-
-
News
News Highlights
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Hole Truth: Via Integrity in an HDI World
From the drilled hole to registration across multiple sequential lamination cycles, to the quality of your copper plating, via reliability in an HDI world is becoming an ever-greater challenge. This month we look at “The Hole Truth,” from creating the “perfect” via to how you can assure via quality and reliability, the first time, every time.
In Pursuit of Perfection: Defect Reduction
For bare PCB board fabrication, defect reduction is a critical aspect of a company's bottom line profitability. In this issue, we examine how imaging, etching, and plating processes can provide information and insight into reducing defects and increasing yields.
Voices of the Industry
We take the pulse of the PCB industry by sharing insights from leading fabricators and suppliers in this month's issue. We've gathered their thoughts on the new U.S. administration, spending, the war in Ukraine, and their most pressing needs. It’s an eye-opening and enlightening look behind the curtain.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
Manufacturing Differently With Digital Technology
June 11, 2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 2 minutes

As circuit board manufacturing companies and their equipment suppliers go, you don’t see too many new ones, but groundbreaking technology is a different story. Founded in 2012 and based in Schwetzingen, Germany, Notion Systems is an industry leader in additive manufacturing technology of functional materials and inkjet printing equipment. Their tagline, “The future of additive manufacturing,” was demonstrated when I spoke with Antonio Schmidt, senior vice president of sales and marketing, and David Hahn, vice president of process R&D.
Case in point, I had never heard the term electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing, which is a more advanced additive inkjet technology that can be used in microfabrication for sub-micron resolution. We talked about how Notion is working to mainstream additive technology in the PCB and PCBA industries step by step, replacing current technology while they develop additive technologies.
Marcy LaRont: Notion would be considered a “new” company in this industry, having been founded in 2012.
Antonio Schmidt: Yes, but the core Notion team has made inkjet systems for decades when we were part of a company that designed and built equipment for the solar industry. For the past two years, we have been part of the German-based Lab 14 group.
LaRont: What is Notion’s DNA—your special sauce, if you will?
Schmidt: We design and build all systems on our own, and we wrote the software core for all inkjet systems. We have a huge application know-how, and all our machines have very high stability and repeatability. We are active in many industries, PCB fabrication being one of them. Our main markets are the display industry, where we print color filters of OLED displays; the electronics industry, where we print sensors; and the semiconductor market, where we are active in several new applications. The semiconductor market, especially, is picking up fast. In PCB manufacturing, we currently have 20 installed machines and we estimate our market share at approximately 50% worldwide. Inkjet technology offers tremendous benefits to replace traditional process technologies in all these industries and makes manufacturing more ecological and economical.
LaRont: When we talk generally about inkjet technology, and inkjet solder mask specifically, you are removing several processes. That is key to greater adoption of this process in places like the U.S.
David Hahn: The number and type of processes that are eliminated with inkjet depends on how you manufacture the PCBs. Typically, you can remove several process steps, such as spray coating (which is a very dirty process), drying/curing, direct imaging, and the development process. You have no waste as you only print the solder mask where it is required. In addition, you are using a UV-based ink, which is cured right after printing. It is not required to use a solvent-based ink, which is hazardous to health and smells bad. You also get rid of maintenance tasks because you do not have so many different machines that need to be maintained. This all translates directly to money saved.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the May 2024 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
2025 ASEAN IT Spending Growth Slows to 5.9% as AI-Powered IT Expansion Encounters Post-Boom Normalization
06/26/2025 | IDCAccording to the IDC Worldwide Black Book: Live Edition, IT spending across ASEAN is projected to grow by 5.9% in 2025 — down from a robust 15.0% in 2024.
DownStream Acquisition Fits Siemens’ ‘Left-Shift’ Model
06/26/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007I recently spoke to DownStream Technologies founder Joe Clark about the company’s acquisition by Siemens. We were later joined by A.J. Incorvaia, Siemens’ senior VP of electronic board systems. Joe discussed how he, Rick Almeida, and Ken Tepper launched the company in the months after 9/11 and how the acquisition came about. A.J. provides some background on the acquisition and explains why the companies’ tools are complementary.
United Electronics Corporation Advances Manufacturing Capabilities with Schmoll MDI-ST Imaging Equipment
06/24/2025 | United Electronics CorporationUnited Electronics Corporation has successfully installed the advanced Schmoll MDI-ST (XL) imaging equipment at their advanced printed circuit board facility. This significant technology investment represents a continued commitment to delivering superior products and maintaining their position as an industry leader in precision PCB manufacturing.
Insulectro & Dupont Host Technology Symposium at Silicon Valley Technology Center June 25
06/22/2025 | InsulectroInsulectro, the largest distributor of materials for use in the manufacture of PCBs and printed electronics, and DuPont, a major manufacturer of flex laminates and chemistry, invite fabricators, OEMS, designers, and engineers to attend an Innovation Symposium – Unlock the Power - this Wednesday, June 25, at DuPont’s Silicon Valley Technology Center in Sunnyvale, CA.
OKI, NTT Innovative Devices Establish Mass Production Technology for High-Power Terahertz Devices by Heterogeneous Material Bonding
06/21/2025 | BUSINESS WIREOKI, in collaboration with NTT Innovative Devices Corporation, has established mass production technology for high-power terahertz devices using crystal film bonding (CFB) technology for heterogeneous material bonding to bond indium phosphide (InP)-based uni-traveling carrier photodiodes (UTC-PD) onto silicon carbide (SiC) with excellent heat dissipation characteristics for improved bonding yields.