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Notion Systems is a German-based company and one of the leading suppliers of industrial inkjet systems for functional materials. Antonio Schmidt, senior vice president of sales and marketing, explains that by applying the solder resist fully-digitally, Notion gave Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) the opportunity to save time, investment, space, and labor in their new printed circuit board manufacturing facility.
Nolan Johnson: Antonio, let’s start with a quick introduction to Notion Systems.
Antonio Schmidt: Notion Systems is based in Schwetzingen, Germany, close to Heidelberg. We focus fully on developing and building industrial inkjet systems for functional material. Our parent company is the German-based Lab14 Group; we are part of about nine different companies which are active in the field of electronics and semiconductor fabrication equipment. Notion started 12 years ago, and just opened a subsidiary in the Boston area to support our customers in North America. We focus on high-end inkjet printing of functional materials, such as conductives, insulators, resists, and adhesives. We are in many different markets, from display to electronics to semiconductors. Our biggest market is applying solder mask digitally using UV ink instead of a solvent-based ink. With our technology, we are trying to minimize the carbon footprint in PCB production.
Johnson: With that area of specialty, it makes sense that you were selected for SEL’s new facility. Can you share details on the equipment you installed there?
Schmidt: We sold SEL several fully integrated and automated n.jet soldermask systems. They will run the whole backend solder mask process very economically and ecologically compared to other PCB factories. If you look at existing, older factories, there is a lot of manual work, carrying boards around and so on. Our n.jet soldermask system at SEL is fully automated and integrated using fab automation companies selected by SEL.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the September 2023 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
