Altus Group, a leading supplier of capital equipment and service support for the electronics manufacturing sector in the UK and Ireland, has worked with CEM,
Electronic Technicians Ltd (ETL) to identify the most appropriate automation solution for its through-hole (THT) assembly process, resulting in the company's investment in a Promation 9544 CJ Pro robotic soldering system.
The investment follows the expansion of ETL's manufacturing facility in 2026, where the company reviewed several production processes to identify opportunities to increase automation, strengthen manufacturing capability and support future growth. THT assembly was identified as a priority area due to its reliance on skilled manual soldering.
Both selective soldering and robotic soldering technologies were evaluated to determine which would best suit ETL's product mix and production requirements. While the two technologies can address many of the same applications, they offer different strengths: selective soldering typically delivers higher throughput where board designs are well suited to the process, while robotic soldering offers greater flexibility for complex assemblies and high-mix manufacturing. Following demonstrations and application trials, ETL selected the Promation 9544 CJ Pro as the best fit for its operation.
Stuart Crook, managing director, Electronic Technicians Ltd., said: "We are very excited about our new robotic soldering unit being installed and adding significant capacity to what is currently a highly manual process. Many of the products we manufacture contain a significant number of conventional through-hole components, so introducing a solution that increases throughput, delivers consistent soldering quality and reduces the manual element of the process will be ideal. This will help us increase our competitiveness while continuing to enhance customer satisfaction."
The Promation 9544 CJ Pro automates manual soldering processes while retaining the flexibility needed for high-mix production. It combines four-axis motion with closed-loop temperature control, automated solder wire feeding and integrated tip cleaning, supporting consistent quality across a range of through-hole applications. The system, which includes dedicated application tooling, is scheduled for installation in summer 2026. Altus will provide commissioning support and assist ETL with developing its initial production programmes.
Joe Booth, CEO of Altus Group, said: "Every manufacturer has different production requirements, so our role is to help customers identify the technology that best suits their application. Because Altus offers the full range of THT automation solutions, we were able to evaluate the options with ETL and identify robotic soldering as the right fit."
The project is ETL's first major automation investment since the facility expansion, and reflects the value of evaluating alternative technologies before committing to capital equipment.