-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueAdditive Manufacturing
In this month’s issue, we explore additive manufacturing technology for the PCB fabricator: where it stands today, the true benefits, and where it seems to be headed.
The Growing Industry
In this issue of PCB007 Magazine, we talk with leading economic experts, advocacy specialists in Washington, D.C., and PCB company leadership to get a well-rounded picture of what’s happening in the industry today. Don’t miss it.
The Sustainability Issue
Sustainability is one of the most widely used terms in business today, especially for electronics and manufacturing but what does it mean to you? We explore the environmental, business, and economic impacts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
Polar Instruments Driven by Customer Demand
April 8, 2021 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Andy Shaughnessy recently spoke with Geoffrey Hazelett, vice president of sales for Polar Instruments, about the virtual IPC APEX EXPO and the eventual return of live trade shows and conferences. They also discussed some of the company’s newest releases, many of which came about through customer demand.
Andy Shaughnessy: Geoffrey, IPC APEX EXPO is wrapping up, but I understand that you still have a few committee meetings to attend.
Geoffrey Hazelett: Yes, I was not working the virtual booth. I’ve got the D-21 High-Speed High Frequency Design Subcommittee, and the D-24d High-Frequency Signal Loss Task Group, which I co-chair with Xiaoning Ye, a nice gentleman from Intel.
Shaughnessy: And I know that Polar has been working on a lot of things throughout the pandemic.
Hazelett: Yes. This last year with COVID and everything, despite that, our engineers and engineering team have been working really hard. Just with Speedstack alone, last year, we had six releases bringing out new features, and we’re releasing right now our third release of Speedstack this year, which has brought forth some really great features that some of our customers have been asking about for a while. Other customers are really excited to see these new features, because they haven’t asked for them, but they wanted them. They didn’t know that they wanted them yet, specifically the shielding materials.
Our library was released last month, and this month the Tatsuta materials will be included in the library. Additionally, we also have some exciting new features, like the ability to apply plating colors so that you can assign different colors within Speedstack for whether a layer is plated or not.
Shaughnessy: You could just glance at it and see whether it was a plated layer?
Hazelett: Funny enough, last year a lot of our customers were building boards in the four- to 12-layer range, and our wizard for generating stackups had a cap of 64 layers, a pretty thick board. Last year, due to customer demand actually, we had to increase that to 128 layers because we had some customers building boards that were that complex. Our customers today are doing some incredible things, where customers are focusing in the 16–18-gigahertz ranges and doing 56-gigabit channels, and even pushing 112-gigabit channels. So, it’s really exciting seeing how some of our customers are really pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in a printed circuit board and what technologies they’re using to build some of these boards.
Shaughnessy: During the pandemic, innovation barely slowed, at least in our industry.
Hazelett: Yes. Everyone was nervous that society might collapse, but within the tech sector, it was booming for our industry. I remember when the pandemic hit trying to find a Logitech webcam, and they were going for a markup of 200%, and I thought that’s crazy. People were selling used ones for $400 and up.
At Polar, we’ve upgraded a bunch of our network stuff so we could work from home. And I’m sure we’re not the only ones who have been rolling out tech upgrades during this time to facilitate their employees to continue working. That then feeds back into the cycle of the increased demand for tech, which then helps our business, our industry.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the 2021 edition of Show & Tell, click here.
Suggested Items
Zentech First to Adopt IPC Apprenticeship National Program Standards
05/20/2024 | Cory Blaylock, IPCIPC achieved a landmark in 2023 by creating an apprenticeship program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. With such a registered framework in place, industry can work through IPC to secure local, state, and federal dollars for workforce development in a way they’ve never been able to do before. Zentech Manufacturing, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, with production facilities in Bloomington, Illinois, and Richardson, Texas, is the first employer partner to adopt IPC’s national program. Click here to read their story.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/17/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineThis week, trade shows are at the top of our feed, with our coverage of the Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show and IPC APEX EXPO. These two longtime events are almost polar opposites in size and scope, but Del Mar seems to be expanding from its roots as a “neighborhood gathering” with its move into the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The Del Mar show always has a good “buzz factor,” which is something you can’t buy.
IPC APEX EXPO: Some Thoughts About Growth
05/16/2024 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007After two and a half days of wandering the aisles at IPC APEX EXPO 2024, for the first time, I almost felt like I was exploring CES. There were so many booths and exhibits that I could describe, but I’d like to focus on the growth and huge value of this event, which has expanded well beyond just the growing and impressive exhibit show floor.
IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Award: Pierre-Jean Albrieux
05/10/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineCongratulations to Pierre-Jean Albrieux, who received the 2024 IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Award. The award is given to individuals in recognition of the highest level of achievement, extraordinary contributions, and distinguished service to IPC and toward the advancement of the industry, including helping to create a spirit of mutual esteem, respect, and recognition among members consistent with the goals and mission of IPC.
IPC Focuses on Education and Onboarding
05/09/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineI recently spoke with Carlos Plaza, senior director of education for IPC, about expanding educational efforts in the PCB design, fabrication, and assembly segments. As Carlos explains, PCB design is a hot topic, but onboarding may be the hottest one of all.