To wrap-up the first quarter of 2024, we are reflecting on our most exciting announcements, product releases, community news, and events from the last three months. Continue reading to learn what we’ve been up to here at Vention.
Announcements
Flexxbotics Partnership Announcement
We partnered with Flexxbotics to deliver a combined offering for robotic workcell digitalization in next-generation machining environments. Customers can benefit from the combination of Flexxbotics’ advanced robot machine tending solution with Vention’s Manufacturing Automation Platform offering.
Read the full press release.
The Vention Community officially launched with a brand new forum to discuss all things industrial automation and Vention. In the forum, you can ask our experts technical questions, discuss recent industry news and trends, and learn more about our products and solutions.
Discover The Vention Community.
ODVA Consortium Annoucement
We joined ODVA, a global association of 400+ corporations representing the world’s leading automation companies. ODVA aims to advance open, interoperable information and communication technologies in industrial automation. With this consortium, MachineMotion can communicate with customers’ existing PLCs through smoother processes and boosted operational efficiency.
Read the MachineMotion EtherNet/IP technical document for detailed information.
Hardware
New Workstation Accessories
Within the Vention Parts Library, users now have more accessories to add to their custom workstations. Add sliding doors, steel drawers, magnetic tool holders, and more to your next workstation design.
See all workstation accessories.
Safety Modules
Our new collection of patent-pending Safety Modules allows you to easily incorporate safety components into your operation using the same simple, plug-and-play manner you’re used to with other Vention components. Harness this advanced automation and sensor technology to invest in safety without compromising productivity.
Learn about each new module.
Heavy Payload Cobot Ecosystem
To support the next generation of heavy payload cobots, we’ve added an ecosystem of high capacity and high rigidity bearing systems to the Vention parts library. This ecosystem will allow you to design effective 7th axis and overhead gantries capable of carrying higher payloads without compromising on durability.
Discover the full range of our heavy payload parts ecosystem.
Applications
Rapid Series Palletizer
Born from this need for quick deployment and effortless implementation, this next-generation robotic palletizer solution was designed to have manufacturers operational in less than two weeks. Benefit from solutions beginning under <100k, 5-day lead time from order to shipping, 2-3 day on-site deployment, 10-minute configuration in MachineApps, 6-month payback, and more.
Discover the Rapid Series Palletizer.
Software
MachineMotion & EtherNet/IP
MachineMotion now supports EtherNet/IP. This industrial protocol provides a standard communication interface between external devices and the core of any Vention machine, so you can now communicate with MachineMotion from your existing PLC. This means faster data exchange, standardized industrial automation connection, and enhanced automation capabilities, all contributing to smarter and more responsive industrial processes.
Learn more in our technical document.
Education
Design Tips & Quick Tips Videos
To make industrial automation more accessible, we’ve started rolling out a new set of tutorial videos. Our “Quick Tips” videos are all about showing users how to use different tools and features in MachineBuilder, making it easier for them to learn and access content. In our “Design Tips” video series, we walk users through the process of designing automated systems and industrial structures, step by step, from beginning to end.
Watch our video tutorials.
Vention Experience Center - Building Customer Confidence
Our Vention Experience Center (VXC), which saw its launch in May of 2023, is home to all our latest innovations across hardware, software, and applications. In the first three months of 2024, we’ve already hosted over 60 client visits from manufacturers, big and small.
Learn about the VXC and book your visit today.
Events & Webinars
Scaling Up With Automation Webinar Series
Episode 1: Market Pressures and the Need for Automation
In the first episode of the webinar series, Joe Wykes, CRO at Vention, and Juan Martinez, VP of Brand & Manufacturing Growth at Spector & Co., delve into the current pressures driving small to medium-sized businesses to automate and the democratized technologies that are allowing them to do so successfully.
Read the recap blog and watch the webinar on demand.
Episode 2: How to Identify Your First Automation Project
The second episode featured Mathieu Desmarais, VP of Application Engineering at Vention, and Kurt Gunnell, Manufacturing & Automation Engineer at Bourns, Inc. The two explored best practices for selecting your first automation project, including what you need to be successful and how to find the right automation partner.
Read the recap blog and watch the webinar on demand.
Episode 3: Building Your Advanced Manufacturing Team
The third and final episode was a conversation between Etienne Lacroix, CEO of Vention, and Brandon Bond, a Senior Project Engineer at Actemium USA. Both with decades of experience in automation, Etienne and Brandon discussed how to build an internal team to drive the company’s automation roadmap.
Read the recap blog and watch the webinar on demand.
ATX West 2024
We returned to ATX West this year with demos featuring our new Rapid Series Palletizer featuring a CRX-25 and our telescopic lift column featuring a Universal Robotics UR20. Visitors also got to experience our software, including MachineApps to program at pallet pattern and Remote Support to make a live call to our Customer Success Team.
Read about our experience at ATX West.
PACK EXPO East 2024
We attended PACK EXPO East in Philadelphia to showcase our new Rapid Series Palletizer and our suite of software solutions. Visitors got first-hand experience designing, programming, deploying, and operating automated machines and robots within a web browser. They learned the software in minutes, demonstrating just how accessible this technology is.
Read about our booth at PACK EXPO East.
Control Automation Day
Simon Metivier, Project Manager at Vention, presented at Control Automation Day, a one-day, free virtual conference and trade show designed for control engineers. His session, “Navigating Technology and Process Risk in Industrial Automation,” explored how one real-life company attempts to navigate the complex world of technology and process risks.
Watch the presentation on demand.
Key Components for Success: Mastering Packaging & Palletizing Cobot Solutions
In partnership with Universal Robots, we hosted a webinar about how to use cobots for packaging and palletizing needs, including the key factors crucial to ensuring a successful solution.
Watch the webinar on demand.
Vention Automation Partners (VAPs)
Welcoming New Partners to the VAP Program
This quarter, we’re thrilled to welcome 31 new partners to our network, spanning across EMEA and North America. As part of our commitment to supporting our partners, we’ve rolled out a comprehensive marketing kit equipped with SEO insights, social media templates, and high-resolution assets.
Learn more about the VAP Program.
VAP Customer Stories
Alongside these developments, we’re excited to spotlight notable case studies and blog highlights from some of our esteemed partners.
Public Relations
This quarter saw the publication of multiple public relations mentions and articles about Vention.
- Manufacturing Tomorrow: Foundations for Success In Industrial Automation: A Guide for Small to Medium Manufacturers, Part 1-III, by Joe Wykes. Read the three-part series.
- Six Degrees of Robotics: Six Questions With Vention’s Etienne Lacroix. Read the interview.
- Great Question, a Manufacturing Podcast with Vention’s Etienne Lacroix and Scott Achelpohl, Managing Editor at Smart Industry. Listen to the podcast.
- Springer Professionals: DIY Industrial Automation and 2024 Trends with Vention’s Etienne Lacroix. Read the article.
Stay Up-to-Date with Vention
That’s a wrap on Q1! Follow the Vention blog and LinkedIn page to stay up-to-date on our latest announcements, new products, events, and education and community launches.