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Global EMS provider ESCATEC has further strengthened its smart manufacturing capabilities with the installation of a highly automated assembly line at ESCATEC Electronics (EEM) in Penang. Final commissioning is expected to be completed over the coming weeks, and the new system will assemble specialised single-use temperature indicators used in pharmaceutical cold-chain auditing.
The project is among the most advanced automation initiatives undertaken by ESCATEC to date and is aimed at maximising manufacturing efficiency, process consistency, and product quality for its customers.
Designed around a modular architecture, the new system enables individual process stations to be added, removed, or reconfigured as production requirements evolve. Much of the automation hardware can also be repurposed for other customer programmes, thus providing long-term flexibility and maximising the value of the investment. EEM will transition to the new system in phases to maintain production continuity while minimising any disruption to existing delivery commitments.
"Automation is central to ESCATEC's strategy of continually enhancing our manufacturing capabilities and delivering greater value to our customers. Such investments enable us to improve manufacturing efficiency, strengthen process consistency and provide the scalable production capacity needed to support our customers' future growth," said ESCATEC CEO Charles-Alexandre Albin.
The new assembly line automates a range of assembly processes, including PCBA loading, battery assembly, NTC insertion and soldering, automated vision inspection, front housing assembly, LCD installation, zebra connector assembly, back housing assembly, and automated screw fastening. Several processes, such as rubber cap placement, product labelling and final functional testing, will remain manual as this provides the optimum manufacturing solution.
Once fully operational, the new system will increase monthly production capacity from around 64,000 units to more than 72,000 units on a single-shift operation. Capacity can be expanded to exceed 145,000 units per month by introducing a second shift, enabling ESCATEC to respond efficiently as customer demand grows.
Established in 1984, ESCATEC is a global EMS provider headquartered in Penang, Malaysia, offering end-to-end services from design and development to mass manufacturing and after-sales support across electronics, mechatronics, machining, MOEMS, box build and plastic moulding.
The Group's manufacturing footprint currently comprises four facilities in Malaysia, two in the Czech Republic, one each in the United Kingdom and Bulgaria, and a site for advanced electronics in Switzerland. It also operates a Design & Development (D&D) Centre in Switzerland and has strategic partnerships in Croatia and the United States.
