Robotic Polishing Modernises Padlock Production

In the mid-2020s, we worked with Acme Manufacturing and FANUC America to modernise the polishing of our solid-brass padlocks at the Marion, Ohio, plant. The project replaced an ageing robotic polishing system with a compact automated cell designed to increase capacity without requiring additional production-floor space. FANUC publicly documented the installation in an April 2025 case study. Acme's system uses two high-speed FANUC M-10 series robots and specialised end-of-arm tooling capable of handling 18 different padlock styles. According to FANUC, the new equipment increased finishing output from approximately 1,500–1,800 locks per eight-hour shift to more than 5,000, while also reducing manual polishing and providing a more consistent finishing process. The project continued a longer programme of automation at Wilson Bohannan rather than representing our first use of robotics; FANUC reported that automated polishing had already been used at the plant for about 15 years. The newer installation demonstrates how we have continued updating production technology while retaining padlock manufacturing in Marion.