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www.us-tech.com
September 2026
Emerald Technologies Advances
Lean Manufacturing with C2 Smart Carts E
By Rachel Marino, Operations Manager, Horizon Sales
merald Technologies’ Sa - line Division has expanded its lean manufacturing
strategy with two C2 smart carts from Horizon Sales. The autonomous mobile ro-
bots support material movement in wave solder and SMT produc- tion while improving through- put, labor utilization, and opera- tional flexibility. The Saline, Michigan, facili-
ty serves high-reliability cus- tomers in aerospace and defense, medical, industrial, and commu- nications markets. Its capabili- ties include SMT and through- hole assembly, wave soldering, testing, and system-level inte- gration. Emerald has supported
these operations through invest- ments in automation, including in-line automated optical inspec- tion, intelligent material storage, and equipment for repetitive pro- duction tasks. The smart carts address another common ineffi- ciency: the time employees spend moving pallets and components across the factory.
Targeting Non-Value-Added Movement
Even in an automated pro-
duction environment, internal transportation can consume sub-
returned pallets manually from the end of the line. Within SMT operations, material handlers moved component reels from au- tomated storage systems to indi- vidual production lines.
automation. Horizon Sales demonstrated the C2 smart cart directly on Emerald’s factory floor, mapping the facility and showing how the system could navigate the existing layout. “The live demo showed that
the cart was able to navigate our shop and do what we needed it to do,” says Paul Brown, engineer- ing manager at Emerald Tech- nologies’ Saline Division. “The cost was right, with an ROI of just a few months.” Emerald purchased two
carts in October 2024. Since in- stallation, the units have trav- eled more than 500 combined miles within the facility.
Flexible Autonomous Navigation
The C2 smart cart is an au-
Paul Brown, engineering manager at Emerald Technologies’ Saline division with a C2 smart cart.
stantial labor. In Emerald’s wave solder area, operators previously
THERMAL FATIGUE RESISTANCE
-
The engineering team sought
an alternative to fixed conveyors and other infrastructure-heavy
tonomous mobile robot designed for manufacturing environ- ments. Unlike conventional au- tomated guided vehicles that fol- low fixed paths or magnetic tape, it uses mapping and navigation technology to move dynamically Continued on next page
See at SMTA Guadalajara, Booth 357
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