What DDM Novastar does

DDM Novastar designs, manufactures, and services surface-mount technology (SMT) and through-hole printed circuit board (PCB) assembly equipment for low-to-medium volume production, with a 30,000+ system installed base accumulated over 40+ years. The product portfolio spans stencil printers (SPR series), pick-and-place machines (LS, LE, L-NP, MPP series), reflow ovens (GF series built around the patented Horizontal Convection Technology, US Patent # 6,936,793), wave and selective solder systems (Spartan, EWS, NovaSelect), solder fountains, component counters, lead formers, and the NovaScope semi-automatic optical inspection system. Vision-based centering is delivered through integrated Cognex Vision modules and SMTrue off-line programming software. All products are designed, fabricated, assembled, and supported in-house at the Ivyland, Pennsylvania facility, which the company identifies as the only US-based vertically integrated PCB assembly equipment manufacturer in its segment.

The company serves five primary verticals: contract manufacturers, OEMs bringing assembly in-house, aerospace/defense/military buyers (with named customers including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Honeywell, GE Aviation, NASA, BAE Systems, and Collins Aerospace), universities and technical schools (MIT, Johns Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of California), and R&D and product development teams (Intel, Google AI, 3M). Go-to-market combines a consultative direct sales team, a worldwide network of factory-trained independent representatives, an e-commerce store for spare parts and consumables, and free quarterly technical workshops held at the Ivyland facility. Pricing is largely quote-based, ranging from approximately $1,000 for hot plates to $30,000+ for fully automatic stencil printers, with the company advertising ROI payback of 18 months or less and offering a $995/month turnkey pilot manufacturing lease.

The business is privately held, owner-operated by President/CEO Robert (Bob) Voigt, who purchased the company in October 2017, with no institutional or external equity backing. The company is staffed by a small team with deep institutional tenure, including several employees who have been with the APS/Novastar lineage since the 1980s. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company reinvests profits to fund product development and was named a Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Award recipient. The company emphasizes long-term customer support, maintaining spare parts inventory for every machine built since 1983, as a core element of its value proposition.

Name

DDM Novastar

Legal name

DDM Novastar, Inc.

Website

https://ddmnovastar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DDM Novastar designs, manufactures, and services US-made SMT and through-hole PCB assembly equipment — stencil printers, pick-and-place machines, reflow ovens, wave/selective solder systems, and optical inspection — for low-to-medium volume users in aerospace/defense, contract manufacturing, OEM, university, and R&D settings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

PCB Assembly Equipment

NAICS

Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Thermal Processing Equipment (Furnaces/RTP/Anneal) (HDAHAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

PCB Assembly (PCBA/EMS) (HDAHAOAI)

Keywords

• PCB assembly equipment
• SMT manufacturing systems
• Surface mount technology
• Reflow soldering ovens
• Through-hole assembly

Headquarters

HQ city

Ivyland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. SMT Assembly Equipment Sales: Sale of stencil printers, pick and place machines, reflow ovens, wave solder machines, selective solder systems, component counters, and lead formers. Equipment ranges from manual benchtop systems to fully automated floor models. Products are sold directly and through worldwide representative network.
2. Spare Parts and Consumables: DDM maintains spare parts inventory for every machine built since 1983. Parts are available through their e-commerce store at ddmnovastar.com/shop. Immediate shipment of standard replacement parts from US inventory.
3. Service and Support: Technical support, field service, installation, startup, and preventative maintenance services. Service team includes over 100 years of PCB assembly experience. Training services available at factory or customer facility.
4. Training Services: Product training at factory facility in Ivyland PA, on-site training at customer facilities, one-on-one training sessions, and free quarterly technical workshops. Training covers processes, materials, equipment, and implementation.
5. Custom Equipment Design and Manufacturing: Custom machine design and manufacturing services for unique applications. Includes in-house mechanical and software design, prototyping, machining, electrical design/assembly, sheet metal fabrication, welding, inspection, and testing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DDM Novastar designs, manufactures, and services PCB assembly equipment for low-to-medium volume production, including stencil printers, automated and manual pick-and-place machines, reflow ovens with patented horizontal convection technology, wave solder machines, selective solder systems, solder fountains, component counters, lead formers, and the NovaScope optical inspection system. The company also provides custom equipment design, turnkey pilot manufacturing lines, training, technical support, and lifetime spare parts for machines dating back to 1983.

