cts is strengthening its collaboration with partner AdoptSMT at EFX 2026 in Stuttgart: following their joint exhibition appearance at productronica 2025, manufacturing automation expert cts and AdoptSMT, an experienced supplier of SMT machines and accessories, will once again be presenting themselves as a team at EFX. Their joint exhibition from 6 to 8 October at Stand 9A66 is themed ‘Uptime is a team effort’ and highlights material and spare parts/equipment availability as two halves of the same KPI – very much in line with the newly established EFX, which focuses on collaboration along the value chain.
Fewer downtimes, improved capacity utilisation and predictability, greater cost-efficiency and, overall, more stable production – improving line availability is a stated objective for many companies in the electronics manufacturing sector. Through their joint exhibition stand, cts and AdoptSMT demonstrate the importance of coordination between different entities in this regard. With their respective services, the two partners address different stages of the same production line and integrate them into a cohesive whole. AdoptSMT is responsible for ensuring equipment availability: spare parts and wear parts, feeder servicing and reconditioned pre-owned machinery keep pick-and-place machines and the production line up and running. This experienced supplier is renowned for giving SMT equipment a second, cost-effective lease of life, thereby avoiding expensive new purchases. cts, on the other hand, keeps materials moving and data available with scalable and customisable automation solutions: With the automated warehouses from the STORAGE product family, the autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) from the MOVEMENT range and the connection to material control via cts CONNECT, the automation expert ensures that the correct material is available on the production line on time and in a traceable manner.
Partnership between cts and AdoptSMT: Availability as a result of collaboration
“The handover point is the most common cause of unplanned downtime,” explains Alfred Pammer, VP Sales/Marketing/Product Management at cts. “This is precisely where our common ground as partners lies. The availability of a production line is not determined by a single machine but is the result of how everything works together. It is lost when individual factors are overlooked – whether it be a missing spare part or a delay in materials.” As part of the partnership, the two specialists therefore work as a team covering both areas. It is up to the customer to decide whether to appoint one of them as the main contractor – thereby having a single point of contact – or to commission both partners in parallel, ensuring a direct contact for each area of expertise. At their joint stand at EFX, the experts from cts and AdoptSMT will outline their respective services to trade fair visitors and explain how equipment and material availability interact in practice.
cts STORAGE: automated storage systems
Among other things, cts will be presenting the automated storage systems from cts STORAGE, which combine stock-based logistics with active material supply and are tailored to specific production areas. On the production floor, they handle structured stock management, demand-driven line supply and seamless traceability of materials such as KLT containers, trays, PCB magazines or SMT reels. To this end, cts tailors them precisely to the actual manufacturing conditions. Their scalability in terms of capacity and functionality ensures that the solutions can grow in line with requirements and that production is also prepared for future challenges.
About cts Group
cts Group is an independent full-service provider addressing four core challenges of modern industry: stable process control, automated manufacturing, digital data infrastructure, and reliable energy supply. Across sectors including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, electronics, energy, and food production, cts supports industrial companies with hands-on planning, technical execution, and reliable project responsibility.
The Process Automation division offers complete, system-independent automation and support for process engineering production – from electrical planning and control cabinet manufacturing through to commissioning, calibration, maintenance, and continuous optimization.
The Manufacturing Automation division supports production companies in automating their manufacturing and logistics processes – with individually configurable systems and machinery for material flow, handling, and industrial special processes.
The Industrial Informatics division lays the foundation for data-driven decision-making in industrial environments. Seamless communication between IT and OT ensures that industrial data is complete, accessible, and actionable – across sites, in real time, and to the highest security standards.
The Energy Technology division supports companies in planning, expanding, and modernizing critical energy infrastructure – including substations, transformer stations, and gas compression systems – taking full project management responsibility from feasibility study through to final acceptance.
About AdoptSMT
AdoptSMT is a Europe-wide provider of solutions and services for electronics manufacturing. The company supports SMT manufacturers in operating existing production facilities reliably, cost-effectively and over the long term.
Its portfolio includes spare and wear parts, consumables, feeders and tools, as well as technical services and pre-owned SMT equipment. Furthermore, AdoptSMT supports customers in optimising existing production lines, carrying out maintenance and repairs, and relocating production.
With offices in several European countries and an international network, AdoptSMT offers multi-vendor support for all aspects of SMT production. At the heart of this is a shared goal: to ensure customers’ production capability in the long term – “We keep your production running”.
