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Current IssueThe 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.
In Pursuit of Perfection: Defect Reduction
For bare PCB board fabrication, defect reduction is a critical aspect of a company's bottom line profitability. In this issue, we examine how imaging, etching, and plating processes can provide information and insight into reducing defects and increasing yields.
Voices of the Industry
We take the pulse of the PCB industry by sharing insights from leading fabricators and suppliers in this month's issue. We've gathered their thoughts on the new U.S. administration, spending, the war in Ukraine, and their most pressing needs. It’s an eye-opening and enlightening look behind the curtain.
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NCAB Group USA’s Quality Manager Discussed PCB Cost Drivers at SMTA Space Coast Chapter Technical Luncheon
September 21, 2015 | NCAB GroupEstimated reading time: 1 minute
NCAB Group, one of the world’s largest suppliers of printed circuit boards (PCBs) with headquarters in Sweden, is pleased to announce that its Quality Manager Holly Freve presented at the SMTA Space Coast Chapter September Technical Luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015 at Mack Technologies in Melbourne, FL. Ms. Freve presented “Cost drivers in PCB production.” She offtered an in depth discussion about board size, layer count, copper weight, manufacturing yield, and more factors that drive costs in PCB production.
Ms. Freve has 26 years of quality and customer service experience in the circuit board industry. She began her circuit board industry career back in 1989 as a quality engineer for Micofab in Amesbury, Mass., working in the inspection and testing area. Her next position was at EMC, also in Amesbury, Mass., where she worked in a variety of positions in both quality and production engineering.
Freve joined PD Circuits in 2005 as part of the quality assurance management team, focusing on customer quality issues and resolution. PD Circuits was acquired by NCAB in 2012. Ms. Freve is now the Quality Manager for NCAB Group USA, responsible for the continuous improvement of quality and service to all NCAB customers. She is a certified IPC –A- 600H inspector and recently received her Six Sigma Green belt.
Founded in 1993 in Sweden, NCAB quickly became a leading PCB supplier in Europe and has experienced growth every year. Today, NCAB Group is established in; Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Russia, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Macedonia, China and the USA.
To learn more about NCAB Group, visit www.ncabgroup.com.
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
07/11/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineThis week, we have quite a variety of news items and articles for you. News continues to stream out of Washington, D.C., with tariffs rearing their controversial head again. Because these tariffs are targeted at overseas copper manufacturers, this news has a direct effect on our industry.I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
Digital Twin Concept in Copper Electroplating Process Performance
07/11/2025 | Aga Franczak, Robrecht Belis, Elsyca N.V.PCB manufacturing involves transforming a design into a physical board while meeting specific requirements. Understanding these design specifications is crucial, as they directly impact the PCB's fabrication process, performance, and yield rate. One key design specification is copper thieving—the addition of “dummy” pads across the surface that are plated along with the features designed on the outer layers. The purpose of the process is to provide a uniform distribution of copper across the outer layers to make the plating current density and plating in the holes more uniform.
Trump Copper Tariffs Spark Concern
07/10/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamPresident Donald Trump stated on July 8 that he plans to impose a 50% tariff on copper imports, sparking concern in a global industry whose output is critical to electric vehicles, military hardware, semiconductors, and a wide range of consumer goods. According to Yahoo Finance, copper futures climbed over 2% following tariff confirmation.
Happy’s Tech Talk #40: Factors in PTH Reliability—Hole Voids
07/09/2025 | Happy Holden -- Column: Happy’s Tech TalkWhen we consider via reliability, the major contributing factors are typically processing deviations. These can be subtle and not always visible. One particularly insightful column was by Mike Carano, “Causes of Plating Voids, Pre-electroless Copper,” where he outlined some of the possible causes of hole defects for both plated through-hole (PTH) and blind vias.
Trouble in Your Tank: Can You Drill the Perfect Hole?
07/07/2025 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankIn the movie “Friday Night Lights,” the head football coach (played by Billy Bob Thornton) addresses his high school football team on a hot day in August in West Texas. He asks his players one question: “Can you be perfect?” That is an interesting question, in football and the printed circuit board fabrication world, where being perfect is somewhat elusive. When it comes to mechanical drilling and via formation, can you drill the perfect hole time after time?