Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1545666
22 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2026 ing the job, but it's also planning the next job and the sequence of jobs. We are really good, together with the material management process, in support- ing this. Our core competency is the frequent change- over. That's what's triggering the bidirectional material flow Robert described. We got into this space very early; material flow has always been where we excel. We've been first with Agilis feeders, which are super easy to use with our MYTower solution for automated component storage and a bidirectional material flow. Support- ing the different aspects of changeover is done with our software. I assume traceability is a key feature, certainly for the EMS companies. How do you assist there? Frank: Of course, traceability is very important. Many of our customers that work in sectors such as defense, space, med tech, and similar areas have high demands for both traceability and process op- timization. The tools in our software portfolio run the process as efficiently as possible. We see APIs and factory integration becoming even more important, and a need for both horizon- tal integration with other machines in the line and vertical integration with enterprise systems such as MES or ERP systems. APIs are part of our core DNA, and that's even more important now as peo- ple focus on collecting data and building AI tools to draw conclusions from it. Doesn't setup optimization and horizontal integra- tion work together here by tracking component sta- tus and location from the receiving dock, through verification and stocking, to the factory floor? Helleday: Yes. Most of our customers build high- value electronics. They need to be very con- cerned about what goes on the boards and so on, so that it's the exact parts that their customers specified. I think most of our customers do that to a high degree. Jet printing removes the need for stencils and allows instant adjustments during production. With lightweight, easy-to-handle feeders, operators can move quickly, preparing and exchanging compo- nents in seconds.