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From the first cold call to finally receiving that first purchase order, the July PCB007 Magazine breaks down some critical parts of the sales stack. To up your sales game, read on!
The Hole Truth: Via Integrity in an HDI World
From the drilled hole to registration across multiple sequential lamination cycles, to the quality of your copper plating, via reliability in an HDI world is becoming an ever-greater challenge. This month we look at “The Hole Truth,” from creating the “perfect” via to how you can assure via quality and reliability, the first time, every time.
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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
June 30, 2023 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

It’s a heady time here in the U.S. between the summer holidays of Memorial Day (last Monday in May) and Independence Day (July 4). This four-week period straddles the Northern solstice, boasts the longest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the high season for outside activities, which may be pulling you away from the office. Am I right? Never fear, I-Connect007 is here to deliver the “must know” news stories.
I’m bending the rules (again) this week by adding some additional links to some of the news items, so as to provide a more comprehensive picture of the story. So, what do we have? A conversation with Omron, news from Isola and Insulectro, Pete Starkey’s EIPC Summer Conference coverage (keynote, Day 1 and Day 2 summaries), and IPC monthly sales reports for EMS and PCB fab.
If you’re in the U.S., have a wildly independent holiday weekend; for our global readers, we’ll still be here, watching the news for you. Stay tuned.
Omron Discusses SPI, AI and More
Published June 26
At the recent SMTA Oregon Tech Forum and Expo, Tim Anderson, a senior account manager at Omron, presented his insights on SPI, the latest trends in the industry, and some solutions to consider. Afterward, Barry Matties caught up with Anderson for a follow up discussion. As Anderson points out, the SPI, AOI, and AXI systems of today do far more than simply catch defects. This is a short and informative read for anyone following these machinery applications.
Isola Changing With the Times
Published June 29
Changing market conditions require changes in approach. I-Connect007’s Barry Matties and Nolan Johnson spoke with Isola’s Travis Kelly, Sean Mirshafiei, and Kirk Thompson about Isola’s recent responses to market conditions. In this interview, Kelly, Mirshafiei, and Thompson outline recent changes to Isola senior leadership, optimizing manufacturing to meet the needs of the global market, and the strategic importance of advanced packaging to the global economy, and to the U.S., in particular.
EIPC Summer Conference 2023: The Keynote Session
Published June 26
The EIPC technical sessions–whether the monthly snapshot sessions, or the semi-annual conferences– are eternally full of high-value technical updates. This year’s summer session follows that same tradition. Of course, Pete Starkey’s detailed narratives always bring an extra bit of humanity to the sessions. We’re leading with Mr. Starkey’s coverage of the keynote, but I’ve added links to the summaries for Day 1 and Day 2 here, as well.
Insulectro Announces New Partnership With Laminate Suppliers Arlon Electronics Materials and EMC
Published June 27
Insulectro announces its new status as exclusive distributor for North America of Arlon copper clad laminates beginning Sept. 4, 2023. In addition, Arlon is the master distributor for Elite Materials Company (EMC), based in Taiwan. This brings both product lines to the Insulectro line card. Read here to get the details.
North American EMS Industry Up 7.1% in May
Published June 22
Read the whole post here, but just to tease the content, “EMS bookings in May increased 0.8 percent year-over-year and increased 4.4 percent from the previous month.” Also linked to the EMS report is the PCB fabrication report: North American PCB Industry Sales Up 6.7% in May
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Closing the Loop on PCB Etching Waste
09/09/2025 | Shawn Stone, IECAs the PCB industry continues its push toward greener, more cost-efficient operations, Sigma Engineering’s Mecer System offers a comprehensive solution to two of the industry’s most persistent pain points: etchant consumption and rinse water waste. Designed as a modular, fully automated platform, the Mecer System regenerates spent copper etchants—both alkaline and acidic—and simultaneously recycles rinse water, transforming a traditionally linear chemical process into a closed-loop system.
Driving Innovation: Depth Routing Processes—Achieving Unparalleled Precision in Complex PCBs
09/08/2025 | Kurt Palmer -- Column: Driving InnovationIn PCB manufacturing, the demand for increasingly complex and miniaturized designs continually pushes the boundaries of traditional fabrication methods, including depth routing. Success in these applications demands not only on robust machinery but also sophisticated control functions. PCB manufacturers rely on advanced machine features and process methodologies to meet their precise depth routing goals. Here, I’ll explore some crucial functions that empower manufacturers to master complex depth routing challenges.
Trouble in Your Tank: Minimizing Small-via Defects for High-reliability PCBs
08/27/2025 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankTo quote the comedian Stephen Wright, “If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving is not for you.” That can be the battle cry when you find that only small-diameter vias are exhibiting voids. Why are small holes more prone to voids than larger vias when processed through electroless copper? There are several reasons.
The Government Circuit: Navigating New Trade Headwinds and New Partnerships
08/25/2025 | Chris Mitchell -- Column: The Government CircuitAs global trade winds continue to howl, the electronics manufacturing industry finds itself at a critical juncture. After months of warnings, the U.S. Government has implemented a broad array of tariff increases, with fresh duties hitting copper-based products, semiconductors, and imports from many nations. On the positive side, tentative trade agreements with Europe, China, Japan, and other nations are providing at least some clarity and counterbalance.
How Good Design Enables Sustainable PCBs
08/21/2025 | Gerry Partida, Summit InterconnectSustainability has become a key focus for PCB companies seeking to reduce waste, conserve energy, and optimize resources. While many discussions on sustainability center around materials or energy-efficient processes, PCB design is an often overlooked factor that lies at the heart of manufacturing. Good design practices, especially those based on established IPC standards, play a central role in enabling sustainable PCB production. By ensuring designs are manufacturable and reliable, engineers can significantly reduce the environmental impact of their products.