I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

We’re still not officially into summer yet, but Atlanta is bringing the heat, baby! It’s hit 97 degrees a few times this week, and I now have a fan aimed right at my face. At least it’s nice and humid too. I’m glad I don’t wear make-up. 

And it’s been a hot week in the circuit board community. This week, Eltek reported a fire at a board shop in Israel, and Flex committed to building a 145,000-square-foor facility in Jalisco, Mexico to serve the electric and autonomous vehicle segment. Calumet staff mentored a team of middle school girls that won the Michigan Girls Future Flight Challenge, and Altium’s Nexar unit launched a giant component database. Finally, Pete Starkey brings us a review of the ICT Annual Symposium, which featured keynote speaker Happy Holden.

If you’re anywhere near the American South, stay cool! 

Calumet Students Take First Place in 'Michigan Girls Future Flight Challenge'
Published June 15

Washington Middle School students Jordan Hicks and Kristen Ylitalo beat more than 20 teams throughout the state in the “Michigan Girls Future Flight Challenge," hosted by the Women of Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan. Calumet Electronics’ Meredith LaBeau, CTO, and Audra Thurston, R&D managing engineer, served as mentors during the four-week event. The students worked with LaBeau and developed a prototype that would detect fire damage, and then created marketing materials and a business plan. These kids are on the move.

Nexar Announces Massive CAD Model Marketplace
Published June 16

Altium’s Nexar unit has launched Octopart CAD Model Marketplace, a free database that contains 10 million CAD models for electronic components. Altium plans to bring in access to 3D models in the future, courtesy of Nexar’s partner TraceParts.

Review: Institute of Circuit Technology 2022 Annual Symposium
Published June 15

The British Motor Museum in Warwickshire, home to some of the most pristine vintage Aston Martins and Jaguars, hosted the Institute of Circuit Technology 2022 Annual Symposium, and Pete Starkey brought us a great review. Our own Happy Holden delivered the keynote speech, and ICT chair Emma Hudson noted that the UK’s PCB fabricators are staying busy. Speakers discussed biomedical technology, the smart factory, and ways to bridge the “valley of death” between academia and industry.

Eltek Reports a Contained Fire in Its Plant in Petah-Tikva, Israel
Published June 16

This week, a fire broke out in Eltek’s facility in Petah-Tikva, Israel, thankfully with no reported casualties. The investigation into the cause of the fire has not been completed, and the company does not yet know the full impact of the fire on production. Eltek is trying to minimize delays of deliveries. 

Flex Expands Auto Manufacturing Hub in Jalisco, Mexico to Enable Next-gen Mobility
Published June 15

The migration to Mexico continues. Flex is building a cutting-edge 145,000-square-foot facility in Jalisco that will produce electronic components for electric and autonomous vehicles. Flex says that it is the largest employer and exporter in Jalisco.