Intelligent material flow for SMT
Intelligent reel storage for faster, error-free SMT production.
Cut picking time from 30–45 seconds to 3–4 seconds. Fully traceable, integrated, ready for your line.
Typical response within 24 hours · No infrastructure changes required
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.
What this means for your factory
Numbers your CFO will recognise.
Pick-to-light isn't a gadget. It's hours back per shift, scrap that never happens, and floor space you stop renting twice.
"This is not just operational improvement — this is visible financial impact."
The 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.
Slots into your MES / ERP
No rip-and-replace. Speaks to the material management and traceability systems you already run.
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.
Scan job
Operator scans the work order. The rack 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
Movement, position and timestamp flow live to your MES / ERP.
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 racks for every reel size.
"We stopped losing time on reel searching within the first week. The line just runs."— SMT line lead, Nordic EMS partner
Frequently asked
Pick-to-light, explained.
Straight answers about pick-by-light, smart racks 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 3–4 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 racks reduce that to 3–4 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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Yes. Nordec smart racks software can on project basis integrate directly with common MES, ERP and material management systems. Real-time reel position, FIFO sequence and pick events flow straight into your existing stack.
What reel sizes do Nordec smart racks support?
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Our range covers the full SMT spectrum: 7" double-sided racks for small reels (8–44 mm tape), 13"/15" single- and double-sided racks for large reels (8–72 mm tape), and mobile configurable units that mix all three. (upon request MSD cabinets can be offered for trace and sticks)
What is the typical ROI for a smart reel storage system?
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Most Nordec deployments pay back from 12 months. Savings come from reclaimed operator time, eliminated picking errors, reduced scrap and faster changeovers. Example: Storing and picking 500 reels per day using manual shelves or vertical lift systems, with an average picking time of 30 seconds per reel, results in more than 8 hours of operator time every day. With Nordec smart racks, the same workload can be completed in around 1 hour — saving over 7 hours per day.
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