Upfront costs can make a factory manager hesitant to automate palletizing. But when systems work, ROI is clear and easy to prove. So budget isn’t truly the main concern.
According to IndustryWeek and Vention’s 2025 State of the Market report, nearly one-third of manufacturers say their automation systems don’t perform as intended. The report points to incomplete scoping and insufficient de-risking during design and validation as the main causes.
The true concern in a plant manager’s head when considering automation, then, is: “What if we commit all this capital and get it wrong?”
Today, simulation, digital twins, and on-site validation make it possible to answer that question before the purchase, and again before a single machine ships.
To see how this works in practice, Vention’s Content Editor, Eugenio de la Vega, sat down with Brian McHugh, VP of Technical Sales and Channels, who explained in detail how simulation, digital twins, and tailored technical support help manufacturers across industries de-risk their investments before purchase.
This article has been edited for brevity. Watch the full conversation with Brian McHugh here.
Brian McHugh is the VP of Technical Sales and Channels at Vention, where he brings hands-on expertise to automation managers around the world. With over 25 years of robotics industry experience, he provides clear solutions and confidence to customers working on floors of all sizes and complexity levels.
Vention: When a manufacturer evaluates a palletizer, what’s the question they’re really asking that never makes it into the Request for Quote?
Brian McHugh
“Buyers don’t always articulate it, but their underlying concern usually is: ‘What if it doesn’t work? What happens when the line goes down?’
This is why our job is to help the customer move with confidence. At Vention, for example, we provide digital twins that let you see how your design will work, de-risking systems before they even get to the shop.”
Vention: What is the most common issue that breaks a palletizer deployment?
Brian McHugh
“A palletizer can sometimes look good on paper and still fail in practice. This is when you need an expert on your case.
One of the most common things we see is, out of all the different products in a line, a single SKU struggles to meet throughput or output requirements, fails to handle slip sheets, or causes a number of other issues that put your entire system at risk.
Another common issue is a system that can’t keep up with some of the SKUs or lacks enough accumulation for it to operate smoothly day in and day out.
Fixing these issues results in both costly and lengthy engineering projects; that’s why it’s so important to run de-risk simulations before the equipment shows up on your shop floor.”
Vention: Walk us through the timeline. What does the customer receive the first week after sending in their input form?
Brian McHugh
“Within the first week, the customer will get a full matrix of their entire product throughput, dependencies, weight, size, and pallet pattern in detail so they can understand exactly what to expect.
Additionally, they’ll receive a full-scope proposal, including a digital twin simulation. So, not only will they get the data, but they’ll also be able to see the robotic simulation in action, providing confidence and enhancing their buying process.
This is really crucial because it is at this point that we can spot limitations or odd case scenarios, and we can modify the system accordingly prior to the purchase.”
Vention: What can customers test now in simulation that previously required physical hardware, and how accurate are simulated behaviors relative to what happens on the floor?
Brian McHugh
“We can now simulate pretty much everything about your product. This includes SKU, weight, size, pallet pattern, robot reach, case handling, friction on the case and cycle, and even the texture in the material of your box.
This was not possible before. Today, however, our simulations are true digital twins with physical engines. And since we provide both the software and the hardware, simulation behavior is directly indicative of real-world behavior.”
Vention: How do pre-shipment validation tests work? What gets tested, and what does the customer walk away with?
Brian McHugh
“Before we ship, we ask the customer to send us a sample: a full pallet of their real product. We run it at the pre-agreed operation speed, in real time, to make sure everything works according to the customer’s expectations.
We’ll invite customer representatives to be present so they can see the systems at work, acknowledge them, and give us any relevant feedback.
During the validation test, we confirm gripper pickup and pallet repeatability. We test run the programmed SKUs and every safety function, ensuring everything works as expected.
With this validation, the customers walk away with video proof of a fully operational machine with their own product before the equipment ever leaves our facility.”
Vention: With all these digital tools, why do you still insist on walking the line in person?
Brian McHugh
“Digital twins now enable us to see machines and simulate everything there is to know about them. What it lacks is the context of a specific plant, for example, layouts, forklift access, employee access, flow of different materials within the plant, and even details as simple as a column or other safety devices that need to be considered.
We always want to walk the floor with the customer to measure the usable space, to observe the flow, and to identify where and how orientation can be optimized for the machine to operate within the existing flow of the entire plant.
For example, what happens when an operator takes a break? Is there a project to add a machine six months from now that would end up next to the palletizer?
This allows us to properly scope and give the customer confidence that their system will work not just in theory, but in their real-life conditions too.”
Vention: What changes for an automation leader after going through these stages?
Brian McHugh
“Automation leaders often overlook how much work should go into the proposal and design stage, long before implementation.
I like to use the analogy of a building. Before you set the first block, you need an architect to come in and iron out the details: where is the electricity passing through, how will ventilation work, and so on and so forth.
Only once everything is defined should you move on to installation. But if your plan is wrong, you’ll end up with the wrong installation.”
The tools to find problems early already exist. So for automation leaders, the question to ask a partner is no longer only “What will this system do?” but “How will you prove it before it ships?”
To see what that process looks like for your application, book a demo today.
