What Ars Automation does

Ars Automation Srl is an Italian industrial automation company that designs, manufactures, and distributes the FlexiBowl® flexible component feeding system for use with industrial and collaborative robots. Founded in 2002 in Civitella in val di Chiana (Arezzo), Italy, on the back of over 15 years of prior robotics experience, the company has built a 2,000+ installation base across more than 40 countries through a network of 70+ authorized distributors and system integrators. The core FlexiBowl® platform is patented (granted 2011), available in six models, and engineered to handle components ranging from 1-300 mm and 1-300 g on a single reconfigurable platform, addressing changeover friction that traditional bowl feeders create in mixed-model assembly lines.

The company's product ecosystem comprises the FlexiBowl® hardware line, the FlexiVision PC-based vision software (developed on Cognex libraries) for robot guidance, and the newly introduced FlexiVision One smart guidance system. These products are complemented by a free component testing service, accessories and spare parts, and project-level engineering services for customization, installation, and commissioning. End markets span life sciences, automotive, cosmetics and personal care, electrical and electronics, food, metals, and consumer goods, with primary use cases in medical device assembly (syringes, catheters, dental implants, COVID-19 test components) and automotive battery and component assembly. The company opened a US sales subsidiary (ARS Automation Inc.) in Charlotte, NC in 2024 and moved into a renovated 10,000 m² headquarters facility in 2025.

Ars Automation generates revenue primarily through one-time hardware sales of FlexiBowl® systems via its distributor channel, supplemented by one-time software licensing for FlexiVision/FlexiVision One, recurring revenue from accessories and spare parts, and project-based professional services for line integration and commissioning. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market combines channel partners, direct enterprise sales in Italy and the US, product-led growth via the free test program, and event-driven demand generation through major automation trade shows. The ownership structure is privately held and founder-controlled with no disclosed institutional or venture capital backing; growth has historically been funded internally and supplemented by EU regional grants (POR FESR / PR FESR Toscana) for R&D and internationalization initiatives.

Name

Ars Automation

Legal name

ARS Srl

Website

https://arsautomation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ars Automation designs and manufactures the patented FlexiBowl® flexible component feeding system for industrial and collaborative robotic assembly lines, serving manufacturers across life sciences, automotive, cosmetics, electronics, food, and metals through a global network of 70+ distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Robotics Feeding Equipment

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging Line Automation, Robotics & Integration (Controls, Turnkey Lines) (IMALAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conveying, Feeding & Accumulation Systems (Packaging Lines) (IMAHAOAK)

Keywords

• Flexible component feeders
• Industrial robotics automation
• Vision-guided feeding systems
• Automated assembly lines
• Robotic part feeding

Headquarters

HQ city

Arezzo

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. FlexiBowl® Systems: Sale of patented FlexiBowl® flexible feeding hardware systems. Available in 6 models, sold directly and through 70+ authorized distributors worldwide. Core revenue driver representing bulk of company revenue.
2. FlexiVision Software: PC-based vision guidance software sold as an option with FlexiBowl systems. Developed on Cognex libraries, enables robot guidance and part recognition.
3. Accessories and Spare Parts: Vast range of accessories available for FlexiBowl systems, providing recurring revenue from existing customer base.
4. R&D and Consulting Services: Full project support from preliminary analysis to operational startup, including customization, installation, and commissioning of automated assembly lines.

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ars Automation designs and manufactures FlexiBowl®, a patented flexible component feeding system for industrial robotics used in automated assembly lines. The system handles re-orientation and separation of components ranging from 1-300mm and 1-300g, available in 6 models and integrating with any industrial or collaborative robot and vision system. The company also offers FlexiVision and FlexiVision One PC-based vision software, plus R&D consulting, installation support, and a complimentary component testing service.

