Vention, creator of the world’s only full-stack automation platform and hardware ecosystem, has launched its first “turnkey” – or ready to use – robotic sanding solution in response to growing demand for robot work cells for sanding applications, especially in cabinet making.
Vention’s Rapid Sanding Solution (RSS) comes standard with a Fanuc CRX-30iA, a collaborative robot with advanced safety features for working alongside humans.
An affordable, easy-to-maintain laser system makes panel measurement easy for the robot arm, which comes equipped with a PushCorp rectangular sanding tool.
Etienne Lacroix, founder and CEO of Vention, says: “We are delighted to make automation more accessible to small and mid-sized businesses through an expansion of our Rapid Series line of turnkey cobot solutions.
“It’s our mission to help companies automate faster, so they can improve productivity and return on investment. We’re also delighted to work with 3M on this exciting project to help cabinetmakers.”
3M, which is a user of Vention’s technology in its own manufacturing facilities, collaborated with Vention on the development of the new turnkey sanding system.
Carl Doeksen, 3M robotics and automation director, says: “Vention and 3M are aligned in our efforts to help more manufacturers automate their abrasive processing, delivering improved safety, productivity, quality, and consistency.”
New product details
Vention’s Rapid Sanding Solution (RSS) comes fully assembled and ready to plug into standard 120V electrical outlets and air lines to operate.
With a compact footprint of 95 x 69 inches, it’s an easy fit for most shops. The table has four sanding stations made of railing systems with movable vacuum pods that hold panels as small as 6.5 x 7.7 in and as large as 36 x 90 in. A double table configuration is also offered to sand up to 8 panels at a time.
To begin sanding, an operator simply positions the flat panels on the workstation and uses an intuitive touchscreen to select sanding patterns and other parameters.
Customer support is directly from Vention, which now has products located in more than 4,000 manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Already trusted for robotic sanding
Vention has customers in North America successfully using customized robotic sanding cells today, and will continue to offer customizable sanding solutions through Vention’s cloud-based MachineBuilder application alongside its turnkey solution.
At Fabridor, a Quebec-based cabinetmaker with about 100 employees, adopted a custom robotic sanding solution from Vention in 2024.
Hubert Dubois, general manager, says: “The sanding line has been in operation for six weeks now, and we have only received positive feedback from our customers on the quality of the sanding. At Fabridor, we strive to improve our efficiency and with the robot sanding line, we improved our sanding efficiency by 31 percent.”
The “availability and cost of skilled labor remains a persistent structural issue for the kitchen and bath industry”, according to a 2024 report from the National Kitchen and Bath Association.
An aging workforce, a decline in vocational training and increasing demand have contributed to the challenge.
