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Panasonic Connect North America will showcase its latest advances in intelligent automation for electronics manufacturing at SMTA International 2026, taking place October 27–29 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. Attendees can visit Panasonic Connect in booth #2443 to see the NPM-GW modular placement machine in action and learn more about the company’s approach to building more connected, flexible and autonomous production environments.
Part of Panasonic Connect’s G Series, the NPM-GW is a modular placement machine built for high-capacity electronics manufacturing. Designed to help manufacturers adapt to increasingly complex production demands, the system pairs high-speed placement with greater PCB adaptability, component versatility and automation designed to reduce manual intervention, improve productivity and support more autonomous operations.
At SMTA International, Panasonic Connect will demonstrate the NPM-GW’s placement capabilities, with speeds of up to 104,000 components per hour. Its newly designed lightweight placement heads help deliver high-speed, precise component placement, while expanded PCB capabilities enable manufacturers to handle larger boards and a wider range of production requirements. The NPM-GW also incorporates automation features designed to streamline setup and material handling, helping reduce downtime and keep production moving.
“We’re seeing manufacturers think differently about where automation can have the greatest impact on the production floor,” said Scott Zerkle, Director of Process Automation at Panasonic Connect. “SMTA International brings together the global electronics manufacturing community, which makes it an important forum for understanding how those priorities are evolving across markets. The NPM-GW demonstrates how we’re helping manufacturers move beyond automation for automation’s sake by using intelligent technology to take on more of the work, improve flexibility and keep production running efficiently.”
