system’s capabilities and making it an ideal solution for a wide range of industries. This integration of Sure Sort X and Xtract provides a comprehensive, turnkey solution that automates the entire sorting, retrieval, and delivery process – all with minimal human input. The result is an optimized workflow that not only boosts productivity but also reduces the risk of human error, making it a highly reliable solution for warehouses and distribution centers.
Addressing Labor Challenges in the Warehouse Industry
The global warehouse and logistics industry has long faced challenges related to labor shortages and increased demand for faster delivery times. As e-commerce continues to grow and customer expectations for fast, accurate deliveries rise, companies are being pushed to find new ways to improve their operational efficiency. The introduction of fully automated systems like OPEX’s Sure Sort X with Xtract™ represents a critical step forward in addressing these challenges.
By automating key tasks such as sorting and order retrieval, OPEX’s solution helps businesses reduce their dependence on manual labor. This is especially important in regions where the labor market is tight or where warehouse workers are difficult to retain. Automation also offers businesses the ability to scale operations without the need to hire large numbers of additional employees, allowing them to adapt more quickly to changes in demand.
Moreover, the Sure Sort X with Xtract™ solution contributes to improved employee satisfaction. By automating the most repetitive and physically demanding tasks, the system helps reduce worker fatigue and injuries, creating a safer and more comfortable working environment. Employees can focus on higher-value tasks, such as overseeing operations or managing complex customer inquiries, rather than performing monotonous tasks that can lead to burnout.
Recognition on the Global Stage
The Red Dot Award is one of the highest accolades in the design world, and winning this prestigious honor is a testament to the exceptional quality and innovation of OPEX’s Sure Sort X with Xtract™ system. In addition to the award itself, winners gain global recognition through various platforms, including the Red Dot Yearbook, the Red Dot Museum in Essen, Germany, and an online exhibition that showcases the best in product design.
For OPEX, this recognition underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to innovative solutions that improve operational efficiency and meet the evolving needs of the global logistics and warehouse automation markets. The Red Dot Award is not only a mark of excellence in design but also a reflection of OPEX’s dedication to delivering systems that make a meaningful impact on the way businesses operate.
Looking Ahead: OPEX’s 50-Year Legacy of Innovation
As OPEX celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025, the company reflects on its long history of technological advancements and its role as a leader in warehouse and document automation. Over the past five decades, OPEX has built a legacy of innovation, quality, and customer-focused solutions. The company’s success is driven by its commitment to reimagining and delivering cutting-edge technology that meets the evolving challenges of modern businesses.
Headquartered in Moorestown, NJ, OPEX operates facilities in the United States, Europe, and Australia, with nearly 1,600 employees worldwide. The company’s global presence and expertise allow it to deliver scalable automation solutions that solve real-world problems across a wide range of industries, from e-commerce and retail to healthcare and finance.
Looking to the future, OPEX remains focused on continuing to lead the way in next-generation automation. With innovations like the Sure Sort X with Xtract™ system, the company is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of warehouse and logistics operations for the next 50 years and beyond.
Winning the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2025 for its Sure Sort X with Xtract™ system is a testament to OPEX’s long-standing tradition of excellence in innovation and design. As the company celebrates this prestigious achievement, it also reinforces its position as a global leader in warehouse automation. Through solutions like Sure Sort X with Xtract™, OPEX is not only addressing the pressing challenges of the modern logistics industry but also transforming the way businesses operate in the digital age. With a focus on efficiency, innovation, and customer success, OPEX is well-equipped to continue driving progress and delivering solutions that make a lasting impact on the industry.
