Learning With Leo: UHDI—The Next Leap in PCB Manufacturing
Nolan’s Notes: Is Mexico the Pulse of Electronics in the Americas?
Standard of Excellence: Speed vs. Quality in Customer Service
Japan’s Thermosetting Plastics Association Represents at IPC APEX EXPO 2015
March 19, 2015 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
At the International Reception, held opening night of IPC APEX EXPO 2015, I-Connect Technical Editor Pete Starkey made the rounds and found some visitors from Japan, namely, Kazutaka Masaoka, from Thermosetting Plastics Association (JTPIA). In this brief interview conducted amongst the reception attendees, Masaoka-san and Starkey discuss Japanese vs. North American circuit board quality and business trends.
Pete Starkey: Masaoka-san, it's a pleasure to meet you here.
Kazutaka Masaoka: Nice to meet you.
Starkey: Could you give me what brings you to San Diego for IPC APEX EXPO, and also some idea of your first impressions?
Masaoka: Yes, thank you. Originally, I'm from Hitachi Chemical. I was 60 years old when I retired, and then I moved to the Association. Before that, I worked in R&D, on the development of dry film photoresist—for a long time. So I've been interested in this kind of exhibition for many years, and I’ve enjoyed seeing the technical trends moving and changing year by year, generation by generation. For example, at the start of developing my product, the focus was how many lines can fit between through-holes? When I started to work, in terms of that, it was just two lines between through-holes, but the technology today is changing so much. It’s very impressive.
Starkey: We have always looked to Japan for the leading edge in technology. How do you see the comparison between the technical capability now in Japan and the technical capability now in North America?
Masaoka: Basically, previous circuit boards in the West were based on the military application. They were known for their polymer substrate, and you know that type of substrate has to have high temperature resistance and be of very high quality. But at that moment, 20 or 30 years ago, the U.S. technology level was very high, and our Japanese quality of the previous circuit board not. Since then, the Japanese people have made a lot of effort to improve the capabilities of their circuit boards. But the U.S. is moving as well, and changing and developing year by year. So perhaps quality of the previous Japanese circuit board is very close to yours, but still competing. I think we need to have some impact or stimulation from technology or market or people.
Starkey: So what would you say is your main purpose coming here to this convention?
Masaoka: To look at the typical trends and observe the markets.
Starkey: Masaoka-san, thanks for your time and best of luck this week.
Masaoka: Thank you.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
11/14/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007I read an interesting article this week about a breakthrough on building microprocessors to run on microwaves rather than traditional digital circuitry. It cites an academic study that begins, “The development of high-bandwidth applications, including multi-gigabit communication and radar imaging, demands faster processing. However, in the microwave regime, where frequencies exceed clock rates, sampling and computation become challenging. Here we report an integrated microwave neural network for broadband computation and communication.”
Interlink Electronics Reports Q3 2025 Results
11/14/2025 | Globe NewswireInterlink Electronics, Inc., a global leader in sensor technology and printed electronic solutions, reported results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2025.
MTSI Selects PBT Works CompaCLEAN III for Advanced PCB Cleaning Performance
11/13/2025 | MTSIPBT Works s.r.o., (in cooperation with MaRC Technologies) a leading manufacturer of cleaning technology for electronic assemblies and tooling, is pleased to announce the sale and successful installation of a CompaCLEAN III inline cleaning system at Micro Technology Services, Inc. (MTSI), a leading provider of contract engineering, manufacturing, and microtechnology solutions.
Merlin PCB Group Invests in 2 CIMS Galaxy 25µ AOI Machines
11/13/2025 | Merlin PCB GroupThe Merlin PCB group has invested in CIMS Galaxy 25µ AOI machines, one for Merlin Flex in Hartlepool and the other for Merlin Circuit Technology in Hawarden.
Pushing Boundaries in Measuring Board Warpage
11/12/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineAkrometrix is a key player in metrology equipment. It focuses on accurately assessing warpage and strain in PCBs and PCBAs and prospers through continuing R&D and local sourcing. I recently met with Neil Hubble, president of Akrometrix, and Paul Handler, director of sales, for a tour of their Georgia facility. We discussed the growing challenge of quality measurement for advanced products and denser designs and the need for industry standardization.