Bright IA Achieves Cycle Times Under 10 Seconds with Custom Tending

Bright IA, a system integrator for intelligent automation solutions and a Vention Automation Partner, was tasked with designing a multi-machine tending robotic work cell for an Industrial Adhesives Manufacturer in Texas.

With the primary goals of improving flexibility and reducing cycle times, Bright IA’s client needed a system to automate the handling of cartridges across four separate machines.

The major challenge was managing five different formats (SKUs) flexibly, a capability often unmatched by traditional OEM solutions which only handle one or two SKUs. As this was a highly visible pilot project, its success was essential to unlocking up to ten similar opportunities across the manufacturer’s U.S. plants. The client also required a cost-conscious, scalable mechanical platform to initiate their automation plans.

Bright IA collaborated with Vention to design the automation cell directly in MachineBuilder, using Vention’s patented plug-and-play aluminum extrusions as the foundation. The modular hardware platform made it possible to create a fully customized structure without traditional fabrication, while still achieving the precision and rigidity required for a multi-machine workflow.

Vention provided the core mechanical elements of the cell, including the Heavy Duty Cobot Pedestal, the modular extrusion frame, and the Precision Telescopic Slides that formed the multi-drawer cartridge system. These components allowed Bright IA to configure drawer positioning, access points, and robot reach paths with minimal iteration.

The workflow covers picking empty cartridges, verifying orientation through a vision system, loading into the filler, and routing filled cartridges to a capping machine or specific drawers based on SKU. Vention’s hardware flexibility ensured that each station, interface point, and drawer location aligned cleanly with the cobot’s reach and the process flow.

Bright IA managed robot programming and control integration, while Vention’s mechanical architecture enabled fast deployment, straightforward adjustments, and a clean fit throughout the cell. Safety was reinforced using Vention’s E-Stop Modules paired with external scanners integrated by Bright IA to ensure operator protection.

The automation project delivered on the client’s goals for efficiency, consistency, and product flexibility. The system maintains or improves cycle times, keeping production under 10 seconds per cartridge and supporting a stable, predictable workflow.

By automating the tending sequence, the system reduced operator requirements from two or three operators to one or, depending on the SKU, zero operators. These operators could then be reassigned to more rewarding or higher-value roles within the facility. The cell’s ability to process five different product formats also provided the manufacturer with versatility that standard OEM cartridge-handling systems rarely offer.

The pilot validated the combined strengths of Bright IA’s integration work and Vention’s modular hardware platform. Together, they created a solution that can be replicated and expanded across additional plants. This partnership gives Bright IA a scalable mechanical foundation for future projects and positions the client for multiple automation initiatives across its facilities.