Case Studies

To operate as a successful machine shop in a globally competitive marketplace there is a genuine need for differentiation. Increasingly, machine shops are turning to automation and digitalisation as ways to set themselves apart. Germany-based Roland Erdrich GmbH is a case in point. By standardising on FANUC for its CNC, robot and communication protocol requirements, the company is going from strength-to-strength.

With business evolution and growth, many manufacturers find themselves running a disparate assortment of machinery, automation and other production systems, often supplied by many different vendors. This situation makes some production plants think that effective data management using a single IIoT platform is not possible. Well, FANUC’s FIELD system proves this thinking is misplaced, as Italy-based Trafime can confirm.

In a fast-moving fresh-food distribution plant, efficiency through automated packing operations is paramount to keep pace with demand. As a by-product of this approach, robot adopters also gain from less physical strain for employees, gentler handling of delicate produce like fruit and vegetables, and more a uniform and repeatable process. Among the latest factories to benefit from all this added value is the Bätterkinden, Switzerland facility of major food distributor Inoverde, where carrot filling, packing and palletising operations are benefiting from the introduction of three FANUC industrial robots.

GSN Schleiftechnik specialises in the overhaul of cylindrical grinding machines, transforming older equipment into high-performance production assets. By replacing obsolete electronics and drive systems with modern FANUC CNC technology, GSN gives customers a cost-effective alternative to buying new machines, while retaining familiar tooling and equipment.

When it comes to finding the right balance between high-precision, efficiency and cost, precision component manufacturer Vedos relies on FANUC’s ROBODRILL milling centers.