How Better Process and Vention Simplified Complex Manufacturing Automation
How Better Process and Vention Simplified Complex Manufacturing Automation
Building a scalable automation system in a fraction of the traditional deployment time.
Manufacturing automation can solve some of the biggest challenges facing production teams today. But bringing multiple technologies together into one reliable system isn't always simple.
Conveyors, collaborative robots, autonomous mobile robots, grippers, and controls all need to communicate and work together. When these systems are designed independently, integration can become time-consuming, expensive, and difficult to expand.
At Better Process, we believe automation should solve problems, not create new ones.
That's why we partnered with Vention to develop a flexible, modular automation solution that brought several manufacturing processes together into one coordinated workflow.
The result was a scalable automation demonstration completed in roughly one month, with deployment reported to be three to five times faster than a conventional, fragmented approach.
The Challenge: Bringing Multiple Automation Systems Together
For a manufacturing and logistics client, the goal was to create an automation demonstration that could showcase multiple manufacturing operations working together.
The system needed to coordinate an autonomous mobile robot (AMR), conveyor, collaborative robots, grippers, and controls while demonstrating several different production tasks.
Those tasks included:
Automated material movement and handling
Component installation
Robotic pick-and-place operations
Simulated product inspection and defect sorting
Coordinated conveyor and robotic movement
The challenge wasn't simply getting each piece of equipment to operate.
It was getting everything to work together in a way that was reliable, repeatable, and easy to expand.
The client also needed a system that could grow over time without requiring a complete redesign.
For manufacturers considering automation, this is an important consideration. A system that meets today's requirements but cannot adapt to tomorrow's production needs can limit the long-term value of the investment.
The Solution: Custom Automation Built for Flexibility
Better Process worked with Vention to develop an integrated automation solution using its modular hardware platform and programming tools.
Rather than approaching every component as a separate system, the project used Vention's MachineLogic environment to coordinate conveyor movement, robotic sequences, and station timing.
The workflow brought together several operations:
Automated material delivery: An AMR cart docks at the conveyor, which moves a pallet to a designated position.
Robotic process simulation: A collaborative robot demonstrates operations such as component handling, installation, and defect sorting.
Pick-and-place automation: A second collaborative robot and gripper demonstrate additional material-handling capabilities before the pallet reaches the end of the line.
This approach allowed Better Process to create a functional demonstration while maintaining the flexibility to add new capabilities.
As Patrick Olson, Director of Business Development for Automation at Better Process, explained in Vention's case study:
"Vention's modular automation platform allowed Better Process to develop the application in phases and expand its capabilities over time."
The project highlights an important principle: the right automation solution should address your immediate production needs while creating opportunities for future growth.
The Results: Faster Deployment and Room to Grow
The Results: Faster Deployment and Room to Grow
Result Achievement Under 1 week
Overall program development
Approximately 1 month
From initial scoping through system expansion
3–5× faster
Deployment compared with the estimated conventional approach
Beyond speed, the system provided a coordinated demonstration of multiple manufacturing processes within one workflow.
It also supported an expansion that added a second collaborative robot and gripper, demonstrating how modular automation can accommodate new capabilities as requirements evolve.
For small and mid-sized manufacturers, that flexibility matters.
You shouldn't have to automate your entire production line at once to see value. Starting with one process and building on that investment can be a practical way to approach automation.
Why the Right Automation Partner Matters
Automation projects involve more than selecting a robot or purchasing equipment.
They require an understanding of the production process, the equipment, the controls, and how everything needs to work together.
Better Process has worked with Vention since 2021, combining Vention's modular automation technology with Better Process's experience in custom manufacturing automation and systems integration.
This partnership allows us to evaluate practical solutions for applications ranging from robotic demonstrations and proof-of-concept systems to training cells and production equipment.
More importantly, it allows us to start with the customer's manufacturing challenge and determine which technologies make sense.
Because the goal isn't to add more technology to your factory.
The goal is to build a better process.
Read the Full Better Process and Vention Case Study
Want to see how Better Process brought autonomous material handling, collaborative robots, conveyors, and controls together into one scalable automation solution?
Vention's full case study takes a closer look at the project, the technology, and how the partnership helped simplify a complex automation challenge.
Read the Full Better Process and Vention Case Study →
And if you're considering automation for your own manufacturing operation, Better Process can help you identify the right opportunity, evaluate your production requirements, and develop a solution that fits your needs.