EPG (Ehrhardt Partner Group) is further expanding its technological network in warehouse automation through a strategic partnership with Locus Robotics. Based on the full integration of the Locus Robotics system solution into the LFS Warehouse Management System, EPG can now provide companies with a ready-to-use solution that sustainably accelerates picking processes and enables flexible scaling in warehouse operations. The Locus fulfillment solution is already in use at the Logistics Solution Center (LSC) in Boppard. With this collaboration, EPG is responding to a growing demand for solutions that can keep pace with dynamic market requirements and increasing order volumes.
Many companies are facing the challenge of stabilizing picking processes while simultaneously reducing the workload for employees. The combination of LFS and the software-driven fulfillment solution from Locus Robotics provides a robust foundation for this. As part of the Locus fulfillment solution, the mobile units take over travel-intensive transport routes, relieve employees, and enable structured process control, with all operations coor-dinated via LFS. The WMS manages the order backlog and distributes tasks to the auton-omous robots, which are orchestrated via the Locus software. These move safely through the warehouse, position themselves at the designated picking stations, and save time by reducing walking distances. This reduces pick times and increases picking performance. The close integration of LFS and the Locus Robotics system solution is a key quality feature.
“With Locus Robotics, we are gaining a strong partner whose technology ideally matches our goal of making automation quickly integrable and practical for everyday warehouse operations,” explains Jens Heinrich, Principal Strategic Product Manager at EPG. In his view, the live integration in the Logistics Solution Center provides decisive added value for companies that are facing an automation decision.
“Our visitors experience first-hand how flexibly LFS controls different robotics solutions and how quickly the systems adapt to changing conditions.”
Locus Robotics also views the new partnership as an important step forward. “EPG and Locus share the vision of more efficient, safer, and scalable warehouse logistics,” says Denis Niezgoda, Chief Commercial Officer at Locus Robotics.
“Integrating our software-driven fulfillment solution into EPG ONE LFS delivers clear added value for customers and demonstrates how powerful software-supported human–technology processes can be in the warehouse.”
The integration of AMRs into LFS shows how well modern robotics can be integrated into existing IT landscapes and the contribution they can make to ongoing operations.
Experiencing automation at the Logistics Solution Centre
For many years, the Logistics Solution Center at EPG’s headquarters in Boppard-Buchholz has provided a practical environment in which EPG demonstrates a wide range of hardware and software components working together in operational processes. With the integration of the Locus Robotics system solution, the company is expanding its existing showroom with another example of technology-open automation. Visitors can experience in real time how manual and robot-assisted process steps interact – for example hando-vers between systems – providing transparent insight into the control logic of LFS.
The direct comparability of different technologies is a decisive advantage. In addition to solutions from cube storage pioneer AutoStore and lift storage provider Kardex, EPG now also showcases the Locus Robotics fulfillment concept as a complementary, flexible sys-tem solution. This creates a comprehensive picture of how different levels of automation interact, how they can be scaled, and which configurations are suitable for different warehouse profiles. On this basis, companies can make well-founded decisions about entry scenarios or expansion stages.
Outlook on upcoming developments
The partnership with Locus Robotics is part of the expansion of EPG’s automation portfolio. Additional robotics solutions and further demonstrators for the Logistics Solution Center are already in preparation. The goal is to provide companies with a comprehensive platform that enables both entry-level projects and large-scale automation initi-atives to be implemented on a shared technological foundation.
