Vention launches turnkey sanding robot for wood workers

Vention’s Rapid Sanding Solution comes standard with a FANUC cobot arm and is optimized for use with 3M Abrasive Solutions. | Source: Vention

Vention launched its first turnkey robot for sanding. The company said it developed the product due to growing demand for robot workcells for sanding applications, especially in cabinet making.

Vention’s Rapid Sanding Solution (RSS) comes standard with a FANUC CRX-30iA. This is a collaborative robot (cobot) with advanced safety features for working alongside humans. The company said a laser system enables the cobot to perform panel measurements. Additionally, the arm comes equipped with a PushCorp rectangular sanding tool.

Vention said it already has North American customers using custom robotic sanding cells today. It will continue to offer customizable sanding solutions through its cloud-based MachineBuilder application alongside its turnkey solution. The systems starts at $150,000.

“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,” said Etienne Lacroix, founder and CEO of Vention. “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.”

Quebec-based cabinet maker Fabridor has about 100 employees. It adopted a custom robotic sanding solution from Vention in 2024.

“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,” said Fabridor GM Hubert Dubois. “At Fabridor, we strive to improve our efficiency and with the robot sanding line, we improved our sanding efficiency by 31%.”

Vention partners with 3M on new robot sander

3M, a user of Vention’s technology in its own manufacturing facilities, collaborated with Vention on the development of the new sanding robot.

“Vention and 3M are aligned in our efforts to help more manufacturers automate their abrasive processing, delivering improved safety, productivity, quality, and consistency,” said Carl Doeksen, 3M’s robotics & automation director.

The system comes fully assembled and ready to plug into standard 120V electrical outlets and airlines to operate. With a footprint of 95 x 69 in., Vention said it can fit in most shops. The table has four sanding stations made of railing systems. These include movable vacuum pods that hold panels as small as 6.5 x 7.7 in and as large as 36 x 90 in. Vention also offers a double table configuration to sand up to 8 panels at a time.

To begin sanding, an operator positions the flat panels on the workstation and uses a touchscreen to select sanding patterns and other parameters. Customer support comes directly from Vention.

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Montreal, Canada-based Vention said it enables businesses of all sizes to adopt automation. This allows these companies to boost productivity, cut costs, and drive scalable growth. Vention said it has over 4,000 customers across five continents. Last week, it upgraded its online marketplace with an expanded catalog and enhanced user experience. The company said this makes it simpler to find and integrate plug-and-play automation hardware on its platform.

About the robotic sanding market

Robotic sanding is an increasingly popular application for cobots. According to a report from Allied Market Research, the robotics sanding and polishing market was valued at $240.5 million in 2023. The firm said it will reach $750.0 million by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 13.5% from 2024 to 2032. 

GrayMatter Robotics, a 2022 RBR50 Robotics Innovation award winner, is a key player in this market. The company’s Scan&Sand system uses AI to scan an object and sand it at the push of a button. GrayMatter created the system for high-mix manufacturing, which involves variety in the shape and size of pieces that need sanding.

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