Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1507822
60 PCB007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2023 Notion Systems is a German-based com- pany and one of the leading suppliers of indus- trial 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 Sch- weitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) the opportunity to save time, investment, space, and labor in their new printed circuit board manufacturing facility. Antonio, let's start with a quick introduction to Notion Systems. 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 subsid- iary in the Boston area to support our custom- ers 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. 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? We sold SEL several fully integrated and auto- mated n.jet solder mask systems. ey 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 solder mask system at SEL is fully automated and integrated using fab automation compa- nies selected by SEL. We print the solder mask and the legend inside one machine. I think our customers choose us because we have the biggest installed base in the world. We have, by far, the fastest machine. We can put up to nine printheads for solder mask printing and several printheads for legend printing; nobody else has this con- figuration. Our competitors have two or four heads, so they aren't as fast. Notion Systems: The Arrival of the 'Jet Age' SEL SPECIAL SECTION Antonio Schmidt