Overall 2013 was a year of transition and consolidation for Essemtec AG. Shareholders and senior management changed and fresh capital was injected for a sound balance sheet. The company, together with its distributors, is geared up to take advantage of the opportunities in 2014.
We expect stronger demand in the area of smart manufacturing solutions where the capability of equipment is enhanced by a broad range of software features to enable shop floor management, inventory control, traceability, 100% offline programming and zero change-over time. Furthermore, the demand for intelligent, customized automation solutions will continue to benefit innovative, engineering driven equipment vendors, such as Essemtec AG.
The introduction of our solder paste jet printer at "productronica 2013" was well received. It was developed to process all types of pastes and to have low maintenance cost. The print head can be fitted on our pick & place machines thus delivering unparalleled prototyping flexibility, zero stencils cost and much improved time to market.
Equally exciting are the developments in the field of 2.5D and 3D assembly technology. We see several medical and automotive products coming to fruition on our Hydra 3D pick & place machine and expect a further uptake of this technology as design rules and manufacturing technology mature.
We will use 2014 also to improve on our business processes, an upgrade to our ERP system and introduce new service hubs: all with the focus on customer satisfaction.
