Atlanta – ECIA is pleased to announce that Stephannie Bronson has accepted the position of ECIA Vice President of Industry Practices.

Stephannie began her career in automotive distribution, where she actively supported industry associations for five years, before transitioning into a 15-year journey in logistics and supply chain leadership. Since joining the electronics industry in 2018, she has continued to expand her influence across the electronic components ecosystem.

At KEMET Electronics, she led inside sales and service operations and held global responsibility for certification and compliance, including Sarbanes-Oxley, Automotive, and Aerospace/Military standards. She partnered with Distribution, Direct, and EMS customers to support growth, regulatory compliance, operational integrity, and customer service. Her work with the WE United Mentorship Committee over the past eight years demonstrates her commitment to developing people, cultivating future leaders, and strengthening the electronics industry.

“Through the various leadership roles that she has held in her 20+year career, Stephannie’s experience brings the perfect balance between a strong understanding of the electronic components industry and expertise in logistics, supply chain and compliance in other industries, which will help her propel the GIPC’s impact to the next level.” explained ECIA’s Sr Vice President Victor Meijers. “We are thrilled to welcome her to our expanding staff and look forward to introducing her to the GIPC and our subject matter expert teams and the rest of our members later this month.”

“The work the Global Industry Practices Committee (GIPC) has already accomplished is truly astounding,” Stephannie added. “I look forward to working with the talented ECIA members who donate their time serving on the GIPC. Their collaboration on white papers, research, process efficiencies, and industry best practices, contribute to the goal of a more transparent, resilient electronics supply chain.”

Stephannie holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Communications from Eureka College. She currently resides in Boynton Beach, Florida, with her husband Brian and enjoys traveling in their spare time.

Dornstadt, July 9, 2026: Process reliability is a key competitive advantage in electronics manufacturing. Austrian EMS provider technosert, drawing on nearly 40 years of experience in the industry, continues to pursue this path with consistency and determination. Under the leadership of Managing Director and Technical Director Jürgen Freynhofer, the company has implemented the DIVISIO 5100 Gen 5 from ASYS Group for depaneling operations. The result is a highly automated, stable, and reproducible process that systematically ensures quality while supporting technosert’s high standards for precision and reliability.

With the introduction of the DIVISIO 5100 depaneling system, technosert has taken a decisive step away from manual influences and toward a clearly defined, automated process. In the implemented standalone solution, the operator is only responsible for loading and unloading, while all other steps are carried out fully automatically. This structure reduces process variability and creates consistent results.

“The system removes the natural variation of manual activities from the process – and that is exactly what makes the difference,” explains Christian Schmidinger, Process Technology Manager at technosert.

DIVISIO 5100: Precision, Speed, and Control

At the heart of the solution is the DIVISIO 5100, a state-of-the-art depaneling system specifically developed for maximum process reliability and efficiency.

The machine operates autonomously and under continuous self-monitoring, checks operating resources before production starts, and optimizes processes in real time—key factors for stable manufacturing operations.

Key performance features include:

• Maximum precision and dynamics through linear motors and positioning accuracy of up to ±10 µm
• Fast cycle times of less than 2–2.5 seconds thanks to dual-spindle and dual-gripper technology
• Automatic tool changes and integrated camera and measurement systems to ensure consistent cutting quality
• 100% cut inspection and adaptive process control that detects and corrects deviations
• Gentle handling through force-controlled grippers and a soft-stop function to reduce mechanical stress
• High autonomy times of up to 20.5 shifts thanks to integrated tool management
• Open interfaces (OPC UA, IPCHermes, IPCCFX) for seamless integration into networked production environments

The system therefore combines the key requirements of modern SMT manufacturing: precision, flexibility, and digital connectivity.

Robust Processes for Increasing Requirements

The new solution demonstrates its strengths particularly in the processing of complex or large-format assemblies. Precise routing and sawing enable low-stress processing and prevent damage to sensitive printed circuit boards.

Continuous data acquisition and self-monitoring ensure that process deviations are detected at an early stage. As a result, quality is not only achieved but maintained consistently over time – a critical factor for industries with demanding requirements such as medical technology, aerospace, or ATEX applications.

A Holistic Solution Rather Than an Isolated Measure

The implementation of the DIVISIO is part of a comprehensive concept. Together with the ASYS Group, a scalable and modularly expandable manufacturing solution was created that already takes future requirements into account.

Thanks to its modular design, numerous configuration options, and simple retrofit capability, the system can be flexibly adapted to new products, batch sizes, or levels of automation.

