--- title: Achieve 18-Month Payback and 55% Labor Reduction in High-Mix Manufacturing description: Discover how MARI Scan&Go™ automation achieved an 18-month payback and 55% labor reduction for a Canadian manufacturer in surface finishing. image: https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/hubfs/MARI%20Scan%20%26%20Go.avif --- [![home](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Canadian%20Robotics%20Council/images/module-icons/House.svg)](https://www.roboticscouncil.ca/) ![arrow](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Canadian%20Robotics%20Council/images/module-icons/left-arrow-canadian.svg) [ CASE STUDIES ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/) # Achieve 18-Month Payback and 55% Labor Reduction in High-Mix Manufacturing [ Manufacturing ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/manufacturing) [ Ontario ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/ontario) [ Large Enterprise (500+ FTE) ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/large-enterprise-500-fte) [ Financial Performance & Strategy ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/financial-performance-strategy) [ Indoor ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/indoor) [ Land ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/land) [ High Mix/Low Volume (HMLV) ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/high-mix-low-volume-hmlv) [ Mass Customization ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/mass-customization) [ Human-in-the-loop ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/human-in-the-loop) [ Grinding, Deburring, Polishing, Sanding ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/grinding-deburring-polishing-sanding) [ Quality Control ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/quality-control) [ Dimensional Gauging ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/dimensional-gauging) [ Data Collection ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/data-collection) [ Condition Monitoring ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/condition-monitoring) [ Assisted Labour ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/assisted-labour) [ Workplace Safety & Health ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/workplace-safety-health) [ Sensors ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/sensors) [ Hardware (cameras, lenses, lighting) ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/hardware-cameras-lenses-lighting) [ AI & Perception ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/ai-perception) [ Implementation & Integration ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/implementation-integration) [ Semi-Structured ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/semi-structured) [ Production & Efficiency ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/production-efficiency) [ Industrial (6-axis, SCARA, gantry, etc) ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/industrial-6-axis-scara-gantry-etc) [ Robot Control & Programming ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/robot-control-programming) [ Canadian-Based Suppliers ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/canadian-based-suppliers) [ Manufacturing & Assembly ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/manufacturing-assembly) [ Inspection & Analysis ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tag/inspection-analysis) Show More BY: Maple Advanced Robotics Inc. | Jun 29, 2026 ![MARI Scan & Go](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/hubfs/MARI%20Scan%20%26%20Go.avif) #### AT A GLANCE ###### CLIENT: [![Canadian Industrial Manufacturer (High-Mix Fabrication)](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/20067422/4735c148-29b5-42db-937f-64e580f66bad.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/20067422/4735c148-29b5-42db-937f-64e580f66bad) LOCATION: ###### Ontario SECTOR: ###### Manufacturing  SUPPLIER: ######  Maple Advanced Robotics Inc. [![MARI](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/MARI.png?width=180&height=23&name=MARI.png)](https://maplerobotics.com/)   TECHNOLOGY / PRODUCT USED: ###### MARI Scan&Go™ — AI-Driven Robotic Automation Platform TARGETED APPLICATION ###### Grinding, Deburring, Polishing, Sanding (Surface Finishing)  LEARN MORE ###### Full Case Study Coming Soon ### Reducing dependence on skilled manual labour while maintaining high-mix production flexibility and consistent quality through an AI-driven surface finishing solution 18 Months  payback period achieved 55% Reduction in manual surface finishing labour ↓↓↓ Physical strain and ergonomic risk for operators "Before Scan&Go, surface finishing was one of our hardest jobs to staff and standardize. Today, we’ve reduced physical strain on our team, improved quality, and gained flexibility we didn’t think automation could offer in a high-mix environment." **Operations Manager, Canadian Manufacturing Facility** ### The Challenge   **The manufacturer produces a wide range of customized industrial components requiring manual surface finishing, which created a strong dependence on skilled manual labour and inconsistent quality across operators and shifts.** The operation faced increasing difficulty hiring and retaining experienced workers alongside ergonomic risks associated with repetitive sanding and grinding. Traditional automation had been evaluated previously but ruled out because conventional robotic solutions required rigid fixturing, detailed CAD data, and extensive reprogramming for each part variant, making them impractical for a high-mix, low-volume environment. ### The Solution   **The company deployed MARI’s Scan&Go™ AI-driven robotic platform to automate surface finishing while preserving production flexibility. **Using integrated 3D scanning and AI-based perception, the system captures the geometry of each incoming part and autonomously generates optimized finishing paths in real time without requiring CAD models or fixed part positioning. Operators load parts naturally, allowing the robotic system to adapt digitally rather than mechanically, which eliminated changeovers between SKUs and supported seamless integration alongside existing manual processes under a human-robot collaboration model. Deployment followed a phased approach—moving from initial setup and integration to application tuning and stable production operation—reaching a stable state in weeks with no major disruption to ongoing operations. ### KEY FEATURES ##### CAD-Independent 3D Scanning:   Features AI-based 3D scanning that operates with no CAD dependency.  ##### Autonomous Toolpath Generation:   Generates optimized toolpaths automatically for variable part geometries in real time. ##### Adaptive Motion and Force Control:   Controls motion and force adaptively to secure consistent surface quality. ##### Minimal Fixturing Requirements:   Operates flexibly without requiring rigid or complex physical fixturing. ### RESULTS   **Implementing the MARI Scan&Go™ platform achieved an approximate 18-month payback period while driving an approximate 55% reduction in manual surface finishing labour and reallocating roughly 3,000 hours per year. **This automated precision yielded a 20% improvement in first-pass yield and an approximate 30% reduction in rework, which is equivalent to redeploying 1.5 to 2 full-time skilled operators annually and gaining a 20% to 25% increase in production capacity without adding headcount or floor space. Changeover times were slashed by over 80%. Operationally, the deployment reduced physical strain and ergonomic risks, boosted worker morale by transitioning staff to higher-value roles, improved scheduling predictability for supervisors, and increased confidence in meeting delivery commitments.   0 Payback period achieved 0 Reduction in manual surface finishing labour hours 0 ######  Reduction in changeover time achieved  0 ###### Reduction in rework achieved ######  Reduced physical strain and ergonomic risk for operators ###### Improved morale by shifting workers from repetitive tasks to higher-value roles  ###### Greater consistency across shifts and operators ###### Improved scheduling predictability for supervisors and increased confidence in meeting delivery commitments ###### No-programming surface finishing workflow demo with MARI Scan&Go ## RELATED CASE STUDIES [![](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/OTTO%201500%20with%20a%20Yaskawa%20Motoman%20arm.webp?width=352&name=OTTO%201500%20with%20a%20Yaskawa%20Motoman%20arm.webp) ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/hirotec-america-aims-for-lights-out-manufacturing-with-mobile-manipulation-solution) ###### [ HIROTEC AMERICA aims for lights-out manufacturing with mobile manipulation solution ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/hirotec-america-aims-for-lights-out-manufacturing-with-mobile-manipulation-solution) By: OTTO by Rockwell Automation [ Read more ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/hirotec-america-aims-for-lights-out-manufacturing-with-mobile-manipulation-solution) [![The implementation of the Link 6 robot transformed a non-ergonomic, variable-quality manual task into a high-precision automated process.](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Watervill_HR.webp?width=352&name=Watervill_HR.webp) ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/waterville-woodcraft-achieves-99-compliance-with-automated-drawer-stapling-using-kinova-link-6) ###### [ Waterville Woodcraft Achieves >99% Compliance with Automated Drawer Stapling using Kinova Link 6 ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/waterville-woodcraft-achieves-99-compliance-with-automated-drawer-stapling-using-kinova-link-6) By: Kinova [ Read more ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/waterville-woodcraft-achieves-99-compliance-with-automated-drawer-stapling-using-kinova-link-6) [![ears Seating Reduces OpEx by 20% with Manufacturing Automation Platform](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/sears-seating-reduces-opex-by-20-with-manufacturing-automation-platform.png?width=352&name=sears-seating-reduces-opex-by-20-with-manufacturing-automation-platform.png) ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/sears-seating-reduces-opex-by-20-with-manufacturing-automation-platform) ###### [ Sears Seating Reduces OpEx by 20% with Manufacturing Automation Platform ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/sears-seating-reduces-opex-by-20-with-manufacturing-automation-platform) By: Vention [ Read more ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/sears-seating-reduces-opex-by-20-with-manufacturing-automation-platform) [![](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/tackling-welder-shortages-with-an-8-axis-overhead-welding-robot.png?width=352&name=tackling-welder-shortages-with-an-8-axis-overhead-welding-robot.png) ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tackling-welder-shortages-with-an-8-axis-overhead-welding-robot) ###### [ Tackling Welder Shortages with an 8-Axis Overhead Welding Robot ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tackling-welder-shortages-with-an-8-axis-overhead-welding-robot) By: Vention [ Read more ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/tackling-welder-shortages-with-an-8-axis-overhead-welding-robot) [![](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/cripps-sons-achieve-up-to-3x-productivity-increase-with-robotic-sanding.png?width=352&name=cripps-sons-achieve-up-to-3x-productivity-increase-with-robotic-sanding.png) ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/cripps-sons-achieve-3x-productivity-increase-with-robotic-sanding) ###### [ Cripps & Sons Achieve 3x Productivity Increase with Robotic Sanding ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/cripps-sons-achieve-3x-productivity-increase-with-robotic-sanding) By: Vention [ Read more ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/cripps-sons-achieve-3x-productivity-increase-with-robotic-sanding) [![](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/glue-dispensing-process-in-a-micro-camera-assembly-application.jpg?width=352&name=glue-dispensing-process-in-a-micro-camera-assembly-application.jpg) ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/xvp-photonics-automates-high-precision-optical-assembly-with-the-meca500) ###### [ How XVP Photonics automates high-precision optical assembly with the Meca500 ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/xvp-photonics-automates-high-precision-optical-assembly-with-the-meca500) By: Mecademic Industrial Robotics [ Read more ](https://resources.roboticscouncil.ca/xvp-photonics-automates-high-precision-optical-assembly-with-the-meca500) [![A Meca500 - 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