Bridging the Atlantic: How Strategic Automation can Redefine the „Smart“ in Smart Manufacturing

In an era where global supply chains are being rewritten and the "Last Mile" of production determines market leadership, the partnership between cts and Industrial Procurement Services stands as a blueprint for the future of the SMT industry.

As manufacturers across North America face the dual pressures of labor shortages and extreme product variety, the conversation is shifting away from simple machine speed toward integrated, autonomous ecosystems. This interview features Alfred Pammer, VP Sales Marketing and Product Management Factory Automation at cts, and Mark Juelich, CEO of IndPro, as they discuss the convergence of German high-tech engineering with American operational agility.

You will gain an insider’s look at how the Smart Electronics Factory is evolving – not only through isolated robots, but through a seamless integration of Intralogistics, specialized and customizable storages for smart warehousing, and manufacturer-independent middleware that allows factories to scale with precision and sustainability.

Discover why the next leap in productivity isn't found on the assembly line, but in the intelligent movement of material that feeds it.

The Partnership: German Engineering meets US Speed

cts: Mark & Alfred, you’re back together at APEX. Alfred, why is IndPro the essential "missing link" for cts to succeed in North America?

Alfred Pammer: IndPro is the missing link because technical excellence alone is not enough to win in North America. US manufacturers expect a local counterpart, fast response times, service in their time zone, and a partner who understands how US plants actually run day to day. Together, we combine cts engineering depth and proven intralogistics building blocks with IndPro’s local market knowledge and execution capability – from discovery workshops and concept design to commissioning and long-term support.

cts: Mark, you often say automation is about "reallocation, not elimination" of labor. How does the cts partnership help US manufacturers solve the massive labor shortage without losing their operational DNA?

Mark Juelich: In electronics manufacturing, the labor pain is usually material movement and expediting, not the SMT process itself. With cts, we use Smart Warehouses as the high-density PCB magazine backbone and build the workflows around it so magazines are controlled and delivered instead of hunted down. The result is an end-to-end material flow system that frees people up for quality and throughput, without forcing a plant to change how it builds product.

cts: In the US, "speed to market" is everything. How does this collaboration ensure that a German-engineered system is deployed and supported with American responsiveness?

Alfred Pammer: We don’t deploy a black box – we deliver a modular, engineered solution: standardized core modules that can be configured quickly, combined with targeted, plant-specific adaptations where it matters. This reduces engineering time, commissioning risk, and ramp-up delays. With IndPro as the local project and service lead, installation, training, and support happen with American responsiveness, while cts ensures the robustness, safety, and repeatability expected from German industrial engineering.

Mark Juelich: We keep it practical and fast by operating as one team. We start with proven Smart Warehouse building blocks and align early on scope, interfaces, and site readiness so the install and ramp do not drag out. The customer gets a system that comes online quickly, stabilizes quickly, and is supported locally.

Technology: Bridging the "Last Mile" of the SMT Line

cts: Alfred, many factories have state-of-the-art SMT lines that still experience downtime due to manual material handling. How do customizable storage solutions like ours specifically target these „automation gaps“?

Alfred Pammer: Many SMT lines are highly automated, yet OEE still suffers because material before and after the line is handled manually – creating stoppages, searching, and unplanned line-side chaos. Our configurable storage and buffer solutions close this “last mile” gap: they stage KLTs, magazines, and trays just-in-time at point of use, manage WIP in a controlled way, and reduce walking and decision overhead. The key is material-flow integration so the line is continuously supplied – even with high mix and frequent changeovers.

cts: Let’s talk about the "Brain": Middleware. Alfred, why is vendor-independent middleware the key for customers who want to use AMRs from different manufacturers without creating a "software island" and a mess within their complex environment.

