Intelligent material flow for SMT
Intelligent reel storage for faster, sensor-confirmed SMT production.
Cut picking time from 30–45 seconds to 3 seconds once the LED indicates the position. Reel locations stay registered and visible.
Nordec WMS included · Other system connections assessed per project
The hidden cost
Manual reel handling is silently costing you.
Most SMT lines lose hours every shift to a problem nobody measures — until they do.
30–45 seconds per reel
Multiply that by every changeover, every shift, every line. That's the hidden cost of manual picking.
Errors you only catch after assembly
Wrong reel = scrap, rework, line stop. The mistake is cheap. The consequence isn't.
No real-time inventory
Spreadsheets and periodic scans don't scale. You can't optimise what you can't see.
Interactive
See what manual handling actually costs your line.
Move the sliders to match your line — daily picks, seconds per manual pick, working days and operator cost — and see the hours and estimated annual value of time saved.
Calculate your line's hidden time loss
Software & workflow
Nordec WMS runs the Smart Shelves out of the box.
Other ERP and MES connections are assessed per project; we configure and commission the setup for your site. See how this works in practice in the Plejd material-flow case study.
Receive
Scan the shelf or cart and the reel, place it in the position shown, and finish the transaction. The reel is now registered to a location.
Request
Select the pick list and the storage unit it should be picked from.
Pick
LEDs indicate the required reel positions. The light switches off once the reel has been removed.
Complete
The transaction is closed and the picked reels leave the registered locations.
See it in action
A short demonstration of storing and picking SMT reels on NORDEC Smart Shelves: the LED shows the position, the operator places or removes the reel, and the light switches off once the action is confirmed.
More videos on Nordec's YouTube channelThe Nordec answer
Built for the realities of the SMT line.
Every feature ties back to one thing: time, errors and money you stop losing.
Picks in 3 seconds, not 30
Light-guided slots tell the operator exactly which reel to grab — no searching, no second-guessing, no changeover bottleneck.
Sensor-confirmed every pick
Each pick is verified at the slot, so wrong-reel mistakes are caught before they reach the machine — not after assembly.
Built around your workflow
Nordec WMS runs the shelves out of the box. Other ERP and MES connections are assessed and configured per project.
FIFO and full traceability built in
Every reel is tracked by location, age and movement — so you rotate stock correctly and have an audit trail when you need it.
How it works
Four steps, every changeover.
From job order to verified pick — Nordec replaces searching with a guided sequence.
Start Picking List
The operator starts the picking list. The shelf knows which reels are next.
Light guide
LEDs light up the exact slots in correct FIFO sequence.
Sensor confirm
Each pick is verified at the slot — wrong reels stopped instantly.
Data sync
Reel movements and locations are recorded in Nordec WMS. Connections to other ERP or MES systems are assessed and configured per project.
Built for
High-mix SMT and electronics manufacturing.
Real lines, real numbers
From shelf to placement — guided by light.
Nordec in numbers
Measured impact, not marketing claims.
Our products
Smart Shelves for every reel size.
"The eShelves have truly revolutionized our material flow — faster and more efficient picking, quality assurance with pick-by-light guidance, and better volume optimization."— Johan Ek, Warehouse Coordinator, Norautron AB
Frequently asked
Pick-to-light, explained.
Straight answers about pick-by-light, Smart Shelves and SMT reel storage.
What is pick-to-light in SMT production?
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Pick-to-light (also called pick-by-light) is a guided picking system where an LED indicator at each storage slot tells the operator exactly which reel to grab. A sensor confirms the correct pick, eliminating wrong-component errors and cutting picking time from 30–45 seconds to 3 seconds per reel.
How much faster is pick-by-light vs manual reel picking?
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Manual searching averages 30–45 seconds per reel. Nordec pick-to-light Smart Shelves reduce that to 3 seconds — roughly a 90% reduction. Across a single SMT line that translates to 1.5–2 hours of reclaimed line time per shift.
Can Nordec integrate with my MES or ERP system?
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Nordec WMS is included and runs the Smart Shelves out of the box. Connections to other ERP, MES or material management systems are assessed per project, and we configure and commission the setup for your site.
What reel sizes do NORDEC Smart Shelves support?
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Our range covers the full SMT spectrum: 7" double-sided shelves for small reels (8–44 mm tape), 13"/15" single- and double-sided shelves for large reels (8–72 mm tape), and mobile configurable units that mix all three. MSD cabinets and storage for trays and sticks can be quoted on request.
What is the typical ROI for a smart reel storage system?
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It depends on your volumes and labour cost, so we model it with you rather than quote a fixed payback. Example: 1,000 picks per day at 30 seconds each over 230 working days is around 1,917 operator hours per year. At 3 seconds per indicated pick with NORDEC Smart Shelves the same workload takes around 192 hours — about 1,725 hours saved. At €45 per hour, the annual value of that saved time is roughly €77,625.
Where is Nordec based and where do you ship?
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Nordec (NDC Technologies AB) is a Swedish family-run company based in Sweden. We support customers across the Nordics, EU and UK.
From the floor
Latest insights
Let's make your production smarter.
Send us your line layout and reel mix, and we’ll provide a capacity overview, dimensions, and support in creating an ROI estimation.
Typical response within 24 hours · Reviewed personally by Peter or Adam