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Suggested Items

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

08/07/2026 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007
Are you familiar with the “locus of control," which describes how much we believe our actions can change the outcome of our lives? Internal locus of control, for example, is the belief that our actions greatly shape our outcomes; external locus of control holds that external forces have a greater influence than our actions on how our lives play out. How we view our own locus of control can strongly influence how we respond to the world, perhaps even creating a self-fulfilling prophecy situation. The news has taken a more languid pace this week. Not so, however, for our intrepid band of I-Connect007 columnists, who thoughtfully tackle some chunky locus of control topics.

Diversification: Where Do You Grow From Here?

08/05/2026 | Dan Beaulieu, D.B. Management Group
Our industry has long operated on a relatively straightforward formula:  invest in equipment, build a solid production team, develop reliable manufacturing processes, and compete for business based on quality, delivery, and price. If a shop maintained strong relationships with customers and consistently delivered dependable work, there was every reason to believe the business would continue growing steadily for years. In many ways, this model built the modern PCB industry. But the environment surrounding electronics manufacturing has changed dramatically, and I am concerned that many U.S. domestic fabricators have not fully adjusted to these changes.

Learning With Leo: Where Reliability Actually Hides

08/05/2026 | Leo Lambert -- Column: Learning With Leo
In my many years of training, it’s funny to see what still surprises people. For example, they’re surprised that by the time the solder melts, most of what decides whether that joint survives has already happened before the iron and even before inspection. In fact, it’s even earlier than that. In my column last month, I argued that most soldering problems are really problems of interpretation, which leads to the materials themselves, and where reliability is won or lost. So, let’s talk about what we’re actually soldering today.

Defense Speak Interpreted: Will Defense Become a Totally New Supplier for Drone Electronics?

08/04/2026 | Dennis Fritz -- Column: Defense Speak Interpreted
When I read recently that Tobyhanna Army Depot would begin manufacturing up to one million circuit cards annually for military drones, I immediately wondered whether this opens a whole new chapter of volume electronics manufacturing within Defense. Historically, Defense has had access to some aspect of printed circuit production. My research confirmed what I already knew from my own experience as a subcontractor to the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane in Indiana. Locations such as Robins Air Force Base, NSWC Crane, Picatinny Arsenal, and Redstone Arsenal may be involved in some form of prototyping and manufacturing circuit boards and assemblies, but it’s all on a limited scale and meant to support legacy aircraft and weapons.

The Chemical Connection: When History Repeats Itself on Diversification

08/04/2026 | Don Ball -- Column: The Chemical Connection
Diversification, as a way to spread out risks, maintain steady cash flows, and sustain stable earnings in unpredictable business environments, is a concept that has long been used by all businesses, not just PCB fabrication. Is it really a sound business approach? With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight afforded by over 50 years of experience in the PC fab business, I have formed some definite opinions and observations on this subject, which I will now share with you (with some caveats).
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