1965, 60 years ago, Karl Fassbind created a machine to produce cotton swabs. As one of the key elements he introduced a modified chain of small motorcycles to transport the stick carriers.
The industry has adopted this method and today every swab machine has at its heart such a chain.
What has been suitable in the 60’s when the swab machines were producing 1 swab per second has long been outdated. Today our machines produce 50 swabs per second, and the chain remained as the weakest element in the machine.
Due to the lack of proper lubrication – cotton and grease mix very badly and soil the machine – the chain lasts only a few months before it needs replacement.
Our vision was to replace this chain with a medium which does not need any grease and lasts basically for several years.
As the first swab manufacturer, Falu has managed a breakthrough with a belt system replacing the chain. There is no longer grease required, subsequently the cleaning is so much shorter and so much easier.
The time required for shift maintenance has been cut in more than half, significantly increasing both productivity and quality. Additionally, the elimination of grease exposure ensures that no traces can appear on the final product. So no longer are there concerns for black spots on the product stemming from the grease of the chain.
True, once the belt has reached the end of its life, it does take a little longer to replace compared to the chain. However, the maintenance and cleaning in the day-to-day operations outways the time for replacements manifold.
Overall, it is a fantastic improvement and is now a Falu standard in all our new machines. As sustainability is not a buzz word for us and actually in line with careful utilisation of resources, we have created a retrofit kit to upgrade all existing machines in the field.