News from the Production Floor

September 22, 2023

Fabrik-Style has acquired a Panel Sanding Assistant. The equipment has been in production in Memphremagog since May 2023. Here’s what we’ve noticed since its installation in the factory.

Installation and setup

2:30 hours. Start the clock!!

Omnirobotic team members discusses installation with Fabrik-Style owner

Alexandre and Jean-François pose in front of the freshly installed Panel Sanding Assistant.

With its 120″ x 120″ footprint, it was simple to make room for the Panel Sanding Assistant. Supplied in 3 pieces, it was easy to bring the equipment to the back of the plant via a corridor just 37″ wide, avoiding the need to move existing equipment. All that remained to be done was to connect the equipment to plant’s air and vacuum lines. The installation took place in 2:30 hours, just as we had planned, which enabled us to start production very quickly. “I really appreciated the fact that the people at Omnirobotic supplied us with pneumatic adapters to make the installation easier.”

Productivity

Up to 300 perfectly sanded panels per shift

With its dual table, the Panel Sanding Assistant can sand hundreds of panels without interruption.

First table is finished. Time to unload the table and put new panels for sanding.

Unlike other equipment on the market, where you have to place just one panel at a time, with the Panel Sanding Assistant you can place a large number of panels per table, while the robot works on the other table. The robot never stops, so no time is wasted!

Consistency in productivity

The equipment has enabled us to increase the production capacity. Its predictability is reassuring, taking a lot of stress off delivery dates. The Panel Sanding Assistant helps to ensure a consistent production. “The important thing is that the machine keeps sanding while the others are working. It doesn’t take productivity away from my employees, but it does generate free time. One machine is equivalent to the work of one and a half person, maybe even two.”

Consistent Sanding Quality

Quality is consistent and superior to human results

Motion precision: 0.1mm accuracy from detected edge

Min. pocket size: 92x116mm (3.6x4.5”)

A six-axis robot that replicates a human arm and can compensate for variations ensure perfect sanding quality. This is impossible to achieve with less sophisticated mechanical equipment. “I’ve been looking for a solution for our needs for a long time. I’ve been dreaming about this for at least 10 years!”

It's easy to achieve perfection

Within two days, the client was able to modify certain parameters through the administrator interface to achieve the desired sanding result to their standard. With equipment capable of achieving accuracies of 0.1 mm, Fabrik-Style was able to adjust the level of sanding as desired. The training, support and documentation provided by Omnirobotic made the task easier and enabled satisfactory results to be achieved quickly. “When we started to see near-perfect quality, the employees began to see the value of the equipment.”

Safe & Easy

A two-minute training session

Simple control panel

A two-minute training session

“It’s clearly easy to use! And that’s fun!” In the workshop, employees work together and move around the equipment in complete safety. The two tables ensure that the robot is always in operation, sanding panels. The simplicity of operation means that everyone is able to use the equipment. There’s no need to hire specialized candidates. “You put the doors this way, you pay attention to this and that, and when you think you’re ready, you push down on the button.”

Change Management

An adaptation for everyone

Using the new equipment means less pressure on articulations, and ultimately less musculoskeletal stress.

The routine is different. It's an adaptation.

The definition of sanding tasks had to be adjusted. We’re changing ingrained habits, changing methods. “The understanding of what I have to do is no longer the same, the routine is different. It’s an adaptation.”

Improving working conditions

Daily sanding with an orbital sander is a physically demanding task. Using the new equipment means less pressure on articulations, and ultimately less musculoskeletal stress. “The machine improves the employee’s quality of life, and I think that’s why they’ve come to adopt it.”