Sector · Third-party logistics

Warehouse automation for 3PLs: capacity that flexes with the contract.

Orion MIS designs, builds and installs UK-made warehouse automation for third-party logistics providers — conveyors, Helix sortation, robotic palletising, AMRs and WCS with multi-client routing — engineered for modular expansion as contracts grow, and available on monthly finance so the commercial case is ROI-led rather than CAPEX-led.

Multi-client routing, modular expansion, faster customer onboarding and a commercial case your board — and your customers — can understand.

Book a call → Run the ROI calculator Send us a sketch

3PL automation · headline numbers

Built for contract logistics

Sortation capacity4,000–20,000 pph
Helix cassette module pitch200mm
Multi-client routingWCS included
Repair target on critical modules15 min
Core product warranty24 months
Entry systems on financefrom ~£4,000/mo

Finance subject to specification & approval

The 3PL problem

Scale without chaos.

3PLs carry a pressure the other sectors don't: the volume belongs to someone else. Contracts arrive faster than recruitment does, every client wants their own routing rules, and the commercial case has to stack up against a contract term — not a corporate five-year plan.

Multi-client

Multi-client routing

Orion WCS handles routing, dispatch zones, peak management and reporting — so parcels from different clients flow through the same infrastructure to the right carrier and the right lane. It connects to existing WMS or transport platforms via REST API or flat-file drop.

See the software layer →

Growth

Modular expansion

Helix is built around 200mm cassette modules: adding sort destinations later means extending the divert run and adding cages, not rebuilding the system. Customers regularly start with 16–24 destinations and expand as volume grows — so capacity tracks the contract, not the other way round.

See Helix →

Commercial

ROI-led commercial case

Compare monthly finance against agency labour, overtime and rework. Win contracts with a modular automation story your customers can understand — and onboard them faster once you have.

Run the numbers →

What fits a 3PL

One connected system, not islands of automation.

Mechanical, electrical, controls, WCS and support under one roof — so accountability never falls into the gap between suppliers.

Helix sortation

UK-built modular sorter, 200mm cassette modules, up to 20,000+ parcels per hour. Carrier sorting and dispatch lane routing for multi-client flows, with a 24-month warranty and 15-minute repair target.

Conveyors

Powered roller, belt, curve, merge, alignment and transfer conveyors with ZLP accumulation control and speeds up to 2 m/s — sized to product flow, peak windows and bottleneck points.

Robotics & palletising

Robotic palletising and AMR fleets combined with conveyor and sortation infrastructure as one connected system — including carrier-sorted palletising straight off the sorter.

WCS & integration

Orion WCS included as standard. Integrates with existing WMS and transport management platforms via REST API, MQTT or flat-file drop — live integrations exist across parcel, 3PL and fulfilment platforms.

Proof · logistics

Expeditors, twice over: palletising and picking.

Two live projects for the same global logistics provider — one at the end of the line, one in the pick zone.

Logistics · Expeditors Expeditors palletising cell — Orion plug-and-play upgrade sorting parcels by carrier straight to pallet

Plug & play palletising — sorted by carrier

A plug-and-play upgrade to Expeditors' palletising cell — built and tested at Orion, then dropped into the live operation on a fast install. Parcels now sort by carrier straight to pallet, taking four people off the cell across two shifts and putting them to better use elsewhere.

4Operators freed · across two shifts

CarrierSortation straight to pallet

Plug & playPre-built · fast install

Logistics · Expeditors Multi-client 3PL warehouse with high-bay racking

Pick-to-light & goods-to-person

End-to-end design and install of an automated pick line — driving operational excellence through pick-to-light integration and goods-to-person flow.

400Units per hour

50%+Recycled materials

End-to-endDesign → install, one supplier

Finance & ROI

An automation case that fits a contract term.

Many 3PL operations are already spending the monthly cost of automation on labour, overtime, agency cover and manual rework. All Orion automation — conveyors, Helix sortation, robotics, AMRs, print & apply and WCS — is available on monthly finance, with entry systems typically from £4,000/month on a 60-month term, subject to specification and finance approval. That turns a CAPEX-heavy automation decision into a monthly OPEX line you can price into the next contract — funded against current operating cost, not on top of it.

Open the ROI calculator → See finance routes Why finance — the full case

FAQs

3PL automation, asked directly.

The questions 3PL leaders and their finance directors actually ask.

Can warehouse automation be paid monthly?

Yes. Orion can build automation projects around monthly finance routes, subject to specification and approval. This lets you compare equipment cost against labour, overtime and manual process cost — funding the automation against current operating cost rather than waiting for a heavy upfront CAPEX cycle.

Can we add capacity later as contracts grow?

Yes. Helix is built around 200mm cassette modules. Adding sort destinations later means extending the divert run and adding cages, not rebuilding the system. Customers regularly start with 16–24 destinations and expand as volume grows.

Can Orion WCS integrate with our existing WMS?

Yes — Orion WCS is included with every Helix system as standard, with dashboards, routing logic and alarming. For customers with an existing WMS or transport management platform, Helix integrates via REST API, MQTT or flat-file drop, confirmed during the Functional Design Specification stage. Live integrations exist across parcel, 3PL and fulfilment platforms.

How do I know whether automation will pay back?

Orion's ROI engine compares current labour, shift pattern, throughput and manual process cost against a sized automation route. It provides a starting point for payback, monthly cost comparison and five-year ROI. Open the ROI calculator to run your own numbers.

Next step

Put automation into your next tender.

Send your throughput, client mix and shift pattern — or book a call and talk it through with an engineer. We'll come back with a sized system, an indicative monthly figure and a route forward.

Book a call → Run the ROI calculator Send us a sketch

Finance options available subject to specification and approval. Orion does not promise guaranteed approval — we help build the technical and commercial case alongside the lender.