What challenges are electronics manufacturers in Europe facing today?
Rieger: European electronics manufacturing is under considerable pressure, particularly due to the dominance of Asian markets and the current geopolitical situation. On the one hand, requirements for quality, precision, and traceability continue to rise. On the other hand, companies must remain cost-effective despite high energy and labor costs. In addition, product life cycles are becoming shorter, while product variants are increasing.
Gillmann: This is where our roots come into play. Since the company was founded in 1969, systems for electronics manufacturing have been our core business. We know these challenges from firsthand experience and consistently develop practical solutions based on real-world requirements. Modern manufacturing technology must be flexible above all else. It needs to handle different products with minimal setup effort, automate processes, and ensure a high level of process reliability. That is exactly what our high-speed milling machines and dispensing systems are designed to achieve.
What are the traditional and emerging dispensing applications in this industry?
Rieger: Traditional dispensing applications include potting electronic components, applying adhesives, and dispensing sealing materials to protect against moisture and dust. However, many new applications have emerged in recent years. One important area is the processing of thermally conductive materials for thermal management. At the same time, electrically conductive and EMI shielding materials are becoming increasingly important. These materials provide reliable electromagnetic shielding for electronic enclosures and help meet growing electromagnetic compatibility requirements.
Speaking of thermal management, where and why are liquid-cooled solutions needed?
Rieger: Anywhere high electrical power must be processed in confined spaces, such as data centers, power electronics, and electric mobility applications. The rapid expansion of AI-driven applications, for example, is creating a growing demand for more powerful cooling solutions in data centers. As a result, liquid-cooled systems are becoming increasingly important.
A major advantage of modern CNC-machined cooling plates is their ability to deliver exceptional cooling performance while remaining relatively economical to manufacture. In addition, components can often be repaired when necessary, extending their service life. Since they are typically made from homogeneous materials and can be produced without complex composite structures, they are also significantly easier to recycle. This makes them attractive not only from an economic perspective but also in terms of sustainability.
“Milling and Dispensing from a Single Source” is an unusual combination. What advantages does it offer?
Rieger: It is unique, which is why it is rarely seen. Our combination of CNC machining and dispensing technology opens up entirely new opportunities for manufacturing companies, both strategically and in day-to-day production. We bring together all expertise related to milling and dispensing in one place, allowing us to provide fast responses, customized solutions, and long-term partnerships. These solutions are developed together with customers in our in-house technology centers.
What does this look like in practice?
Rieger: During the manufacturing process, workpieces can be transferred directly from milling to dispensing thanks to clean machining with ethanol-based cooling and lubrication. In addition, the control systems used in our milling and dispensing machines are closely related versions of our proprietary DATRON next software platform, ensuring seamless operation of these highly sophisticated processes.
A good example is cooling plates used in power electronics, data centers, and automated test equipment (ATE). First, the cooling channels are milled with high precision. Then sealing materials can be applied directly by the dispensing machine. When one of our automation solutions connects the milling and dispensing systems, customers benefit from technological precision, shorter throughput times, and a highly dynamic production chain with perfectly coordinated processes.
At what production volumes does this approach become economically viable?
Rieger: This integrated approach is already economically attractive for small and medium batch sizes.
Does DATRON’s CNC expertise also influence the performance of its dispensing systems?
Gillmann: Absolutely. Our many years of experience in high-dynamic CNC machine design directly influence the development of our dispensing systems, which have been part of our product portfolio for more than 25 years. This applies to highly precise motion control, toolpath planning, and axis dynamics. As a result, we can achieve dispensing processes with both exceptional repeatability and high speed.
Rieger: Another advantage is the flexibility of our solutions. The modularity and compatibility of our machine platforms reduce non-productive time from the outset and enable straightforward operation, even for complex manufacturing processes.
Does this create new business opportunities for CNC job shops?
Gillmann: We are seeing strong interest. Many CNC service providers already possess extensive expertise in precision machining and are looking for ways to expand their value creation. By integrating our dispensing technology, they can offer complete manufacturing processes instead of delivering only machined parts. This creates new business models and additional revenue potential.
Key markets include electronics, medical technology, electric mobility, and thermal management applications. Customers particularly appreciate that they can leverage their existing CNC know-how without adopting an entirely new manufacturing philosophy.
The company recently consolidated four locations into a new headquarters...
Gillmann: ...that is correct. This finally enabled us to bring different operational units together in one location. Our goal was to connect development, production, application engineering, and administration more closely. Since last autumn, all our core competencies have been housed under one roof.
What advantages does this bring?
Gillmann: Physical proximity accelerates coordination through short communication paths, simplifies collaboration, and enables faster innovation cycles. At the same time, we provide modern working conditions for our employees and create sufficient capacity for future growth.
Most importantly, our customers benefit. They can access development, manufacturing, application engineering, and the technology center at a single location. This allows them not only to experience our integrated technologies firsthand but also to collaborate with us more efficiently on their own projects.
What milestones are next on the agenda?
Gillmann: Our current focus is on further expanding the integration of CNC machining and dispensing technology while developing new application areas. Solutions for thermal management, electronics manufacturing, and automated production processes are particularly important in this regard.
At the same time, we continue to invest in the development of our DATRON next control software, automation technologies, and digital process integration to provide our customers with even more efficient and flexible production solutions.
Beyond that, we aim to strengthen our international presence and work together with customers to develop new applications where the combination of milling and dispensing creates real added value. Our goal is not simply to deliver machines, but to provide complete manufacturing solutions that address the requirements of tomorrow’s industry.
Thank you for the interview.
This interview was originally published in German in the magazine „DICHT!“, issue 3.2026. Here you can find the original interview: https://www.isgatec.com/pdf/?file=/media/hs0lf3sl/dicht-_03_2026_interaktiv.pdf#page=18
