How warehouse automation works
Automatic or autonomous, ceiling points or SLAM, stand-alone or linked to your warehouse system. A plain-English guide to how EP's robots find their way, stay safe around people and get installed.
Or call 01 5267 411 (ROI) or 028 3833 7038 (NI).
Automatic or autonomous?
Both drive themselves. The difference is how they find their way, and that decides how flexible they are.
Automatic trucks (AGVs)
- Follow a route you teach them
- Use reference points: points on the ceiling, or reflectors at the ends of the route
- Simple, predictable and quick to set up
How EP robots find their way
| Model | Navigation | Best for | Price (ex VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP EXP15 | 2D visual, reflectors at the start and end | Short A-to-B runs of up to 50 m | From €12,000 |
| EP XP15 | 2D visual, using points on the ceiling | Fixed routes, indoors and out | From €25,000 |
| EP XPMM | 2D visual, using points on the ceiling | Roller beds, conveyors, wrappers | After a survey |
| EP EXP20 | Camera-based 2D visual | Long runs, two pallets a trip | After a survey |
| EP XQE122 | 3D SLAM, QR codes as an option | Stacking to 4.5 m | After a survey |
| EP XNA121 | 3D SLAM and QR codes | Narrow aisles, racking to 8.5 m | After a survey |
| EP XPL201 | 3D SLAM or reflectors, with 3D vision | Cross-docking and long, busy runs | After a survey |
From EP Equipment's product pages and spec sheets.
Three ways to run a route
EP builds its X-Mover trucks around three ways of working.
Sushi bar
A continuous loop past set stations. Load or unload it as it passes.
Bus stop
A fixed route with set stops, where it waits until it is sent on.
Taxi
One destination on demand, chosen on the keypad or called with a call box.
Ways to give a robot its job
- Teach-inDrive the route once and mark the stops.
- KeypadPick a destination on the truck itself.
- Call boxA button at the workstation calls the truck.
- Mobile appMap and change routes in EP's app.
- Touchscreen, handheld or phoneSend jobs to autonomous models such as the XPL201.
- Your warehouse systemJobs sent from your WMS or ERP through EP's DAS software.
Safe around people and forklifts
EP robots are built for shared areas, where people, forklifts and pallet trucks use the same aisles.
Laser scanners
Safety lidars slow the truck when something enters its field and stop it before contact. Autonomous models split their field into several safety zones.
Manual override
X-Mover trucks are co-bots. Take the tiller and the truck becomes a normal pallet truck, then send it back to work.
Standards and CE marking
Driverless industrial trucks are machinery and carry CE marking. The safety standard written for them is ISO 3691-4. Ask us for the declaration of conformity for any model.
Your site rules
We set speeds, stop points and routes for your layout, mark crossings where needed and train your team before go-live.
Start small, and grow when it pays
You don't need to automate the whole site on day one. EP offers three levels, and most sites start at the first.
Simple automatic pallet trucks
The EXP15, XP15 and XPMM need no fixed infrastructure and no complex set-up. One robot, one route, running in a day.
Autonomous robots
The XQE122, XNA121 and XPL201 find their own way with SLAM, for stacking, cross-docking and narrow-aisle storage.
Whole-system automation
EP's DAS software plans jobs, manages traffic and connects robots to your WMS and ERP. EP can 3D-scan your site and build a digital twin first.
Source: EP Equipment automation.
Four questions to ask about your site
The right first step is rarely "buy a robot". It is understanding how pallets move on your site.
- Which routes are the most repetitive?
- Where do delays happen?
- Which moves hold up throughput?
- Where is time lost walking and driving pallets?
Then pick one route and run it with clear measures: time saved each shift, less manual handling, steadier line feeding or more on-time dispatch. That is how we run every project.
From first call to robot running in about four weeks
This is EP's standard rollout for one robot on one job. Bigger projects take longer, and we agree the plan with you.
- Day 1Call
A short call about your routes. If it helps, see the robots working in our Navan demo warehouse.
- Week 1Site survey
We walk your site, or you send a video of the route, and we pick the routes worth automating.
- Weeks 1 to 2Plan
We agree the job and how we will measure it. EP confirms the install date within 48 hours of your go-ahead.
- Weeks 2 to 3Delivery
EP ships from stock, and the robot reaches you in about a week.
- Weeks 3 to 4Install
Installed, programmed, tested and your team trained in one day. Then we service it.
Source: EP Equipment automation.
The jobs robots do
Most sites move pallets along the same few routes all day.
- Goods in to storagePallets from the dock to staging lanes, block stacks or the foot of the racking.
- Production line feedingMaterials from stores to each line, and work in progress between cells.
- End of lineFinished pallets from the palletiser, wrapper or roller bed to the warehouse.
- Dispatch and cross-dockingPallets to outbound lanes and dock doors, ready for the lorry.
- Waste and empty palletsEmpties, packaging and waste cages cleared all shift.
Questions we get asked
Anything else, call us on 01 5267 411 (ROI) or 028 3833 7038 (NI).
Do AGVs need floor tape or magnets?
Some do, but EP's don't. The XP15 and XPMM recognise points on your ceiling, the EXP15 uses reflectors at the start and end of its route, and EP's autonomous models navigate with 3D SLAM.
What standards apply to driverless trucks?
Driverless industrial trucks are machinery, so they carry CE marking in the EU and UKCA or CE marking in the UK. The safety standard written for them is ISO 3691-4. Ask us for the declaration of conformity for any model.
Can I change the routes myself?
Yes. Your key users can teach X-Mover routes, and we train them during installation. For bigger changes we can do it on site.
What happens if the robot gets blocked?
It slows, stops and waits for the path to clear. Autonomous models such as the XPL201 can find another way round.
Do I need a warehouse management system?
No. The EXP15, XP15 and XPMM run stand-alone. Autonomous fleets can link to your WMS or ERP through EP's DAS software when you want them to.
See it working in Navan
Book a demo at our automation centre, or ask us to look at your site. We'll tell you which routes are worth automating and what it would cost.
Or call 01 5267 411 (ROI) or 028 3833 7038 (NI).