At this year’s Southern Manufacturing & Electronics in Farnborough, the cts Group will be presenting its modular intralogistics solutions for the smart electronics factory from 3 to 5 February. At stand M130, the one stop solutions provider will demonstrate how it combines intelligent storage, AMRs and automated transfer systems into a connected turnkey solution that integrates seamlessly into existing production environments and ensures fast, accurate and fully traceable material flow. This increases throughput and quality, reduces the workload on employees and enables better planning. The scalability and configurability of the solutions also provide flexibility and make production future-proof.
As elsewhere in Europe, electronics manufacturing in the UK is currently in a critical phase. Although the speed and precision of SMT lines are continuously improving, material flow is increasingly proving to be a decisive bottleneck: manual processes in the logistics of components from the warehouse to the assembly machine are inefficient, non-transparent and prone to errors. This affects quality and jeopardises compliance. Added to this is demographic change: in times of staff shortages, it is becoming increasingly difficult for manufacturing companies to find and retain employees for repetitive logistics tasks. Automation is therefore key to making intralogistics processes, and thus production, fit for the future. The cts Group, headquartered in Germany, offers solutions for seamless material flow based on autonomous systems and highly customisable machines – for manufacturing companies in general and specifically tailored to the requirements of SMT and THT production lines. These include intelligent storage solutions – the Smart Warehouses –, transfer and buffer stations, and AMRs that enable efficient and reliable material transport.
Turnkey Solution from a Single Source, Configurable and Scalable
All solutions can be comprehensively configured. cts adjusts them to each customer’s production environment and actual intralogistics challenges and, as the one-stop partner, takes responsibility for integration – from design to commissioning and training to long-term support. This also includes integration with existing MES, MOM and ERP platforms. This investment pays off for customers: “The ROI for material flow automation is easy to demonstrate, as the benefits are immediately reflected in measurable KPIs,” reports Terry Morgan, Sales Representative UK/Ireland at the cts Group. “We look at reduction in production downtime due to missing materials, faster changeovers, less time spent by staff on searching and walking around, and less waste due to feeding or exposure errors. Once replenishment and tracking are automated, OEE increases, which is a major driver of the business case.” Thanks to configurability and scalability, manufacturing companies also remain flexible: “All our systems are based on a modular architecture, so customers can start with what they need today and expand as their production grows or changes,” explains Terry Morgan.
Smart Warehouses: Automatic Storage, Management, Tracking
The intelligent storage solutions in the cts Smart Warehouse family handle the automatic storage, management and tracking of materials. Algorithms ensure ideal distribution, while interfaces to higher-level systems create data transparency. The Warehouses are compact and space-saving. “Our systems – whether the SMT Reel Warehouse or the Mini and Big Smart Warehouse – are designed to manage all production materials: reels, PCBs, and components stored in magazines, trays, or boxes,” says Terry Morgan. “Instead of operators searching through shelves or staging materials around the line, everything is held in a high-density, fully automated environment where each item is tracked, verified, and instantly accessible. Complete digitalisation ensures precision: every type of material carrier is scanned, logged and stored with accurate location data, exposure tracking and full traceability. Automation creates efficiency: through intelligent software, automated picking and AMRs that deliver materials directly to the right place without delays or mix-ups.”
AMRs and Transfer Systems Enable Continuous, Automated Material Flow From the Warehouse to the Line
CTS implements AMR projects as needed in collaboration with partners such as Omron, Agilox and MiR. “AMRs are fundamentally changing intralogistics by taking over all repetitive walking, transport and manual transfer tasks that slow down production,” explains Terry Morgan. “When combined with automated transfer systems – whether that’s carts, lifts, buffer stations, or line-side loading – a continuous, automated material flow is created from the warehouse to the line and back. Materials are transported exactly when and where they are needed, without having to wait for an operator to be available.” This is a major advantage for cts customers: “They benefit from consistent, predictable delivery that stabilises changeovers, prevents production downtime and eliminates the guesswork in replenishment planning,” says Terry Morgan. “AMRs also free up operators to focus on higher-value tasks instead of spending hours walking parts around the factory. And because every movement is tracked, the entire process becomes much more transparent and traceable.”
Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2026
At the cts stand at Southern Manufacturing & Electronics, technical decision-makers can see for themselves how cts combines individual systems into a complete solution. They will also have the opportunity to explore real-world use cases, see how cts systems can be integrated into existing MES and MOM platforms, and learn about the impact on changeovers, OEE and traceability. Terry Morgan adds: “Most importantly, it’s a friendly space to talk through their own challenges with our engineers and see how a single-source, fully configurable automation approach can fit their factory.”
To learn more, visit www.group-cts.com/en
