-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- I-Connect007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current Issue
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.
Looking Forward to APEX EXPO 2026
I-Connect007 Magazine previews APEX EXPO 2026, covering everything from the show floor to the technical conference. For PCB designers, we move past the dreaded auto-router and spotlight AI design tools that actually matter.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - I-Connect007 Magazine
All Flex Gets State Workforce Grant
August 31, 2015 | Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic DevelopmentEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) awarded South Central College two Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) grants totaling $69,542 to address regional workforce training needs.
"Investments in job training are critical to ensuring that all Minnesotans have the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow," said Lt. Governor Tina Smith. "These Job Skills Partnership grants are a win-win for our state's economy – providing workers in southern Minnesota access to high-quality jobs, and employers the workforce they need to grow."
"As the demand for technical skills grows among manufacturers, the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership program is seeking to support the needs of our businesses," said DEED Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben. "We are grateful for the Mankato area manufacturers’ commitment to Minnesota, and are happy to assist them in their efforts to expand operations."
A $48,943 grant will support advanced training for 80 All Flex Flexible Circuits employees to help the company reduce operational costs and continue to grow.
All Flex, located in Northfield, has 154 employees involved in the design and manufacturing of high-tech flexible circuits. South Central College will partner with All Flex to customize high-level training designed to reduce process variation.
Eighty employees will receive training with training modules dependent on their role and responsibilities. The curriculum will include: Voice of the Customer, Basic Statistics, Data Types, Seven Process Wastes, Problem Identification, Root Cause Analysis, Seven Quality Tools, Measurement Systems Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Process Capability, Design of Experiment, Implementation and Change Management, Standard Work, and Control Plan and Sustainability.
Training will help All Flex to reduce operational costs and continue to compete. South Central College’s new curriculum will benefit other companies.
Meanwhile, a $20,599 grant will be used to increase the skills of 21 manufacturing employees from six Mankato area manufacturers.
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
TLT Electronics Officially Opens Facility in Vietnam
05/06/2026 | TLT ElectronicsLithuanian EMS provider TLT Electronics has recently announced the opening of a new facility in Vietnam. For their clients, this is a chance to expand manufacturing into a second region without the headache of onboarding a new supplier. Same team, same processes, same quality standards — still TLT Manufacturing, just on another continent.
Trouble in Your Tank: In Complex Systems, Design Rules Aren’t Optional
05/06/2026 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankThere is no question that the electronics industry, especially in circuit board design and fabrication, advanced packaging, and innovation throughout the value chain, has seen a significant transformation, whether it be in materials, system architecture, HDI and ultra HDI, semiconductors, or chiplets. AI and high-performance computing (HPC) are driving change across several fronts, including material properties, assembly techniques (think hybrid bonding), and power management.
Meet Emerging Engineers: Patrick Owen and Eric Mickenbecker, Summit Interconnect
05/05/2026 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007Patrick Owen and Eric Mickenbecker both work for Summit Interconnect, and are in their second year of the Global Electronics Association’s Emerging Engineer Program with mentor Brian Chislea. They stopped by the I-Connect007 booth at APEX EXPO and shared a bit of their story with me. Patrick has worked at the Hollister, California, plant since 2018, while Eric has been at the Chicago site since 2023. Like many of their peers, they came to the electronics industry from different paths, but are both excited about making an impact.
The Missing Connection: Wire Harness Quoting Joins the Digital Age
05/01/2026 | Joanne Harris, Tech-2marketingWalk the floor of a modern wire harness manufacturing facility, and the investment in technology is hard to miss. Automated wire cutting and stripping machines process thousands of cuts an hour with sub-millimeter precision. Computerized crimping presses deliver consistent, validated terminations that a hand tool never could. Laser wire markers, automated test benches, and vision-guided assembly stations represent hundreds of thousands of dollars of capital investment, all in service of building a better harness faster and more reliably than the competition.
EDADOC: Building the ‘Neural Hub’ for High-Compute Chips Within a Compact Space
04/28/2026 | ECIOEvery chip to the market must pass a stringent checkpoint before shipment known as ATE testing. Serving as the physical “neural hub” that connects test equipment worth millions of dollars with the device under test, the performance of the ATE test board directly determines the accuracy, efficiency, and final yield of chip testing. Amid the rapid rise of high-compute chips, what extreme challenges is this seemingly small circuit board facing? How is EDADOC addressing industry pain points through its one-stop “design + manufacturing” model?