Emerald Technologies Accelerates High-Complexity SMT Production with North America’s First Fuji AIMEXR High-Speed Chipshooters
By Chris Dayney, Technical Marketing Manager, Fuji America Corporation
In an electronics manufacturing landscape increasingly defined by high-mix complexity, large-format assemblies, and tightening delivery schedules, Emerald Technologies has distinguished itself as a partner capable of executing where others struggle. Known for its ability to manufacture technically demanding printed circuit board assemblies (PCBA) with precision and consistency, the company continues to invest strategically in advanced automation that aligns with both current customer needs and long-term growth objectives.
That strategy recently reached a new milestone with Emerald Technologies – Saline division’s installation of two Fuji AIMEXR high-speed chipshooters – the first of their kind in North America – integrated into an existing Fuji AIMEX III flexible placement platform. The result has been a dramatic improvement in speed, efficiency, and manufacturing flexibility across the company’s primary SMT line.
Emerald Technologies was founded with a focus of serving customers whose products demand more than standard EMS capabilities. Over time, the company has built deep expertise in manufacturing complex, high-density, and large-format PCBAs, supporting customers across advanced industrial, defense, medical, and other technology-driven markets.
The company differentiates itself from competition by taking on assemblies that require tight tolerances, advanced process control, and close collaboration between engineering and production teams. This approach has driven steady growth while reinforcing the company’s reputation as a problem-solving manufacturing partner.
“Our customers bring us products that often sit outside the comfort zone of typical SMT production,” said Paul Brown, Senior Process Engineer at Emerald Technologies, Saline division. “That means our manufacturing strategy and, therefore, our equipment must be built around flexibility, accuracy, and reliability.”
Emerald Technologies relationship with Fuji began in 2021, when the company was evaluating placement platforms capable of supporting its expanding product mix. A key requirement was the ability to handle exceptionally large PCBs, with some assemblies reaching dimensions up to 24x32″.
“At the time, there were very few suppliers in the market with proven technology that could reliably handle PCBA sizes of that scale,” Brown explained. “Fuji stood out immediately as a supplier with both the technical capability and a strong track record.”
Beyond board size, Emerald Technologies was evaluating long-term fit. The company sought equipment that could adapt to increasing complexity, evolving component packages, and future production demands.
“We were drawn not just to Fuji’s current capabilities, but to their technology roadmap and long-term vision,” Brown said. “It aligned very well with where we saw our business going and the types of products our customers would be asking us to build.”
That long-term alignment ultimately led to its latest investment: the addition of two Fuji AIMEXR high-speed chipshooters. These systems were installed alongside an existing AIMEX III flexible placement machine, creating a highly optimized SMT line designed to deliver both speed and precision.
The AIMEXR is Fuji’s next-generation high-speed chipshooter, engineered to maximize throughput while maintaining the flexibility required for modern electronics manufacturing. Features such as high-speed placement performance, continuous component replenishment through nonstop splicing, and highly reliable feeder technology enable manufacturers to reduce downtime and maintain consistent output. Importantly for Emerald Saline, the AIMEXR also delivers these features in a compact footprint, supporting more efficient use of factory floor space.
By replacing two legacy pick-and-place machines with the new AIMEXR systems, the company achieved immediate and measurable improvements.
“The combined impact of faster programs, the ability to continuously splice without stopping the line, and improved feeder reliability resulted in more than a 30 percent gain in overall line efficiency,” Brown said. “And we achieved that while using less floor space than our previous configuration.”
In addition to the efficiency gains, the new line configuration allowed the Saline division to reclaim approximately 10 feet of production floor space, which is an important benefit in a high-utilization manufacturing environment.
“The two AIMEXR systems now serve as the backbone of our high-speed, high-complexity SMT line,” Brown explained. “They replaced older machines that required twice as many trolleys, while still delivering a substantial increase in throughput.”
This performance has given Emerald greater confidence in assigning its most demanding assemblies to the line.
“We manufacture some extremely complex products,” Brown said. “The most challenging jobs are now intentionally run on this line because of the accuracy, consistency, and output quality we get from the AIMEXR and AIMEX III platform.”
One of the most telling indicators of success came from Emerald Technologies’ production schedule. With jobs completing faster than anticipated, the company quickly realized its existing planning assumptions needed to change.
“Early on, we had multiple instances where a job finished well ahead of schedule, and the next setup simply wasn’t ready,” Brown recalled. “That’s not a problem you mind having, but it does require adjustment.”
In response, Emerald modified its scheduling approach and now prepares two jobs ahead of time, ensuring that the line remains productive and that the full capacity of the AIMEXR systems is used.
“These capacity gains allow us to keep up with growing customer demand while postponing the need to invest in another SMT line,” Brown said. “That gives us more flexibility to support our customers without overextending capital too early.”
Beyond performance and capacity, Emerald Technologies emphasizes the reliability of Fuji equipment and the strength of the overall partnership.
“In four years of operating Fuji machines, we’ve experienced only one broken feeder and one broken nozzle,” Brown said. “That level of reliability has played a major role in our consistent uptime.”
Fuji’s commitment to innovation has also translated into real operational benefits. One notable example is the company’s automatic nozzle cleaner, which has helped the Saline division reduce manual intervention and improve consistency.
“Nozzle maintenance has always been a challenge in SMT,” Brown noted. “Fuji’s fully automated nozzle cleaning process has proven highly effective and delivers consistently reliable results.”
Equally important is the level of support Emerald receives.
“Even though Fuji equipment currently supports just one of our SMT lines, they treat us like a major customer,” Brown said. “We have direct access to their management and technical teams, and issues are resolved quickly and professionally. That level of partnership has been invaluable.”
With the addition of the AIMEXR high-speed chipshooters, Emerald Technologies has strengthened its position as a go-to manufacturing partner for complex, high-performance electronics. The investment reflects a broader strategy centered on scalable technology, operational excellence, and trusted supplier relationships.
“As our customers continue to push boundaries, we need equipment partners who do the same,” Brown concluded. “Fuji consistently delivers, and the AIMEXR systems have been a perfect fit for where we are and where we’re headed.”
For more information about Emerald Technologies, visit www.emeraldtechnologies.com. To find out more about Fuji America’s AIMEXR high-speed chipshooters, visit www.fujiamerica.com.