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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.
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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.
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Microtek Laboratories China Achieves APTIV Laboratory Approval
May 17, 2018 | Microtek Laboratories ChinaEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Microtek Laboratories China has completed verification requirements and approval for Aptiv Advanced Safety and User Experience. Aptiv audited the Changzhou facility and approved Microtek as an Aptiv Approved Test Laboratory. The approval is granted until April 2024. Microtek is the only authorized testing institution for APTIV in the Asia-Pacific region.
Microtek can now perform qualification tests approved by the Aptiv Advanced Safety & User Experience Component Engineering in SQ-1000 Appendix II.
The test data supplied by Microtek to any Component Engineer will be used by them to meet the requirements of Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) and by Aptiv Safety and User Experience for the purpose of granting part approval.
About Aptiv
Aptiv is a global technology company that develops safer, greener and more connected solutions, which enable the future of mobility. Aptiv leadership in smart mobility solutions comes directly from its expertise in software, computing platforms and machine learning artificial intelligence (AI). Aptiv sees cities where all the infrastructure elements are connected, all vehicles on the road are connected, and the other transportation services are linked at the same time.
About Microtek Laboratories China
Microtek Laboratories China is a leading third-party testing agency, serving the electronics and polymeric materials manufacturing industry world-wide. It is operated in accordance with the ISO/IEC17025: 2005 management system, accredited by CNAS, CMA, and many large OEM’s. The lab provides testing and conformance verification to company, national & international standards for automotive, telecommunication, aerospace & aviation, electronic information products, polymeric products and other related industries and suppliers. It is a CQC licensed lab for "Non-metal materials" including printed circuit boards (PCB), copper-clad laminates (CCL) and plastics. The lab is also designated as the product service center for CPCA, an authorized training center for IPC-6012, IPC-A-610 & IPC-A-600, as well as a IPC Validation Services Qualified Test Laboratory for IPC-6012 and IPC-4101. In addition, Microtek Laboratories China has the capability of temperature and humidity calibration as recognized by CNAS.
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Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
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05/13/2026 | I-Connect007As PCB complexity continues to accelerate, fabricators and OEMs are reevaluating long-standing manufacturing processes to meet the demands of AI, HDI, advanced packaging, and next-generation electronics. To address these evolving challenges, I-Connect007 is proud to announce the release of The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to… Direct Metallization: A Guide to Complex PCB Fabrication, authored by MacDermid Alpha Solution’s Carmichael Gugliotti.
Driving Innovation: Selecting the Right Laser Source
04/28/2026 | Simon Khesin -- Column: Driving InnovationWhen I first joined Schmoll Maschinen, I brought experience from almost every PCB process, except for laser. As I immersed myself in laser processing, I realized why it can seem so daunting to a newcomer. The complexity arises from three intersecting factors: A vast variety of laser sources: CO2, UV-nano, green-pico, UV-pico, IR-pico, and others; a diverse range of applications: Drilling, cutting, ablation, and more; and an extensive list of materials: These have vastly different absorption rates. Choosing the right machine or laser source is rarely trivial. Even for experienced engineers, answering "Which source is best?" requires examining the business's specific goals.
Institute of Circuit Technology Spring Seminar 2026: A Bright Future in Europe
04/23/2026 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007Through the leafy lanes and spring flowers of Warwickshire and back to Meridan, the traditional centre of England, and now officially part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the county of the West Midlands, I attended the Annual General Meeting and Spring Seminar of the Institute of Circuit Technology (ICT) on April 14. Out of the AGM came notable changes in leadership at the top of the Institute: the retirement of Mat Beadel as chair and Emma Hudson as technical director. Effective May 1, Steve Driver is the new chair, and Alun Morgan is the new technical director.
ACCM Unveils Negative and Near-zero CTE Materials for Large-Format AI Chips
04/21/2026 | Advanced Chip and Circuit MaterialsAdvanced Chip and Circuit Materials, Inc. (ACCM) has launched two new materials: Celeritas HM50, with a negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of -8 ppm/°C to offset the positive CTE and expansion of copper with temperature on circuit boards, and Celeritas HM001, with near-zero CTE and the low-loss performance needed for high-speed signal layers to 224 Gb/s and faster in artificial intelligence (AI) circuits.
Fresh PCB Concepts: Designing PCBs for Harsh Environments—Reliability Is Engineered Upstream
04/23/2026 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsWhen engineers hear the phrase “harsh environment,” they usually think of the extreme temperature swings, vibration and shock, pressure changes, or radiation in aerospace. However, aerospace is not the only harsh environment where electronic assemblies must survive. Automotive power electronics, downhole oil and gas tools, marine controls, rail systems, defense platforms, and industrial automation equipment all expose PCBs to environments that are equally unforgiving. The stress mechanisms may differ, but the physics does not.