» Tom Berx, Ersa Area Sales Manager
Drawing on years of expertise, the team delivers sophisticated solutions ranging from prototyping to mass production. To support future growth in quality, AT&M recently expanded its machinery fleet with an Ersa VERSAFLOW 4/55 selective soldering machine.
At its Perth location in Western Australia, Advanced Technology & Manufacturing produces complex assemblies for customers across diverse industries such as mining, medical technology, defense, environmental technology, and communications technology. Founded in 1985, the company now employs around 40 people and operates three production sites with a total of five production lines. Jason Dean, Production Manager who has been with the company since 1997, has witnessed this development over many years. He said: “When I began at AT&M, the company was still in its earlier growth phase with a modest machine park; Ersa wasn´t in the picture back then.”
Clear requirements for a selective soldering system
Today, production consists of five SMT lines supported by two wave soldering machines and the newly installed Ersa VERSAFLOW 4/55 selective soldering system for PTH assembly. The mix of different serial orders, smaller batch sizes, and frequently changing products places high demands on process efficiency and equipment flexibility, which AT&M can now meet even better with the new selective soldering system.
There was a reason for the latest purchase: On numerous projects involving larger boards, AT&M´s production was increasingly reaching its limits; customers and applications demanded greater process reliability, reproducible results, and complete traceability. “We were looking for a selective soldering system that delivers traceability and reproducibility with good quality,” said Dean, describing the situation. Equally important was the ability to reliably process even heavy PCBs with – a key consideration for numerous industrial applications in the Australian market. After ten years of positive experience with Ersa soldering systems in the wave and reflow sectors, the inquiry for the planned selective soldering machine also went to Ersa.
Decision following practical testing at the Ersa Demo Center
To realistically test the requirements, Dean made the long journey from Perth to Wertheim. At the Ersa Demo Center, AT&M assemblies were tested under production-like conditions – including heavy boards with complex geometries. Although only a base system with a single soldering module was available there, the performance of the selective soldering platform was impressive. It quickly became clear to AT&M that the modular architecture of the VERSAFLOW 4 series provided the right foundation for their specific requirements – the Australians opted for the version with two soldering modules and four solder pots. “From today´s perspective, the trip was definitely worth it – both in terms of the systems we acquired and the opportunity to meet many Ersa colleagues in Germany in person,” said Dean.
Customized configuration for higher throughput
The VERSAFLOW 4/55 was installed in the fall of 2025 – in addition to the two soldering modules, the selective soldering machine also features a VERSAFLUX module. It is precisely this configuration that brings significant advantages for AT&M in its day-to-day operations: Two independently operating axis systems enable flexible processing strategies and shorter cycle times. This allows for the efficient handling of different products without limiting productivity. In practice, this is crucial: at AT&M, product changes sometimes occur up to three times a day, while in other cases a single assembly runs for an entire week. Production must therefore be able to handle both quick changeovers and longer runs economically.
Smooth commissioning in Western Australia
Ersa Machine and Process Specialist Stefan Brauner from Germany was on site in Perth for a week to handle the installation. After delivery, the commissioning went remarkably smoothly, leaving time for a few training sessions. “There were actually no bugs during setup; we were able to start production immediately,” reported Dean. This is a crucial factor, especially for companies in geographically remote regions, as production interruptions or lengthy service calls are much harder to compensate for than in densely networked industrial regions.
Reliability as a key decision-making factor
Operating from Western Australia has reinforced AT&M’s focus on investing in highly reliable, high-performance equipment. “With much of the industry support network based on the east coast, it’s important for us to partner with suppliers whose systems are robust, dependable, and built for long-term performance.” The Ersa soldering systems used at AT&M have proven themselves time and again – the Australians use Ersa’s POWERFLOW, HOTFLOW, and ETS-330 systems, among others. Dean recalled previous brands used in the past: “There were various issues, such as with profile creation and zone handling. After seeing Ersa machines in operation, the difference was immediately apparent – that was a game changer for us. This was made possible by the Australian distributor Machinery Forum in Melbourne, with whom we have also enjoyed a trusting partnership for many years – at this point, I would especially like to mention Sales Manager Tony Stathopoulos and Service Engineer Gilbert Monton.”
Immediately measurable benefits during operation
In no time at all, the new VERSAFLOW 4/55 has firmly established itself in AT&M’s daily production routine. The verdict from Perth is clear: “The recently installed VERSAFLOW 4/55 is performing very well – we are absolutely thrilled with the Ersa selective soldering machine, which delivers consistently reliable, reproducible quality.” For AT&M, the investment means greater capacity, higher process stability, and a future-proof foundation for further growth. An additional line is already in the planning stages – as with the selective soldering platform, this is the next logical step for AT&M in expanding its long-term manufacturing strategy, for which the Western Australian company continues to rely on its proven partnership with Machinery Forum in Melbourne and Ersa´s headquarters in Wertheim.
