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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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Amphenol Invotec Implements AOI Solution from Orbotech
May 21, 2018 | Amphenol InvotecEstimated reading time: 1 minute
UK PCB manufacturer Amphenol Invotec has implemented Orbotech’s Fusion 22XL automated optical inspection (AOI) solution.
Since implementation, the 22XL has increased the speed and cost effectiveness of its AOI process, enhanced throughput and at the same time, reduced the number of AOI machines in Amphenol Invotec’s UK PCB Manufacturing plant.
Accurately inspecting complex PCBs with special materials without sacrificing delivery schedules poses unique challenges. The Fusion 22XL has helped Amphenol Invotec to increase throughput and high-quality PCB yield while reducing its overall AOI operating costs.
Tim Tatton, general manager of Amphenol Invotec, commented:
“The Fusion 22XL solution will fundamentally improve our ability to support our rich product and technology mix, including high speed, RF and microwave materials. We look forward to increased yields for our complex PCBs, and we already know that we can count on Orbotech for technical excellence and great customer support.”
Fusion 22XL is Orbotech's innovative large format AOI solution that enables top quality inspection for larger panel sizes. Utilizing breakthrough Multi-Image Technology, Fusion inspects each panel with multiple light sources in one scan for unparalleled detection accuracy. Designed for HDI and MLB applications, Fusion 22XL re-defines PCB production efficiency, while achieving lower cost per scan.
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Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
Learning with Leo: Drones—Meeting Demand Without Compromise
05/06/2026 | Leo Lambert -- Column: Learning With LeoWith drones used in a wide range of applications today, particularly in modern military conflicts, domestic manufacturers are feeling pressure to produce at high volume and low cost, particularly within an NDAA supply chain ecosystem with differing needs and expectations. Two issues must be considered. First is the manufacturers’ and customers’ need for quality, reliability, and functionality of the product. Second is the manufacturing volume needed to support demand, whether for military, industrial, or commercial applications. Each segment requires verification that the product meets the customer's requirements.
Global Sourcing Spotlight: The True Cost of Low Cost
03/25/2026 | Bob Duke -- Column: Global Sourcing SpotlightThere’s an illusion in global sourcing that cheaper means better business. For decades, procurement teams received rewards for driving down unit prices, without realizing how many zeros those “savings” add to the other side of the ledger. With today’s volatile, interconnected supply chains, the lowest price is rarely the lowest cost.
From PEDC to APEX: Banyan.eco’s Disruptive AI for EMS and OEM Companies
03/17/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007The electronics industry’s struggle with supply chain resilience and increasing regulatory complexity has created a costly compliance challenge for OEMs and EMS providers alike. At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence are opening new possibilities for automating some of the industry’s most data-intensive tasks. At the Pan-European Design Conference (PEDC), Banyan.eco cofounder Francis D’Souza introduced a new approach that combines AI-driven data acquisition with a deterministic verification layer to eliminate compliance risk from AI hallucination and dramatically improve productivity.
Fresh PCB Concepts: Cost Stability in a Period of Copper and Gold Volatility
02/12/2026 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsAnyone who works with PCBs in any capacity right now can feel that copper and laminate prices are not stagnant, gold price is increasing even faster, and the impact shows up quickly on PCB quotations. For many design teams, this feels like a force outside their control. Raw materials go up, and the board cost goes with it. I want to highlight that many of these swings are manageable.
Global Sourcing Spotlight: The New Landscape of Manufacturing
02/11/2026 | Bob Duke -- Column: Global Sourcing SpotlightFor decades, manufacturing followed a familiar pattern: design in the West, production in China, and distribution elsewhere. That map no longer works. The shocks of the past five years—the pandemic shutdowns, trade wars, logistics meltdowns, and geopolitical uncertainty—have redrawn the boundaries of global manufacturing. The question every OEM is asking isn’t “How cheap can we make it”? but “How certain are we that we can obtain it?” We are witnessing a seismic shift in the landscape of making things. The work hasn’t disappeared; it’s just moving.