Flex Design LLC is a full-service machine builder and robotic automation company, as well as a Vention Automation Partner located in White Pigeon, Michigan. They specialize in custom robotic automation equipment solutions for various industries. These include industrial robots, automated assembly systems, sorting and handling systems, and material handling systems.
Partnering with Vention has enabled Flex Design to win in new markets, such as Tier-1 automotive companies and RV manufacturers. The modularity of Vention’s platform gives Flex Design a competitive edge through faster turnaround times. When a new automation project required rapid delivery and precise glue dispensing, Vention was their natural choice.
Automating a Manual Gluing Process Under a Tight Deadline
Flex Design’s customer, an RV producer, approached them to automate a time-consuming gluing process to keep up with customer demand. With product sales already outpacing production capacity, speeding up the process was critical to their business.
The existing gluing process was a semi-automated system that lacked intelligence and required significant operator involvement. The new system needed to precisely apply glue onto four corners and along the rails, while also increasing throughput.
Lacking internal automation expertise, the RV manufacturer entrusted Flex Design to lead the entire project, from designing the system and sourcing components to preparing it for testing.
Rapid Design and Parts Procurement with Vention’s Platform
The Flex Design team initiated the project on Vention’s MachineBuilder platform to quickly create a near-complete design of the glue dispensing system. They chose Vention’s patented aluminum extrusions to build the frame of the glue dispenser because they offered greater compatibility for SCARA robots. In particular, they made locating gussets and the spring ball T-nuts easier.
Project Overview
| Core Structure | Built primarily with Vention’s patented extrusions and modular components. |
|---|---|
| Design | Conceptualized in MachineBuilder |
| Robotics | SCARA robot equipped with a glue dispenser for precise corner application |
| Motion System | Servo-driven rails to move the glue dispensing nozzle |
Familiarity with Vention’s platform and modular components allowed Flex Design to confidently purchase materials and begin construction early to meet tight deadlines. They knew any potential design changes could be accommodated easily.
Vention’s integrated software and hardware platform enabled agile design and construction of the system, drastically reducing lead times compared to traditional methods. While a standard weldment might take eight to ten weeks, Flex Design received the Vention parts within two weeks. The entire process, from design to a fully operational system on the shop floor, took just five weeks.
Flex Design Owner, Tyler Krehbiel, highlighted the speed and adaptability as key factors in the smooth rollout of the project:
“Vention gives us the flexibility to go ahead and purchase things earlier. If we ever run into issues, we are sure to get one-hour fixes instead of three weeks waiting for a new weld or machining a bunch of things.”
Tyler Krehbiel, Owner, Flex Design LLC
A Blueprint to Scale Up Production Volumes and Efficiency
As the project neared completion at Flex Design’s facility, early test results were already promising. The new system is set to deliver a significant boost in production volume, a critical step for the customer.
Compared to the existing gluing process, the new automated solution can also reduce operator involvement to a fraction of the previous time. Just as importantly, the new design makes day-to-day work easier by improving ergonomics, helping operators manage repetitive tasks with less strain.
The customer praised the system’s high-quality structure, noting its potential as a benchmark for future automation. Additionally, since the system was built with Vention’s modular components and intuitive platform, future rollouts across multiple plants will not require time-consuming redesigns or structural changes. Building the solution with Vention has enabled Flex Design to successfully scale up automation across four to eight plans for the customer, with minimal disruption.
Ongoing Partnership with Vention and Future Collaboration
Vention continues to be Flex Design’s go-to platform for developing new machines. Looking ahead, Flex Design is working on a pilot program for a dedicated, off-the-shelf specialty machine for tending. Their team is optimistic that future iterations could incorporate Vention’s machine control and programming capabilities, enabling them to fully leverage the advantages of quick deployment and cost-effective design.
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Learn more about how Vention’s MachineBuilder platform and Unified Hardware Ecosystem is helping manufacturers automate faster.
