ProfiAnts achieve 50% changeover reduction and 20% lead time improvement with Europlacer

ProfiAnts Technologies Ltd, based in Plovdiv, Bulgaria has significantly enhanced its production capabilities and agility through its partnership with Europlacer. The family-run business was founded in 2008, and are specialists in Surface Mount Devices (SMD) assembly of printed circuit boards. They initially focused on R&D and PCB design services, before expanding into SMD prototyping and batch production for clients across Western Europe as well as the growing domestic market.

As they began receiving more intricate assembly jobs—including those with large Bill of Materials (BOMs), fine-pitch components, BGA packages, and specialized connectors—their previous equipment struggled to meet the required levels of precision, flexibility, and speed. Said Zhenya Chausheva, CEO of ProfiAnts; “We needed a modern, reliable, and highly configurable platform that could handle frequent job changes, custom feeding solutions, and ensure process quality with minimal manual intervention. Our main goal was to increase throughput without compromising our agility in prototyping.”

ProfiAnts conducted extensive market research, considering several brands, but Europlacer emerged as the ideal technology partner to address these challenges. The key reasons were its modular design, feeder capacity, and the flexibility of its software. Zhenya noted; “The concept of feeder carts, a large number of slots, along with support for custom tray solutions was unmatched by any other vendor. Additionally, intelligent features like component verification, built-in testing and Europlacer’s 3D Positioning System (3DPS) gave them a clear edge.”

50% faster changeover and 20% shorter lead times

The company selected the Europlacer iineo I pick and place SMT machine and EP710 screen printer. Within the first few weeks of installation and training, they were confidently running their production and saw several benefits. The offline programming station saved a significant amount of time. Staff also noted a drastic reduction in setup times, with changeover times halved. As a result, production lead times overall have been significantly shortened by approximately 20%, subsequently improving ProfiAnts’ ability to respond rapidly and providing a knock-on benefit to their customers.

The importance of partnership

Vendor relationship is important to ProfiAnts, and they have been extremely pleased with the global team supporting the product. Zhenya added; “From the initial demo to negotiation, delivery, installation, and training — everything was smooth, professional, and on time. Technical support is excellent — we have direct contact with engineers, and assistance is always just a phone call or email away. If needed, they can even assist on-site. The training process was quick and easy, thanks to the intuitive software.”

ProfiAnts selection of Europlacer had clearly met and exceeded the company’s initial objectives, but it also delivered further benefits. The software allowed their operators to adapt quickly, and the built-in quality checks, such as the electrical testing of passive components, have significantly boosted their confidence in the final product.

Showcasing their investment

The significant improvement in setup and changeover efficiency has led to much shorter production lead times—a benefit highly valued by their customers. Zhenya said; “We’ve been proud to showcase our Europlacer system when presenting to our own customers and highly recommend it to any company looking for a high-performance SMT solution. Its versatility, intelligent design and intuitive operation are ideal for both prototyping and production, combined with excellent service and support.”

Chavdar Gichev, General Manager of Abracotest EOOD, Europlacer’s partner for the Bulgarian market involved in supplying the machine, added; “In Bulgaria’s highly competitive SMD market, flexibility is key, and that’s why Europlacer has been such a perfect fit. Its user-friendly design, rapid changeovers in minutes, and robust build make it ideal for prototyping, small batches, and high-mix production, without sacrificing productivity.  Europlacer offers excellent communication, training, and support, which our customer values highly. ProfiAnts are very ambitious for the future, and see their Europlacer machine as a major step forward in their growth and capabilities.”

Confidence to grow

ProfiAnts is now well-placed to handle more complex jobs, maintaining high product quality while shortening lead times and improving their internal workflow and material planning. Zhenya is planning to expand staff to meet increased business growth, finalizing; “The new Europlacer machine gives us the confidence to grow our team, invest in better warehouse management, and offer our clients faster, more reliable services.”

Key benefits to ProfiAnts of the Europlacer pick and place machine

• Changeover times reduced by around 50%.
• Production lead times reduced by an average of 20%.
• Built-in quality checks increased product confidence.
• Confidently handles complex assembly jobs.
• High feeder count for complex BOMs.
• Advanced 3D Positioning System (3DPS) and auto component testing.
• Gave the company confidence to invest in new staff and technologies elsewhere in the business.