The Swiss steel service provider SCHMOBI meets the challenge of balancing speed and variety with consistent automation. At the site in Wil in the canton of St. Gallen, the KASTOsort robotic handling system takes over central process steps around the high-performance circular saw automation KASTOgripspeed C 10. The system increases throughput, relieves employees, and demonstrates how efficiency and flexibility can be combined.
In the Bronschhofen industrial area in Wil West, hall after hall lines up. Here is the SCHMOLZ + BICKENBACH Stahlcenter AG, short SCHMOBI. The company has been supplying the Swiss manufacturing industry with bright steel, corrosion-resistant stainless steel, special steel, and other product groups since 1959. Around 100 employees handle large quantities of bar steel daily. Over three million cuts in the saw range from 5 to 530 millimeters are produced each year at the steel center.
Anyone entering the plant feels the heartbeat of the company directly in sync with the machines. Bar material comes from the warehouse, is sawed, cleaned, marked, and packaged. Many orders consist of fixed cuts. The lot sizes vary greatly: sometimes it's about individual parts, sometimes about series.
For over 20 years, SCHMOBI has relied on solutions from KASTO. It all started with the fully hydraulic high-performance band saw automation KASTOtec AC 4, which has a loading table but no automatic sorting and still reliably processes all orders.
Intelligent robotics in practical use
Later, a KASTOtec FC 4 followed, this time in combination with the KASTOsort robotic handling system, which cleans and picks the saw sections. 'This is plug-and-produce in its purest form,' says Philipp Harter, Technical Sales Manager at KASTO. 'The robot is based on a decentralized self-organizing program logic. Therefore, neither a teach-in nor any kind of programming by the user is required. The entire robot automation takes place without operator intervention. The intelligent workflow replaces lengthy rust processes.'
A decisive purchasing argument for SCHMOBI was the all-in-one principle: Since saws, robotics, and gripping technology come from a single development, complex interfaces are avoided, and responsibilities in case of service are clear. Peter Breitenmoser, Managing Director and Chairman of the Board of SCHMOLZ + BICKENBACH Stahlcenter AG, makes it clear: 'We are sustainably investing in the automation of our machinery. We want to reduce activities that do not add value and physically burden our workforce. Thanks to modern saw automations with robot integration, we offer our specialists attractive and ergonomic workplaces.'
Good results, proven service, and known contacts made KASTO the logical choice for the follow-up project. Therefore, in 2025, the second automated system went into operation: a KASTOgripspeed C 10, again with the KASTOsort robotic handling system. In combination with the small space requirement, the overall package was coherent. Armin Thalmann, Operations Manager at SCHMOBI, emphasizes: 'After the first successes, continuity with the partner was the right way for us.'
More value creation, less manual labor
Many ancillary activities in the steel trade are necessary but do not directly increase product value. Manually removing sections, cleaning them from chips, marking, and stacking takes valuable time and poses a significant physical burden on the workforce. This is precisely where automation with the KASTOsort robotic handling system comes into play.
The industrial robot takes over repetitive tasks and autonomously determines the ideal stacking pattern for each order to maximize packing density in the container. This efficiency and the necessary process stability are ensured by specially developed grippers and corresponding gripping concepts. 'This was a special feature of the project,' recalls Marcel Bösiger, Regional Sales Manager Switzerland. 'SCHMOBI picks a very large number of different saw sections and wanted a solution that can safely handle as many parts as possible.' Therefore, KASTO developed a total of 24 grippers for this system, which primarily work with vacuum.
The project presented the participants with another challenge: the available space was tight and poorly shaped. The new system was to fit between existing machines and an unloading station. 'We had to revise the original planning of the installation area at short notice because a cable shaft required a complete redesign of the layout,' recalls Philipp Harter. Despite the resulting delay, KASTO used the phase constructively: the additional time flowed directly into further optimization of the gripping technology. Armin Thalmann adds: 'Finding a solution was a big task for all of us. In the end, we now have a system that perfectly meets our requirements.'
Technology in detail
The KASTOgripspeed C 10 is a high-performance circular saw for medium diameters from 15 to 102 millimeters. It operates with high cutting speed and precise feed control. This ensures short cycle times and consistent cutting quality. A central element is the control system. It manages cutting data, stores parameters, and allows for quick adjustments to different orders that the operator enters directly at the machine.
The material is fed into the saw via a universal chain magazine with six supply trays. Loading is done manually with lifting aids. This keeps SCHMOBI flexible, even with changing long goods. After cutting, the robot takes over: KASTOsort removes the sections and loads provided carriers based on optimally calculated stacking patterns. This facilitates further processing and shipping.
A central advantage of the system is evident in operation. The combination of saw and robot allows for long production times. Additionally, the system also operates in so-called ghost shifts, meaning without permanent supervision. How long the system runs autonomously depends on the order. With small section lengths and consistent long goods, the machine can produce many parts from a single bar. The operator only intervenes when containers need to be changed or new material is required.
The platform-independent KASTOapp continuously monitors the saw machine in real-time and provides immediate access to performance data and operating conditions from any endpoint. This location-independent transparency allows for early detection of error patterns and significant reduction of downtime through targeted, rapid responses. 'So no one has to stand by the machine all the time anymore,' says Armin Thalmann. 'The operator can see at a glance whether everything is running smoothly or if there are issues.' And if something goes wrong, production can be quickly stabilized without significant delays.
Partnership with Perspective
Higher throughput with maximum reliability – the use of the robot has noticeably stabilized the processes at SCHMOBI. At the same time, the job profile in the hall has changed: instead of performing physically demanding tasks, operators today focus on monitoring and controlling the automated system. Managing Director Peter Breitenmoser: "With KASTO's solution, we have created future-proof, ergonomic workplaces that provide real added value for the workforce."
The project in Wil shows how automation can be implemented in steel trading. The key is not only the machine but the interplay of sawing, handling, and process knowledge. KASTO provides the building blocks for this. SCHMOBI uses them to further develop its operations. Based on this, SCHMOBI continuously aligns itself with the changing market demands and optimizes the value chain together with proven partners.
Author: Petra März, Marketing, KASTO Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG, Achern
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