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In this issue, we examine the profound effect artificial intelligence and machine learning are having on manufacturing and business processes. We follow technology, innovation, and money as automation becomes the new key indicator of growth in our industry.
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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
March 5, 2021 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
A perennial and yet irregular category on the popular game show Jeopardy is “potpourri.” My dad, as I was growing up, pronounced the word as “pot-poury.” It wasn’t until I was a sophomore in college that my girlfriend’s mom—who had a penchant for a soupcon of French euphemism in her tête-à-têtes—pronounced the word properly: “po-pu-ree.” Such are the risks of growing up just a bit rural.
On Jeopardy, the category is defined as “a mixing of unrelated, leftover questions from previous shows, so we’re lumping them under ‘Potpourri.’”
Now far be it for me to characterize this week’s top five as unrelated or leftover. Nor are they recycled from earlier weeks. This week’s topics are, however, heavier on mixture: a little bit from all over. There’s an industry sales report, Pete Starkey conference report, a look both backward and forward with Taiyo’s John Fix, an Altium/Amazon AWS working relationship in the news, and a brand-new I-007ebook on SMT Inspection from Koh Young’s Brent Fischthal.
Yep. A healthy mix of variety this week, doing “Potpourri” proud.
North American PCB Industry Sales Begin 2021 Up 4%
Published February 26
The IPC book-to-bill ratio weighs in at 1.14 for January, up 17.6% over January 2020. Hold this news up to the European Semiconductor Industry Association report that global semiconductor sales in 2020 logged a 6.5% increase from 2019, and it looks like the wave of increased demand is moving down the pipeline toward the assembly facilities.
2020: A Year of Learning, Innovation for Taiyo America
Published March 1
Pete Starkey has a virtual visit with John Fix, director of Sales and Marketing at Taiyo America, where they discuss the changes taking place because of COVID-19 restrictions, and some new products—including a new dry film solder mask for flexible circuits. Starkey and Fix’s discussion of how this new product works makes for interesting reading.
EIPC Technical Snapshot: Cleanliness
Published March 1
Cleanliness was the focus of this informative and enlightening event on Feb. 17, 2021, introduced by EIPC technical director Tarja Rapala-Virtanen and moderated by EIPC board member Christian Behrendt, CEO of German PCB fabricator ILFA. Pete Starkey brings his trademark summary of proceedings, including presentations from Freddy Gilbert, Professor Rajan Ambat, Emma Hudson, and Christian Behrendt.
Altium, AWS Collaborate to Advance Electronic Design
Published February 26
Cloud-based data sharing continues to move to the mainstream in all areas of modern life, and the engineering disciplines are no exception. For example, the Altium 365 cloud-based platform and Altium Designer is working to create “the most connected design experience” in the industry, streamlining the product development process through thoughtful sharing of centrally-stored design data. To achieve this goal, Altium selected Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host Altium 365, the cloud platform for collaborative PCB design and realization.
New I-007eBook Highlights SMT Inspection: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond
Published March 3
If you have an interest (and who doesn’t?) in PCB board inspection, you know that even engineers and layout specialists are involved in making inspection succeed by the decisions made during the design phase). This new I-0007eBook from Koh Young is a must read. In The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to SMT Inspection: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond, author Brent Fischthal takes readers through a brief history of SMT inspection before discussing the benefits of data-driven analytics and how intelligent software solutions can help companies analyze and optimize the production process.
Suggested Items
Indium Experts to Present on High-Temperature, Lead-Free Solder Paste and High Reliability Liquid Metal Alloys Poster at ECTC
05/16/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation Research Associate Kyle Aserian will deliver a presentation at the 74th Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC) on May 31, in Denver, Colorado.
Indium Experts to Present at Electronics in Harsh Environments SMTA Conference
05/13/2024 | Indium Corporationndium Corporation Technical Manager for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Karthik Vijay, will deliver a technical presentation and Indium Corporation Senior Technologist, Dr. Ronald Lasky, will deliver both a workshop and technical presentation at the Electronics in Harsh Environments SMTA Conference on May 14-16 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Connect the Dots: Designing for Reality—The Pre-Manufacturing Process
05/08/2024 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsI have been working with Nolan Johnson on a podcast series about designing PCBs for the reality of manufacturing. By sharing lessons learned over a long career in the PCB industry, we hope to shorten learning curves and help designers produce better boards with less hassle and rework. Episode 2 deals with the electronic pre-manufacturing process. Moving from CAD (computer-aided design) to CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) is a key step in PCB manufacturing. CAM turns digital designs into instructions that machines can use to actually build the PCB.
AIM Solder Signs Shinil Fl Ltd. as New Distributor for Korea
05/08/2024 | AIM SolderAIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce a new distribution partnership with Shinil Fl Ltd., a prominent supplier of technological solutions in the SMT and semiconductor sectors.
Indium Corporation to Showcase HIA Materials at ECTC
05/07/2024 | Indium CorporationAs an industry leader in innovative materials solutions for semiconductor packaging and assembly, Indium Corporation® will feature its advanced products designed to meet the evolving challenges of heterogeneous integration and assembly (HIA) and fine-pitch system-in-package (SiP) applications at the 74th Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC), May 28‒31, in Denver, Colorado.