Alfred Pammer: Vendor-independent middleware is critical because factories rarely stay static – and they are almost never single-vendor environments. Our middleware acts as an orchestration layer: it integrates different AMR brands and automation components via standardized interfaces, centrally manages missions, priorities, and material tracking, and prevents “software islands.” Customers avoid lock-in, can select best-fit technologies, and expand over time while keeping one coherent, maintainable operational system instead of a patchwork of disconnected tools.

cts: Mark, looking at the US landscape, many manufacturers are hesitant because standard automation often forces them to change their proven processes just to fit the machine. When you show them a solution like the customizable storages from cts – which are designed to adapt to their specific footprint and material variety rather than the other way around – what is the biggest 'Aha!' moment they have regarding their own ROI and space utilization?

Mark Juelich: The Aha is that ROI is not just faster SMT, it is fewer line stops caused by material. When PCB magazines are controlled and the moves to and from the line are automated, downtime drops and line-side clutter shrinks. That is when customers stop thinking about a single machine and start seeing an integrated material handling ecosystem that improves uptime, space utilization, and day-to-day stability.

Flexibility over Conformity

cts: Mark, let’s dig a little deeper into this topic. You’ve spoken with countless US plant managers. Why is the "one-size-fits-all" approach to automation failing them right now, and how is the cts philosophy different?

Mark Juelich: High mix and constant changeovers are the norm in US electronics plants. One-size automation usually forces process changes, or it breaks down the moment reality hits the floor. The cts approach is modular and scalable, and we configure it to the customer’s actual layout, magazine types, and operating rhythm, so it fits the plant instead of the plant fitting the machine.

cts: Alfred, cts is known for "Smart Machinery Engineering." How does your background in specialized, custom-built machines allow you to solve problems that standard providers simply can't touch?

Alfred Pammer: cts comes from a background of specialized, custom-built machinery – where standard providers typically stop. That engineering DNA is exactly what’s needed when a factory has unique carriers, difficult interfaces, ESD/traceability constraints, or legacy equipment that must be bridged safely and reliably. We combine mechanical design, controls, and software integration to solve the “last 10%” problems that determine whether automation becomes a stable backbone or a constant source of exceptions and downtime.

cts: The US market lacks solutions that are "standard-near but individually configurable." Alfred, can you explain why this "hybrid" approach is the sweet spot for a factory looking to scale?

Alfred Pammer: The hybrid model – standard-near but individually configurable – is the sweet spot because it balances speed, cost, and fit. Customers get predictable delivery, validated modules, and industrial maturity, while still tailoring the solution to their footprint, carriers, throughput profile, and IT landscape. That enables phased scaling: start with a focused use case and expand into a broader material network without restarting from scratch. It’s a practical path to scale that works for real factories under time pressure.

Engineering the "Impossible" in SMT and Beyond

cts: Mark, when a customer has a unique material flow problem – perhaps a non-standard carrier or a difficult floor layout – how does the collaboration with the cts engineering team in Germany actually work?

Mark Juelich: We start with a short, focused discovery: what moves, in what form, how often, and where it gets stuck. Then, in partnership with the cts engineering team, we turn that into an engineered plan, interfaces, storage logic, handoff points, and operating rules, so it matches the facility constraints without becoming a one-off science project. The customer gets a design they can scale, maintain, and trust.

cts: Alfred, your "Smart Electronics Factory" pillar isn't just about storage; it’s about integration. How do you handle customers who have a diverse mix of materials and need a custom "bridge" to automate their material flow leading to their legacy system lines?

Alfred Pammer: Integration is the core: we start with a material-flow mapping – what moves, in which carriers, with which cycle times, and where the true constraints are. From there we engineer the “bridges” that make automation workable in mixed environments: transfer points, buffer logic, line-side staging, and the right software workflows to connect storage, AMRs, and existing line equipment. Importantly, we can retrofit step by step, keeping production running and avoiding risky “big-bang” migrations.

cts: We are talking about an industry, where timing is non-negotiable. Alfred, how does this requirement for "tailor-made" precision translate into the custom solutions you are now offering the US electronics market?

Alfred Pammer: In electronics manufacturing, timing is non-negotiable – small disruptions cascade into missed shipments. That’s why our solutions focus on repeatability, process reliability, and clear material prioritization. “Tailor-made” does not mean experimental; it means precise adaptation within a proven architecture: the right mechanical interfaces, the right storage logic, and the right system integration so ramps and expansions remain predictable. For US customers, this translates into faster stabilization and fewer surprises after go-live.

