I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

This week, we have quite a potpourri for you.

We have some good news about the PCB market—not fantastic news, but good. Are you starting to get tired of this back-and-forth with every news cycle?

As this year continues to surprise us at every turn, companies are discovering the true nature of their leaders. Todd Kolmodin has a great column about bosses and leaders and why the two words are not synonymous. Not to be outdone, columnist Barry Olney found a way to explain the wavelength of electromagnetic energy by using a chocolate bar and a microwave oven.

Speaking of leaders, Technical Editor Pete Starkey has quickly become a guru in a brand-new media market. Pete’s webinar reviews are so compelling that you would swear that he was sitting in the room with the presenters and not staring into his laptop. In this week’s article, he breaks down the complex issues surrounding military and defense electronics. Finally, columnist Sagi Reuven explains why even with the best digital data collection processes, humans often trust their instincts instead.

Next week, Nolan Johnson will bring you his five must-reads.

North American PCB Industry Sales up 10.1% in July
Published August 27, 2020

It’s good to see PCB industry sales up 10.1% year-over-year in July. But sales were down 15.7% from the previous month, and bookings were down YOY and from the previous month. The industry is moving in the right direction, but we’re not out of the woods yet. Is anyone else getting dizzy trying to keep up with the PCB market, and markets overall?

Lean Digital Thread: Data-Driven Decisions and Micro-Solutions in Manufacturing
Published August 26, 2020

Sagi Reuven of Siemens Digital Industries started writing for SMT007 within the past year, but he has already amassed a loyal following. Everything he writes brings in big numbers, and this column is no exception. This month, Sagi explains some of the ins and outs of data collection, its translation into actionable information, and why so many company leaders still make decisions based on gut instinct.

iNEMI 2019 Roadmap Webinar Review: Aerospace and Defence Products
Published August 25, 2020

Pete Starkey hit another homer (or ran between the wickets since he’s more of a cricket man) with his review of the iNEMI 2019 Roadmap Webinar. Quite a few of you clicked on Pete’s take on this webinar presented by Grace O’Malley and Marc Carter, which examined the current and future state of military and defense electronics. As Pete points out, there are plenty of positives and negatives in military and aerospace, no matter how you look at it. If you’re interested in volunteering with the group, iNEMI will welcome your input.

Testing Todd: Don’t Be a Boss—Be a Leader
Published August 26, 2020

Todd Kolmodin of Gardien Services USA rang up a lot of clicks on his latest column about the difference between being a boss and a leader. As Todd explains, not all bosses are truly leaders. Leaders will stand up for the team and take fire on their behalf. Is your boss a leader? During these “interesting” times in 2020, many companies in our industry are finding the answer to that question.

Beyond Design: The Wavelength of Electromagnetic Energy
Published August 24, 2020

Barry Olney of In-Circuit Design brought us a great column about the wavelength of electromagnetic energy, illustrated with, of course, a candy bar and a microwave. With that information, he then explained which parts of the PCB are more likely to act as antennas and which layers are more likely to radiate. Quite a few designers and engineers dropped by to read this “sweet” column. (I had to do it.)