From High Mix to Extreme Component Sizes: FUJI Showcases the Full Range of Modern SMT Placement at EFX

Target Zero: FUJI Pushes the Boundaries of SMT Placement

Kelsterbach, August 31, 2026 – From 016008 mm micro-components to large and heavy components, from high-mix to high-volume production: the demands placed on SMT manufacturing are becoming increasingly diverse. At the same time, manufacturers are looking to reduce manual intervention and further automate their processes. At EFX (Hall 9, Stand A72), FUJI EUROPE CORPORATION will demonstrate how its Target Zero strategy addresses these challenges. The focus is on solutions that remove placement limitations, accommodate different production scenarios and pave the way towards increasingly autonomous SMT manufacturing.

Smaller, larger, more diverse, more automated: with its Target Zero strategy, FUJI is progressively overcoming traditional limitations in SMT manufacturing. The platform handles an increasingly broad range of components and production scenarios, from high mix to high volume, while requiring fewer manual interventions. At the same time, process reliability and equipment availability are being improved. FUJI brings these objectives together under four principles: Zero Placement Limits, Zero Machine Operators, Zero Placement Defects and Zero Machine Stops.

From 016008 mm Components to Large and Heavy Parts
The increasingly wide range of component handling requirements in SMT manufacturing can be illustrated by two extremes. On the one hand, ongoing miniaturisation is pushing the technical limits of SMT placement. With its NXTR platform, FUJI is entering a field that is currently mastered by only a limited number of placement systems: the handling of 016008 mm components. Measuring just 0.16 × 0.08 mm, these components are barely visible to the naked eye.

At the other end of the spectrum, large and heavy components increasingly need to be handled automatically. At EFX, FUJI will demonstrate the handling of a 200 × 200 mm component using an NXTR S module and a dedicated nozzle. The system can handle components weighing up to 2 kg. Zero Placement Limits therefore represents FUJI’s goal of continuously extending the boundaries of SMT placement in both directions.

High Product Variety in a Compact Footprint
It is not only the range of components used in electronics manufacturing that is expanding. Shorter product lifecycles and the increasing diversification of electronic devices are resulting in more product variants, smaller batch sizes and more frequent changeovers. At the same time, high productivity and large production volumes remain key requirements. SMT systems therefore need to accommodate different production scenarios with maximum flexibility.

For high-mix production, FUJI has developed the new CLT-FG all-in-one placement machine. It combines production flexibility with an exceptionally compact design. With a machine width of approximately one metre, it is designed for production environments where floor space is limited. Its versatile placement head covers a broad range of components, from high-speed placement of small chip components to the reliable handling of large parts. This enables the CLT-FG to manufacture different products on a single machine and respond flexibly to frequent product changeovers.

Automation Starts Before Placement
As product variety increases and changeovers become more frequent, material preparation and setup processes are also becoming more complex. If an SMT line is to operate with fewer manual interventions, automation therefore needs to extend beyond the placement machine itself.

FUJI addresses this with the Auto Kitting Station. The system automates the loading of component reels into feeders, transforming a process that has traditionally been largely manual. This reduces operator workload, supports faster changeovers and increases process reliability in material preparation.

The solution directly supports the Zero Machine Operators objective of the Target Zero strategy. This approach is becoming increasingly important against the backdrop of skilled labour shortages. The R-Series, featuring the NXTR A/S and AIMEXR, takes this approach further into the placement process. The systems are designed for flexible, automated production processes, with the aim of further reducing operator intervention while maintaining high equipment availability.

Production Data for Stable and Autonomous Processes
Increasingly autonomous SMT manufacturing also requires machines and processes to be viewed as part of an integrated system rather than in isolation. Information on production planning, materials, setup and line status needs to be brought together to enable processes to be monitored and optimised.

This is where the NEXIM Production System comes in. The software supports production planning, setup management, line monitoring, traceability and process optimisation, among other functions. By connecting individual production steps with the associated data, FUJI creates another key foundation for increasingly automated processes.

“The demands placed on SMT manufacturing are evolving in almost opposite directions,” explains Sascha Frieling, Manager Technology at FUJI EUROPE CORPORATION GmbH. “That is why we believe it is crucial not to create a new standalone solution for every new requirement. Target Zero represents a platform approach that allows manufacturers to continuously develop their production environment as products and production conditions change.”