Partnership as a Success Factor

The successful implementation is based on a long-standing collaboration: technosert and the ASYS Group have maintained a close partnership since 2005. The value of this cooperation was also evident during the introduction of the new system: challenges arising during the project were solved jointly and in a solution-oriented manner.

“What matters is not that everything is perfect from the very beginning – but that solutions are found together,” says Schmidinger.

More Than Efficiency: Sustainable Improvements in Daily Operations

In addition to greater process reliability, day-to-day operations also benefit from:

• Clearly structured processes
• Improved planning reliability
• Targeted deployment of skilled personnel

As a result, expertise can increasingly be used for monitoring and optimization activities – an important step toward future-ready production.

Outlook: Scalable Manufacturing with a Future

For technosert, the new depaneling solution is not the end point but the foundation for further developments, for example in the areas of automation, traceability, or data-driven process optimization.

The DIVISIO 5100 is an example of how modern manufacturing technology and collaborative partnership can work together to create sustainable process reliability.

Conclusion

“For us, it was crucial to find a solution that not only works today but will also support us in the future. With the achieved process reliability and automation, we have accomplished exactly that – together with a partner who is committed to this path alongside us.” (Jürgen Freynhofer, Managing Director and Technical Chief, technosert electronic GmbH)

KNDS, a leading European defence systems manufacturer, has issued orders valued at more than EUR 11 million for cable harnesses and electromechanic assemblies for the Leopard tank. The products will be assembled at different sites of Incap and delivered over a period of 3 years. An extension of the orders for more vehicles is expected.

“Incap has steadily strengthened its position in the defence sector, and these orders are another important step forward,” says Otto Pukk, President and CEO of Incap Corporation. “We are committed to being a trusted, long-term partner for customers with demanding requirements. Our expanded European footprint and high-reliability manufacturing capabilities enable us to support defence programmes with consistency, quality, and delivery performance.”

Ralf Hasler, regional President Europe at Incap: “This programme underscores the role of Germany and Europe in building resilient, high-reliability supply chains for critical industries. Our teams in Germany and Romania are well positioned to deliver complex assemblies with stringent quality requirements, while supporting customers with close collaboration, responsiveness, and stable execution over the full programme duration.”

Altus Group, a leading supplier of capital equipment and service support for the electronics manufacturing sector in the UK and Ireland, has partnered with Optimum datamanagement solutions GmbH to introduce the Smart Klaus digital worker assistance system to companies across the region.

The partnership comes as electronics manufacturers increasingly look to automate and digitise manual assembly processes in response to ongoing skilled labour shortages and growing demands for traceability and process control. While SMT production has benefited from significant automation investment over recent years, through-hole (THT) and final assembly operations have traditionally remained heavily dependent on manual processes.

Joe Booth, Chief Executive Officer at Altus Group, said: "I have been looking for an opportunity to add a top-quality solution to our THT equipment portfolio and I think Smart Klaus is an excellent addition. It is intuitive to use and program, engineered and manufactured in Germany to a very high standard, with a range of well-thought-out options developed through more than 1,500 installations across Europe.

"We have all seen simple laser-guided systems, but Smart Klaus goes much further. By displaying instructions directly in front of the operator, incorporating Pick-by-Light functionality and checking each work step in real time through camera-based optical inspection, it reduces the skill level required while helping ensure only the right quality product leaves the production line.

"I think this is exactly the type of system our market needs while manufacturers continue to face significant labour and skills challenges. I am excited to hear if our customers are as excited about the technology as I am."

Developed by Germany-based Optimum datamanagement solutions GmbH, Smart Klaus is a camera-based worker assistance system designed to digitise manual production processes. The system provides audiovisual step-by-step guidance to operators while one or more integrated cameras continuously monitor the work area and verify that each task has been completed correctly.

Using a combination of image processing technology and artificial intelligence, Smart Klaus compares live activity against taught reference images and immediately alerts operators to deviations. Every process step is automatically documented, creating complete digital traceability and providing manufacturers with valuable production data that can be used for process optimisation and training.

The modular platform can be configured with features including Pick-by-Light systems, projectors, external digital measuring tools and interfaces to ERP and MES systems. Smart Klaus can be deployed across a range of applications, including outgoing goods inspection, manual assembly, THT assembly and final inspection processes.

Smart Klaus will make its UK debut at the Altus Group Factory of the Future event in September 2026 and will subsequently be available for demonstrations at the company's headquarters in Redditch.