User's Manual

Rev. 6/21/2022 Page 4 of 19
System Operation
The FAST Bin system automates the current manual method of checking inventory that is
stored in Fastenal standard Bin systems as shown below :
Standard Fastenal Bin Systems
The following subsections describe how each of the FAST Bin devices work.
Infrared (IR) Bins
The IR Bins consist of a standard Bin plus two printed circuit boards (PCBs) that sit
opposite each other inside the Bin; the PCBs are protected by a plastic insert as shown
below:
Infrared (IR) Bin
 There is an array of LED IR emitters on one PCB and corresponding IR sensors on the
opposite PCB.
 Obstruction of an IR beam equates to the presence of inventory at that point inside
the bin.
 The obstructed or unobstructed state, as detected by the sensors, is transmitted to
the Controller by means of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and the data for each Bin is
then transmitted to the Fastenal Server via the Internet.