Apparatus for irradiating goods loaded in totes

An apparatus for irradiating goods with X-ray or electron beam radiation, the apparatus comprising:

• a radiation source configured to emit radiation along an irradiation volume centered around an irradiation axis, wherein the radiation comprises X-rays or an electron beam;
• a conveyor configured to drive two or more transport units, along a transverse axis through the irradiation volume to expose the goods in the two or more transport units to the radiation, wherein each of the two or more transport units has a unit height along a vertical axis normal to the irradiation axis, and the transverse axis is normal to the irradiation axis and the vertical axis;
• and
• a plurality of totes each having a tote height along the vertical axis and configured to hold the two or more transport units;
• wherein:
• one of the plurality of totes holds at least one of the two or more transport units extending over a total height along the vertical axis,
• the conveyor is configured to drive the two or more transport units by driving the plurality of totes carrying the two or more transport units containing the goods,
• the plurality of totes comprise support elements for supporting the two or more transport units, wherein:
• the support elements are positioned at different levels along the tote height of the plurality of totes, to adapt a distance separating two adjacent support elements along the vertical axis,
• the support elements are configured to be positioned at the different levels to tailor positions of the two or more transport units in the plurality of totes based on the unit heights of the two or more transport units,
• the total height is between 40% and 100% of the tote height,
• the at least one transport unit spans over at least 70% of the total height in the one of the plurality of totes, and
• the total height is centered relative to the tote height within ±20%.