Fastems celebrates 500th flexible pallet container system

Fastems FPC delivering celebratory cake

West Chester, Ohio – Factory automation supplier Fastems LLC is celebrating production of the 500th example of the company’s Flexible Pallet Container (FPC) pallet handling system for CNC machine tools. The Fastems FPC is a compact, flexible FMS system housed in a single shipping-container-sized unit that arrives at a customer’s facility factory-tested and ready to install.

The FPC system enables operators to set up pallets while workpieces on other pallets are being completed, eliminating the need to stop machining to change setups. It facilitates processing a large variety of product mix and small batches of parts and can also expedite high volume production.

An FPC unit has two levels served by a stacker crane and requires a fraction of the floor space needed for a traditional pallet pool. Manufacturers can easily relocate containers in response to changes in production strategies and factory layout. One stacker crane services up to two machine tools and two loading stations. Adding a third container permits automation of an additional machine tool and increases the number of pallet spaces available, expanding opportunities for unmanned production. Five different models of the FPC system handle loads from 750kg to 7,500kg (1,650 lb to 16,500 lb).

The open, independent Fastems manufacturing management system (MMS) control guides and monitors FPC operation and interfaces with ERP systems and CNC programs generated by CAM software. MMS control technology easily adjusts to changing production needs and provides multiple scheduling strategies. Options for full or partial operator participation permit insertion of rush jobs followed by full resumption of previously scheduled production. The FPC system features an intuitive user interface and an ergonomic design that safeguards workers.

Fastems introduced the FPC system at the 2001 EMO trade show. The company recently recognized the 500-unit manufacturing landmark with an event at its factory in Tampere, Finland, where the 500th system’s stacker crane delivered a celebratory cake. Markku Bollmann, vice president of sales and marketing at Fastems Oy AB, said, “We have manufactured these containers for 16 years and now it is time for this 500th container to be shipped to China.” According to Bollmann, Fastems has delivered FPC systems to four continents worldwide. 

Fastems LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fastems Oy Ab, Tampere Finland. The company established its Cincinnati-area North American headquarters in 2006 as an independent integrator of flexible automation systems. Fastems currently employs about 350 people in the U.S., Europe, and Asia and has more than 4,000 systems installed worldwide.

Source: Fastems LLC