The Local Advantage: IndPro as the Strategic Partner

cts: Mark, for a US company investing in a cts solution, what does the support structure look like? How does IndPro ensure that a custom solution remains high-performing and easy to maintain locally?

Mark Juelich: Support has to be real and local. We back the system with a 24/7/365 Midwest-based help line that is answered by trained technicians who know the platform, not a call center. On top of that, we have local and regional preventative maintenance teams that can get on-site when needed and keep the system tuned before small issues become downtime. For a lot of customers, that support model is the deciding factor, because uptime is the whole game.

cts: Looking at the APEX floor, there is a lot of "shiny hardware." Alfred, if a manufacturer feels their problem is too specific or too "weird" for standard automation, what is your message to them?

Alfred Pammer: If your problem feels too specific or “too weird,” that is often exactly where standard automation leaves the most money on the table. Bring your real constraint – your carriers, your layout, your throughput profile, your pain points – and we’ll show how to automate pragmatically without forcing you into a rigid template. Our approach is to fit the solution to your reality, not to make your factory fit a product catalog. That’s where sustainable ROI and uptime come from.

The Road to Anaheim: Experience the "Custom-First" Approach

As the industry gathers in Anaheim, the focus is shifting from "What can the machine do?" to "How does this solve my specific bottleneck?". For North American manufacturers, this partnership represents a unique opportunity to access specialized German engineering – traditionally reserved for custom niche projects – applied to the scalable world of SMT and Intralogistics. Visitors to the booth won't find a rigid, take-it-or-leave-it product line, but rather a team of consultants and engineers ready to map out a solution tailored to their specific facility constraints.

cts: Alfred, for the visitors heading to the cts and IndPro booth, what kind of "homework" or specific challenges should they bring with them to get the most out of a conversation with you and the team?

Alfred Pammer: To get the most value from a booth conversation, bring concrete input: a layout sketch, the carrier types (magazines, trays, KLTs), approximate volumes and changeover patterns, and the typical reasons for line stops (missing material, searching, wrong priorities, staging problems). Also helpful: your IT landscape (ERP/MES/traceability) and a few photos or short videos of the material flow. With that, we can move quickly from “interesting hardware” to a credible material-flow concept and next-step roadmap.

cts: Mark, after the show ends, how does IndPro facilitate the bridge between a US customer’s initial idea and the final engineered solution from cts? What is the first step for a company that knows they need to automate but doesn't want a "standard" box?

Mark Juelich: The first step is a short on-site workshop. We map the PCB magazine flow, quantify what is driving line stops, and define targets for throughput, changeovers, and space. From there, we come back with a phased concept and roadmap, something the customer can actually execute, starting with the biggest bottleneck and expanding from there.

cts: Final question for both: If you could describe the cts/IndPro collaboration in one sentence that defines the future of US manufacturing, what would it be?

Alfred Pammer: Together, cts delivers modular, scalable, precision intralogistics engineering – and IndPro brings it to the US factory floor with local execution and support at American speed. And they are really great people who we love to work with – and also share a drink after a busy day.

Mark Juelich: cts provides Smart Warehouse as the high-density PCB magazine backbone, and IndPro delivers the complete integrated system and local support around it; together we make material flow a competitive advantage instead of a bottleneck. Just as important, we have a great working relationship with the cts team, and the best partnerships happen when you trust the people across the table and enjoy working with them!

How to Connect

At the Show: Visit us at the IPC APEX EXPO, Anaheim Convention Center, at the cts/IndPro Booth. Exhibit Halls C-D — 2446.

Consultation: To schedule a 1-on-1 deep dive during or after the expo, reach out via our contact form or connect directly with Mark Juelich and Alfred Pammer on LinkedIn.

More Info: Explore your automation possibilities – from Seamless Intralogistics to Smart Machinery Engineering – at our dedicated landing pages.

Are you ready to tackle your SMT handling bottlenecks?

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Contact the manufacturing automation specialists at cts Group today to learn more about our solutions for the challenges faced by modern SMT manufacturers.