Nidec Elesys Europe, a European automotive technology company based in Novi Sad, Serbia, develops and manufactures electronic control devices for electric and hybrid vehicles, including inverters, ECUs, and other automotive electronic systems. As a key European manufacturing site within the global Nidec Group, the company operates a modern high‑volume production facility and plays an important role in supporting the growing demand for electric vehicle components in Europe.

For this project, the NOFFZ Serbia team designed and implemented a fully automated end‑of‑line and board‑level test station for a new high‑volume electronic control module. The goal was to test very large quantities per week while ensuring an uninterrupted material flow and minimizing manual operator involvement. Previously required manual tray handling slowed throughput, increased the risk of errors, and tied up operator resources.

To achieve the required level of automation, NOFFZ developed a new machine module: the ATSU (Autonomous Tray Stacker Unit). The ATSU autonomously stacks, positions, and prepares trays for robotic handling, ensuring a continuous and stable material supply to the test station. Combined with a robotic pick‑and‑place system, this creates a fully automated front‑end feeding solution that eliminates nearly all manual handling steps.

An ambitious cycle time was another key requirement. Through a tightly synchronized system architecture-combining rapid tray positioning in the ATSU, robotic device transfer, and parallel testing on a rotary table-handling and testing processes run simultaneously rather than sequentially. This prevents bottlenecks and ensures a smooth, predictable device flow. As a result, the system achieved a cycle time of under six seconds per DUT, exceeding the customer’s original performance targets.

For maximum flexibility, NOFFZ integrated a safe manual operating mode that allows continued production during service operations, material shortages, or automated system downtime. Operators can manually load and unload DUTs at the rotary table, with a protective light curtain ensuring full compliance with industrial safety regulations and minimizing potential production interruptions.

Full traceability and seamless SAP integration were also critical requirements. As the first station in the production line with automatic device tracking, the system provides real‑time data exchange via a robust SOAP‑based interface. This enables complete transparency throughout the process and allows the customer to identify at any time which device is located in which box, supporting quality assurance and efficient logistics.

The result is a highly automated test solution that exceeds customer expectations. The system can test the planned device volume within one hour while requiring on average only about two minutes of operator interaction per hour. With exceptional cycle time performance, reliable traceability, flexible operating modes, and fully autonomous material handling, the solution sets a new benchmark in automotive end‑of‑line test automation.

This project demonstrates how the synergy between technological innovation, process expertise, and close collaboration between NOFFZ and Nidec Elesys Europe results in a stable, scalable, and future‑ready test solution – perfectly suited to the demanding production environment of modern automotive electronics.