Product overview

DDM Novastar is a manufacturer of SMT (Surface Mount Technology) and through-hole PCB assembly equipment for low to medium volume production. The product portfolio includes stencil printers (SPR series: SPR-20, SPR-25, SPR-45, SPR-45VA), automated and manual pick and place machines (LS/LE/L-NP/MPP series), reflow ovens (GF series with horizontal convection technology), selective solder systems (NovaSelect NS-13S, ESS series), wave solder machines (Spartan and EWS series), solder fountains (GW series), component counters (GC series), lead formers/trimmers (F-1, R-1, RTV), and optical inspection systems (NovaScope). Products are designed, manufactured, and supported entirely in the USA at the Ivyland, PA facility with over 30,000 systems installed globally. The company also offers custom equipment design and turnkey SMT assembly systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SPR Series Stencil Printers (SPR-20, SPR-25, SPR-45, SPR-45VA) Manual and semi-automatic solder paste stencil printers for low- to medium-volume SMT PCB assembly. The SPR-45VA includes SMTrue Vision Assist for alignment down to 12 mil ultra-fine pitch components. Pricing ranges from $2,000 for manual units to $30,000+ for fully automatic systems.
• LS Series Pick and Place Machines (LS40, LS40V, LS60, LS60V) Premium automated pick-and-place machines with up to 144 tape positions, 13"x32" work area, and +/-0.001" placement accuracy. V-series models integrate Cognex Vision for on-the-fly component centering, suitable for low- to medium-volume SMT production.
• LE-40V Benchtop Pick and Place Equipment Benchtop pick-and-place machine with integrated Cognex Vision system for low- to medium-volume PCB assembly. Supports up to 3,000 cph placement rate with 13.5"x22" board capacity. Used in pilot manufacturing turnkey systems.
• L-NP Series Benchtop Pick and Place System Entry-level low-cost turnkey automatic benchtop pick-and-place system that can go into production right out of the box. L-NP00 model handles cut-tape feeders at +/-0.004" accuracy; L-NP64S handles 64 feeders at +/-0.001" accuracy. Placement rates up to 2,100 cph.
• MPP Series Manual Pick and Place Systems (MPP-11, MPP-21) Manual pick-and-place systems with X, Y, Z, theta controls for accurate manual component placement. The MPP-21 includes 40 movable ESD-safe component bins; the MPP-11 is the most economical desktop variant with optional tape feeders.
• GF Series Reflow Ovens (GF-B-HT, GF-C2-HT, GF-12HT, GF-120HT, GF-125, 1800HT, 2000HT) Conveyor and benchtop reflow ovens for low- to medium-volume lead and lead-free SMT soldering. GF-125 features five top and five bottom zones, 56" heating tunnel, 400°C max temperature, and optional nitrogen atmosphere with patented Horizontal Convection Technology (US Patent # 6,936,793).
• NovaScope Semi-Automatic PCB Optical Inspection System Semi-automated optical inspection and image archiving system for PCBs. NS-1818 model with 18"x18" inspection area supports Gerber, XY placement list, and BOM import for board programming. Used for first-article inspection, solder joint verification, conformal coating inspection, and FOD/tin whisker detection.
• NS-13S (NovaSelect) Selective Solder System Economical compact selective soldering system providing single point, drag, and mini-wave soldering. Includes spray fluxer, bottom-side preheat, lead/lead-free solder pot, nitrogen ready. Supports 13"x13" max board size.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30,000 systems installed globally
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CognexcoreTechnology or IntegrationCognex Vision systems are integrated into DDM Novastar's pick and place machines (LE-40V, LS40V, LS60V models) for accurate component centering and placement. Vision centering provides true touchless centering and handles delicate components with accuracy down to +/- 0.001" positioning capability.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ASM Pacific Technology: ASM Pacific Technology is the world's leading supplier of assembly equipment for the semiconductor and electronics industries, offering SMT, packaging and deposition tools. It competes with DDM Novastar in PCB-level pick-and-place and adjacent lines at the highest end of throughput.
• ITW EAE (Electronics Assembly Equipment): ITW EAE is the electronics assembly equipment division of Illinois Tool Works, offering stencil printers, reflow ovens, selective soldering and wave soldering under brands like MPM, Vitronics Soltec and Despatch. It is a much larger incumbent competing in many of the same SMT equipment categories DDM Novastar serves.
• Universal Instruments: Universal Instruments is a long-established supplier of automated pick-and-place and insertion systems serving high-mix to high-volume SMT assembly. While skewed upmarket versus DDM, it is a recognized incumbent in the same equipment category.
• Yamaha SMT (Yamaha Motor): Yamaha's SMT section produces high-speed pick-and-place, printing and inspection systems for high-volume electronics assembly. As one of the global SMT giants, it defines the competitive ceiling DDM Novastar competes beneath in the pick-and-place market.

Direct peers

• PVA (Precision Valve & Automation): PVA designs and manufactures selective soldering, conformal coating and fluid dispensing equipment for PCB assembly. It competes directly with DDM Novastar's NovaSelect (NS-13S) and ESS selective soldering lines for low- to medium-volume through-hole assembly customers.
• Heller Industries: Heller Industries is a US-based manufacturer of reflow ovens and SMT soldering equipment serving low- to high-volume PCB assembly. Like DDM Novastar, it supplies turnkey thermal processing solutions to OEMs, contract manufacturers and defense customers, making it the closest head-to-head competitor in convection reflow.
• ERSA (Kurtsroeder): ERSA is a German manufacturer of selective soldering, wave soldering and reflow systems used in SMT and through-hole PCB assembly. Its product mix and customer base (aerospace, automotive, industrial) closely overlap with DDM Novastar's stencil printer / reflow / selective solder portfolio.
• ACE Production Technologies: ACE Production Technologies builds selective soldering systems and lead-free process equipment for SMT/through-hole assembly. It targets a similar low-to-medium volume customer base (aerospace, defense, industrial) competing head-to-head with DDM Novastar's selective solder products.
• Manncorp: Manncorp distributes and supports benchtop SMT equipment, reflow ovens and pick-and-place machines targeted at low-volume and prototype PCB assembly. It occupies the same entry-level/low-volume niche as DDM Novastar's L-NP Series.

Emerging players

• EAM Inc. EAM Inc. manufactures selective soldering machines for low- to mid-volume PCB assembly. Its core through-hole soldering focus directly overlaps with DDM Novastar's NovaSelect and Spartan wave solder lines for small-batch manufacturers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DDM Novastar