Smart Automation, Smart Processes

Founded in 2006 in Burgkirchen, Bavaria, cts GmbH offers a comprehensive range of services covering process automation, manufacturing automation, and advanced solutions in industrial data processing and energy technology.

cts – more.than.automation – For the medium-sized machine builder and automation specialist, cts is more than just a slogan! With over 350 employees, the company is headquartered in Burgkirchen, southern Germany, and has five locations in Austria (Schörfling, Linz, Vienna, Heiligenkreuz, Graz).

The high-tech company offers not only standardized solutions but also customized special machines for a wide range of industries and applications. The company has focused on the electronics, semiconductor, and radiopharmaceutical sectors.

Automation for Sustainable Semiconductors

Businesses and corporations are increasingly facing geopolitical and demographic challenges, with climate policy also playing a significant role. Automation and production optimization provide potential solutions here.

The semiconductor shortage has dominated the media in recent months. cts addresses this issue with its residual melt disposal system, located at the beginning of the manufacturing chain. This automation-supported system is positioned at the start of the wafer production process, where it disposes of the waste materials generated during silicon melting. The wafer slices, separated from the silicon block, go through several manufacturing steps before being packaged and delivered to the fabs for assembly.

cts supports the production process with a robot-based machine for loading raw wafers into a polishing unit—highly precise and fully automated.

Auto Bagging Machine Increases Quantity and Quality of Packaging

For the packaging of the boxes (FOSBs) in which the wafers are stacked, cts has developed an innovative system. Before packaging, the FOSBs must be inspected and labeled. In the first stage of packaging, the FOSB is placed in a bag, which is then vacuum-sealed, filled with test gas, and air-tight welded. Absolute tightness is a high-quality criterion and is monitored in a specially designed vacuum chamber. Only after this process is the FOSB repackaged into another outer bag, followed by a final inspection. This process was previously performed manually. cts has developed a fully automated solution for this—the Auto Bagging Machine. All process steps are fully automated and carried out through specially designed packaging units, test chambers, and camera inspection technology. The feed to each work step is provided by two integrated, highly precise 6-axis industrial robots. With this solution, cts not only increases the quantity but also takes the quality of the packaging to a new level!

Smart Logistics: Fully Automated Storage Systems

In electronics manufacturing, products from the semiconductor industry are assembled into finished components. The front-end assembly systems, which have been highly automated for some time, must constantly be supplied with materials. Currently, intermediate storage of component reels, consumables, and PCB magazines often takes place in manual storage cabinets, carousel systems, or, as is often the case with magazines, directly on the production floor.

cts addresses this challenge under the term Smart Logistics. For both component reels and PCB magazines, cts offers fully automated storage systems that are space-saving and can be placed near or even within the production area.

These systems act as central supply and asynchronization buffers between individual process and manufacturing steps.

Autonomous Robots Enable "Just in Time" Supply

cts covers the connection between the storage systems and individual production lines through the use of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). These robots navigate freely through the production area without assistance, ensuring a seamless "just in time" supply of machines and equipment—both in the electronics and semiconductor industries. The control of these often complex interconnections, with all the necessary communications between machines, equipment, and robots, is managed through the specially developed middleware sloXis®-Orchestration.Integration. Automation.

Production Line for Custom-Dosed Radioactive Medications

In modern tumor research, radioactive substances are increasingly being experimented with, which are used for the treatment of various types of cancer. The production of radioactive medications requires very complex manufacturing processes. The production line designed by cts is capable of filling and safely packaging customized doses for patients. The system was not only designed with automation in mind, but also developed, engineered, built, validated, and installed by cts from a process engineering perspective.

Motivated Employees – The Heart of the Company

"We use our flexibility and short decision-making paths as a medium-sized company to respond to the rapidly changing demands of the market. In doing so, we can rely on our fantastic, motivated employees—who are the heart of our company!" says Johann Gehringer, CEO of cts GmbH. "In our teams, the young innovators and seasoned experts complement each other perfectly, with everyone contributing their ideas and experiences. This drives our innovations forward. As a result, we ensure growth and are always looking for additional talent!" adds Robert Schüller, CEO.

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