Focus on the New

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Hello, 2018! Wow, it seems like it wasn’t too long ago when I was writing about the optimism of the electronics manufacturing and assembly industry going into 2017. Now, here we are again at the beginning of the new year, looking at new trends, disruptive technologies, and emerging markets for 2018.

First things first!

I am sure you have noticed our name has changed from SMT Magazine to SMT007 Magazine. Not only did we update our magazine’s name, we also refreshed the interior pages of the publication, as well. As an I-Connect007 publication, SMT007 Magazine fits nicely with our other publications, which also carry through with the naming convention starting this month: PCB007 Magazine and Design007 Magazine. We hope you enjoy this fresh new look.

What else have we been up to?

Last month, our team attended the HKPCA & IPC Show in Shenzhen, China, to talk to industry leaders in the PCB supply chain about trends and technologies to watch for in the coming year.

The consensus is that everyone’s excited about the continuing growth in the electronics assembly industry. Last year, the industry was beset with the copper foil shortage. While the same shortage can be expected this year, given the strong growth of the automotive electronics industry, manufacturers and suppliers remain bullish that this same growth will fuel other aspects of the electronics manufacturing industry.

Show attendees and vendors were also generally excited about 5G, highlighting the pilot deployment of the first 5G network at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. Other notable technologies with expected growth include medical electronics, and the proliferation of devices for the Internet of Things (IoT).

This Month’s Lineup

In this issue, we have taken a close look at the many facets and considerations associated with investing in new equipment. Do you buy new equipment just to say you have the latest systems in your processing lines? Of course not. But what are the key reasons that will drive you to invest in new equipment, and what decision process goes on behind the scenes that justifies your investment in these new machines?

To read the full version of this article, which appeared in the January 2018 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.

08/14/2019 | Ken Schramko, IPC Senior Director, North American Government Relations

When major news occurs in the U.S. Congress, you usually hear the names of top congressional leaders such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) or Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

08/14/2019 | Phil Kinner, Electrolube

As assemblies become more densely populated, and housing/casing designs become more permeable to save weight, the use of conformal coatings is essential to protect the assembly from its operating environment and ensure acceptable reliability for the application intended, especially when operating in hostile environments.

08/13/2019 | Dan Feinberg, Technology Editor, I-Connect007

Dan Feinberg speaks with Kathy Grise, IEEE Future Directions senior program director, at the AWE conference recently in San Jose, California. In this excerpt, Dan and Kathy discuss the importance of reliability, blockchain, recruiting younger generations, etc.