Canadian technology company Vention evaluated how manufacturers can automate production using a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. The study is based on anonymized data from more than 4,000 B2B users using Vention's Manufacturing Automation Platform (MAP) globally.
“DIY Automation” is the process of independently designing and implementing industrial automation systems using plug-and-play hardware and software components. One example is the Vention Cloud platform MAP, which allows manufacturing companies to configure, order, and implement all the components needed to automate production. Like Amazon or IKEA, selection and ordering are done through a web browser. The components are delivered within a short time and can be operated according to DIY principles. Users choose from automation components from a variety of robot manufacturers such as Fanuc, Universal Robots or Doosan. Vention also offers its own hardware kit.
For the “State of DIY Industrial Automation” study, Vention evaluated user behavior of enterprise customers on its Vention Cloud platform from January to December 2022. The goal was to see how companies of different sizes use a DIY approach to automation. “We collected data to show that DIY automation is possible. This report serves as a strategic guide for any manufacturer looking to introduce new types of automation,” says Etienne Lacroix, CEO of Vention.
The most important findings of the study are:
1. Small businesses are increasingly embracing DIY automation.
Small manufacturers with up to 200 employees rely on DIY industrial automation. They represent 60% of companies ordering automation equipment through MAP.
2. Small and medium-sized manufacturers take the lead in self-design.
Small and medium-sized manufacturers have the highest proportion of their own designs on the platform. “Self-design” means that users design independently on the platform without design assistance from Vention’s automation experts.
3. Large manufacturers with over 10,000 employees are finding more use cases for production automation.
Large manufacturers use MAP much more frequently than smaller companies. This shows that even high-throughput manufacturers can reap significant benefits from a DIY approach once they choose to adopt the Vention Cloud platform.
4. There is a high demand for robot cell manufacturing through DIY automation.
Manufacturers using MAP tend to create three categories of devices: structural, automation, and robotics, with each category having numerous applications. Among the top robotics applications, machine control cells are the most commonly used cells, accounting for nearly 50% of all robotic cell projects, followed by cobot palletizers and custom robotic cells.
5. Small and medium-sized businesses tend to build and strengthen their internal resources.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular are leveraging internal resources to build internal automation teams. These teams are designed to combine expertise in machine design, industrial controls, and robotics to advance the industrial automation roadmap across manufacturing facilities. Instead of relying on external engineering service providers, the team uses DIY techniques to develop deep process knowledge and deliver self-designed automation solutions.
The full study in English can be found here.
About Vention
Vention helps companies automate their production areas in just a few days with a democratized user experience. Vention's digital manufacturing automation platform allows customers to design, automate, order and deploy automation equipment directly from their web browser. Vention is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with offices in Berlin and Boston. Our more than 300 employees serve more than 4,000 customers across five continents and 25 manufacturing industries. For more information, see www.vention.io.