Fastlog AG Uses FANUC Robots for Industrial Polishing
Fastlog
Fastlog AG is a company that was re-established in 2009 with over 100 years of tradition from the former PTT Group and currently employs 140 people in service and logistics of spare parts for its business customers. The aim of this niche business is to extend the life cycle of used basic electronic devices such as modems or set-top boxes from the IT/telecommunications sector and make them available to the market again, fully tested and inspected.
Automation Takes a Load off Employees
State-of-the-art companies cannot afford compromises in speed and quality, making automation of complex or individual processes essential. Robots excel at strenuous tasks, offering crucial assistance to employees. At Fastlog AG in Gwatt, Switzerland, FANUC robots help in enhancing the service life of electronic devices, such as modems, by taking over tasks such as polishing and palletising the refurbished products.
All devices at Fastlog undergo thorough inspection and receive the latest software updates at modern measurement workstations. The final step is refurbishing the covers, which must be polished gently to avoid imperfections. Manually repairing each device and removing old adhesive labels are physically demanding and monotonous tasks.
Marcel Hadorn
Operations Manager at Fastlog
In collaboration with the integrator Derap AG, Fastlog developed a detailed requirements specification. Initially, the focus was on the M-20𝑖A/10L palletising robot, which quickly met the desired performance of handling 12 devices per minute.
The primary challenge was optimally placing variously shaped, shrink-wrapped device packages on pallets using eccentric suction devices to ensure stable transport. FANUC’s 𝑖RVision system provided a solution.
Compared to palletising, implementing the polishing system was more straightforward. Marcel Hadorn, Operations Manager at Fastlog notes, "With the polishing system, we met our goals on schedule, achieving even more personnel savings than with the palletising system."
Fastlog has built significant in-house expertise, allowing them to program the new palletising system independently. This capability is crucial for program adaptation, and Hadorn looks forward to further cooperation with Derap and FANUC.
Meanwhile, the M-10𝑖A polishing robot required a continuous application of force for automated polishing to ensure consistent quality. This was achieved using FANUC’s force momentum sensor, which communicates directly with the M-10𝑖A robot controller to maintain consistent polishing force, resulting in uniform quality and significant time savings during programming.
The entire polishing process for plastic housings containing sensitive electronics is delicate, as is the rapid packaging of completed devices onto pallets. "Our employees are grateful that these tasks can be taken over by robots today," Hadorn asserts, highlighting the benefits of robotic assistance in enhancing efficiency and reducing the physical strain on workers.
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