How much placement flexibility can a production floor get from a compact SMT machine? Fuji’s CLT-FG offers one possible answer.
NMTronics India brought Fuji Corporation’s CLT-FG pick-and-place machine to its roadshow in Manesar on October 30, 2026. The unveiling brought attention to a placement platform designed to handle a broad component range without requiring the footprint of a larger production setup.
Short for Compact Lean Technology First Generation, the CLT-FG is aimed at manufacturers that need placement flexibility but may not require the scale of a high-volume production line.
The machine flexibly supports a wide range of components through its multi-head (MX head) configuration, which uses 16 nozzles to place components measuring up to 4.3 x 4.3 mm. For larger components measuring up to 102 x 102 mm, it can operate in a single-head configuration. It can accommodate up to 90 feeder positions, split between the front and rear, with fixed-feeder, feeder-tower, and tray configurations.
Kikuo Kondo, Project Leader for the India region at Fuji Corporation, also presented a comparison with the AIMEXIIIc single-machine configuration. According to Fuji’s simulation, the CLT-FG showed a 10 per cent improvement in cycle time and a 21 per cent reduction in floor space. These figures were part of the company’s presentation, rather than independently measured production results.
Yogesh Suryavanshi, Executive Director and COO of NMTronics India, explained the production challenge the machine is intended to address. A conventional setup may require separate machines for chip placement and fine-pitch components. “There is not a single machine which can do the production for the complete board,” he said, describing the CLT-FG as an attempt to bring those requirements together.
Soni Saran Singh, Founder, Managing Director and CEO of NMTronics India, said the CLT-FG is intended for startups and mid-tier manufacturers looking for a cost-effective solution for mid-size, mid-volume production. Commercial availability is expected from early 2027.
