-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- I-Connect007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current Issue
Signal Integrity & Metallization
Signal integrity and additive manufacturing, particularly metallization, are hot topics in PCB design and fabrication. PCB layouts are carefully engineered to achieve specific electrical and power performance targets.
Beyond the Rulebook
What happens when the rule book is no longer useful, or worse, was never written in the first place? In today’s fast-moving electronics landscape, we’re increasingly asked to design and build what has no precedent, no proven path, and no tidy checklist to follow. This is where “Design for Invention” begins.
March Madness
From the growing role of AI in design tools to the challenge of managing cumulative tolerances, these articles in this issue examine the technical details, design choices, and manufacturing considerations that determine whether a board works as intended.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - I-Connect007 Magazine
German PCB Market Slightly Up in April
June 16, 2015 | ZVEI PCB and Electronic SystemsEstimated reading time: 1 minute
German PCB manufacturers' revenues for April were up by 1.2% year-on-year, according to the ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association). Total revenues for the first four months of the year were down by 1% compared to the same period last year. While medium-sized companies fared well during the period, smaller manufacturers had to cope with single-digit percentage declines.
New orders in April were 3.1% higher than last year. Again, the medium-sized companies received more orders compared to their smaller competitors. Despite the positive development in orders and sales, however, the book-to-bill ratio was only at 0.93.
Testimonial
"Your magazines are a great platform for people to exchange knowledge. Thank you for the work that you do."
Simon Khesin - Schmoll MaschinenSuggested Items
Cyberattack via Ransomware at Major EMS Provider Foxconn
05/15/2026 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamA recent cyberattack targeting Foxconn has once again exposed the growing vulnerability of global manufacturing and electronics supply chains to ransomware operations. According to CyberScoop, the attack disrupted operations at several of Foxconn’s North American facilities, temporarily forcing some production activities into manual workarounds while systems were restored.
The Marketing Minute: If Your Marketing Budget Gets Cut in Half, Then What?
05/13/2026 | Brittany Martin -- Column: The Marketing MinuteHypothetically, let’s say your marketing budget gets cut in half tomorrow. (I’m stressed just thinking about it!) But here’s the real question: Would your actual marketing strategy change, or just the amount of money behind it? Because those are not the same thing. Markets go up and down. Budgets can tighten. If your entire marketing approach depends on the biggest, flashiest, most expensive options available, that’s not really a strategy. It’s just spending. A strong marketing strategy should remain consistent regardless of spending levels.
Punching Out: How Are the Big Boys in Electronics Doing?
05/12/2026 | Tom Kastner -- Column: Punching Out!Let’s see what the public companies are up to in the PCB and EMS industries. In North America, there are only a couple of publicly traded PCB companies: TTM Technologies and Firan Technology Group. On the EMS side, there are a few more: Flex, Jabil, Celestica, Sanmina,, Benchmark, Fabrinet, Kimball Electronics, Plexus Corp, Nortech Systems, and Key Tronic Corp. From an M&A standpoint, these public companies have been fairly quiet in the past five years. FTG completed two deals in 2022 (IMI and Holaday), Flex had three deals, Jabil had five deals, and Sanmina had one deal.
A Necessary Shift From Gerber to IPC-2581
05/07/2026 | Tracy Riggan, Global Electronics AssociationIPC-2581 is an open, vendor-neutral data exchange standard developed by the Global Electronics Association to streamline the exchange of PCB design information across fabrication, assembly, and test. It replaces multiple legacy formats—including industry standards, Gerber, and ODB++—with a single, comprehensive, XML-based dataset that captures all manufacturing details.
How Are You Vetting Your Supply Chain?
04/28/2026 | Didrik Bech, CONFIDEEFor many years, supplier management was largely focused on standard commercial priorities: cost, quality, lead time, and delivery performance. If a supplier met specifications, shipped on time, and remained price competitive, the relationship was often considered healthy. However, the world has changed.