Product overview

Ars Automation offers a unified product ecosystem centered on the FlexiBowl® flexible feeding system, a patented technology for automated component feeding in industrial assembly lines. The core FlexiBowl® product is available in 6 models and handles components ranging from 1 to 300mm and 1 to 300g. This is complemented by FlexiVision and FlexiVision One PC-based vision software systems developed on Cognex libraries, which provide robot guidance and coordinate transfer capabilities. The products integrate with any industrial or collaborative robot and vision system. The company provides flexible automation solutions across Life Sciences, Automotive, Cosmetics, Personal Care, Electrical & Electronics, Food, Metals, and Consumer Goods sectors, supported by a global network of 70+ partners and distributors in over 40 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FlexiBowl®: Patented flexible component feeding system for automated assembly lines using industrial or collaborative robots, available in 6 models, enabling re-orientation and separation of components with integration capabilities for any robot and vision system.
• FlexiVision
• FlexiVision One

Products and services

• FlexiBowl® Patented flexible component feeding system for automated assembly lines using industrial or collaborative robots. Available in 6 models, handles components from 1-300mm and 1-300g, enables re-orientation and separation of components. Integrates with any robot and vision system, distributed in over 40 countries.
• FlexiVision PC-based machine vision software for robot guidance, developed on Cognex libraries. Provides dynamic control of all FlexiBowl functionalities, robot and camera calibration, vision model definition, coordinate transfer to robots, and Pick & Place sequence management. Compatible with various industrial robot brands.
• FlexiVision One Smart robot guidance system for FlexiBowl® representing the next generation of vision-based feeding technology with enhanced capabilities for industrial automation applications.
• Free Test Service Complimentary testing service where the company's technical team evaluates customer components using FlexiBowl systems in their Test Lab, providing simulation videos and performance reports with component samples.
• R&D and Consulting Services Full project support from preliminary analysis to operational startup, including customization, installation, and commissioning of automated assembly lines for industrial customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Handles 99% of component geometries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University Automation Research CentersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Academic partnerships with universities focused on automation research to maintain updated vision and develop young talent.
• 70+ Authorized DistributorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Global network of 70+ authorized distributors and system integrators reselling FlexiBowl systems and providing local commercial and technical support in 40+ countries.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ABB Robotics: Major industrial robot and automation manufacturer with broad product lines including robotic systems integrated with various feeding solutions. ABB competes indirectly with ARS as a robotics platform provider that ecosystem partners feed into.
• Rockwell Automation: Global industrial automation incumbent providing PLCs, motion control, robotics integration, and component handling solutions. Rockwell's broad portfolio overlaps with ARS's robotic feeding systems as part of a much wider automation offering.
• Omron Automation: Global automation supplier offering robotics, motion control, vision systems, and component handling products. Omron's vision and motion capabilities overlap with the integration layer ARS's FlexiVision addresses, making it a broad competitor across multiple dimensions.
• Sortimat (ATS Automation): Sortimat was a feeder and assembly automation specialist now part of ATS Automation, a large Canadian industrial automation integrator. ATS offers broader turnkey automation solutions that incorporate feeding subsystems, positioning it as a larger incumbent encompassing ARS's niche.

Direct peers

• RNA Automation: UK-based manufacturer of bowl feeders, centrifugal feeders, and part-feeding systems for industrial automation. RNA competes in the broader parts-feeding category that ARS addresses with its flexible FlexiBowl platform.
• Hoppmann: US manufacturer of part-feeding and material handling equipment for automated assembly. Hoppmann's feeder systems compete with ARS in the same robotic assembly feeding category.
• Hoosier Feeder Company: US-based manufacturer of vibratory and centrifugal bowl feeders, step feeders, and parts feeding systems. Hoosier represents the traditional bowl feeder incumbents that ARS's flexible feeding platform is displacing.
• Asyril: Swiss-based direct competitor offering the Asycube flexible feeding system for industrial robotics. Asyril is the closest comparable in the flexible feeder niche, competing head-to-head with FlexiBowl across component feeding applications globally.
• Afag: Swiss manufacturer of feeding, handling, and assembly technology for industrial automation. Afag's flexible feeding and component handling solutions overlap directly with ARS's FlexiBowl offering for robotic assembly lines.

Others

• Cognex Corporation: US-based machine vision systems provider whose libraries underpin ARS's FlexiVision software. Cognex is both a critical technology partner and adjacent ecosystem player — its vision systems serve as an alternative or complement to ARS's offering for robotic guidance applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/arsautomation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ars Automation