New test environment enables validation of products, parcels, and shipping items under real operating conditions.
Bielefeld/Borgholzhausen, July 22, 2026 – DFT – Dürkopp Fördertechnik GmbH is expanding its capabilities for the development and validation of modern sortation solutions. With the opening of a new Sorter Test Center in Borgholzhausen (Germany), the company now offers customers the opportunity to test their own products, shipping cartons, parcels, and load carriers on various sorting technologies under real operating conditions.
The new test center is designed for companies in e-commerce, apparel, pharmaceutical distribution, electronics, industry, and parcel and postal logistics that want to gain early insights into how their products behave during the sortation process. The goal is to validate technical requirements at an early stage and support the design of future systems based on reliable test data.
“Every product behaves differently in the sorting process. With our test center, customers can test their own products, shipping cartons, or parcels under real-world conditions. This allows them to understand how their items perform in the system and gain valuable insights for the design of their future sortation solution,” explains Dirk Bockelmann, CEO and Managing Director of DFT.
Four Sortation Technologies Available for Real-World Testing at Launch:
Horizontal Push Tray Sorter
Vertical Push Tray Sorter
Cross Belt Sorter
Split Tray Sorter
Additional technologies and testing capabilities will be added over time. The test center has been deliberately designed as a scalable innovation platform that can be expanded step by step.
In addition to customer-specific testing, the facility will also serve as a demonstration, training, and development environment. New functions and technologies can be evaluated under realistic conditions and further developed in close collaboration with customers. This creates a strong connection between product development, practical application experience, and real customer requirements.
Within the KNAPP Group, DFT acts as the Center of Excellence for sortation technology and is responsible for the development and continuous enhancement of various sorter solutions for international markets. With the new test center, the company has created an additional platform to make innovation tangible and strengthen collaboration with customers from the earliest project stages. This supports more precise system design and helps reduce project risks when implementing new sortation applications.
Presscontact
Beatrice Richert
Marketing & Communications
M: +49 152 04260 293
beatrice.richert@duerkopp.com
About DFT (Dürkopp Fördertechnik GmbH)
DFT – Dürkopp Fördertechnik GmbH develops sortation and fulfillment solutions for complex intralogistics processes. The company helps customers worldwide manage material flows efficiently, reliably, and at scale. With more than 550 employees at its Bielefeld and Gronau locations, over 340 completed distribution centers, and more than 120 well-known brands among its customers, DFT stands for intelligent automation, collaborative partnerships, and long-term commitment that extends far beyond go-live. Originally established in 1954 as a division of the Dürkopp factories in Bielefeld, DFT became an independent company in 1995 and joined the KNAPP Group in 2010, where it complements the portfolio with its range of sortation and sequencing technologies.
