In the world of CNC automation, we’ve all heard the pitch: “Just add a cobot, and your productivity will skyrocket.“
Sounds great—until you actually try it.
At VersaBuilt, we talk to shop owners and machinists every week who’ve taken the DIY approach to cobot automation. They were told it would be simple. Plug it in, teach a few points, and let it run.
But then reality hits.
Here’s what we’re hearing from real shops:
“Integration was a nightmare.”
The robot didn’t talk well with the CNC machine. The handshakes weren’t reliable. Suddenly you’re halfway to becoming a systems engineer just to get things running.
“Reprogramming was nonstop.”
High-mix shops don’t just run one part—they run dozens. DIY systems often require reprogramming from scratch every time the part changes.
“Fixturing was way more complex than expected.”
Simple part swaps turn into major projects when there’s no standardized workholding.
And in high-mix environments, these problems aren’t occasional—they’re constant. It’s a cycle of frustration that burns hours, wastes money, and stalls production.
That’s why we created VersaBuilt. We knew shops didn’t need just a cobot—they needed an automation system that actually fits how their shop runs.
Our platform was built by machinists, for machinists.
- No programming
- No need for integrators
- Quick changeovers between parts
- Automation-ready workholding
- Real results in real shops
With VersaBuilt, you don’t have to be an engineer to automate. You don’t need a dedicated robot programmer. And you don’t have to redesign your process around a cobot.
Instead, you get a CNC automation system that supports how your shop already works—including high-mix part runs, multi-op transfers, and unattended production.
We’ve helped dozens of machine shops move beyond DIY frustration and into real productivity. Whether you’re a job shop running 10 parts a day or a manufacturer with evolving part families, VersaBuilt is designed to flex with you—not fight you.
If your current automation setup isn’t delivering what you were promised, maybe it’s time to try something that’s actually built for your environment.
Let’s talk about how VersaBuilt can help you streamline production, reduce labor headaches, and scale without complexity.