Nolan’s Notes: Everyone Has Their Eye on India
Standard of Excellence: The Human Touch in an Automated World
The Government Circuit: Navigating New Trade Headwinds and New Partnerships
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
May 12, 2023 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
It’s not hyperbole to say that there’s never a dull moment in the world of PCB design and manufacturing. There’s always something interesting happening, and each week our contributors bring us a wide variety of articles, columns, and news items.
This week’s must-reads contains a veritable potpourri of information from around the industry. We have a Pete Starkey review of the latest EIPC webinar on ultra HDI and thin film resistors, an interview with the founder of an electronics trade school in Texas, and an update from PCBAA about their lobbying efforts in Washington.
We also have news about our brand-new podcast, or “pod,” as the kids say, and a column about the wisdom of Don Draper that just might serve technologists and managers well. Read on, folks!
I-Connect007 Launches 'On the Line with...' Podcast with Series on Sustainability
Published May 10
If you’re like me (and who isn’t?), you’re always looking for new content on Spotify. Well, you’re in luck. Our new podcast On the Line with… is now available on Spotify and other podcast platforms. Our first podcast features Siemens’ Patrick Hope and Pat McGoff discussing sustainability in PCB manufacturing.
It’s Only Common Sense: Eight Things I Learned from Don Draper
Published May 8
Many of us watched “Mad Men,” a show set in a 1950s-era ad agency that critics claimed glorified day drinking and sexual harassment in the workplace. That may be true. But along the way, protagonist Don Draper, creative director of the fictional ad agency, lays down some serious wisdom. Dan Beaulieu explains what we can all learn from the man with the snappy gray suit.
EIPC Review: Ultra-high-density Interconnects, Thin-film Resistor Materials
Published May 10
Pete Starkey returns with another installment of his coverage of the EIPC Technical Snapshot webinar series, and, of course, it’s one of the most-read articles of the week. No one covers these events like Pete; he breaks down cutting-edge presentations from the top experts in the industry, and provides background info so the reader can understand the potential ramifications of new processes and technologies. Always worth a read.
Texas Trade School Links Students With Employers
Published May 9
Chances are, you have a few open positions at your company, and you probably don’t have a stack of resumés awaiting your perusal. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a pipeline of young people who are trained and ready to start working? It may be time to team up with a school like Elvia Quintanilla’s Texas Technical Trade School. In this interview, she discusses the school’s curriculum, an electrical technical program taught by a certified electrical engineer.
American Made Advocacy: PCBAA's New Representation
Published May 11
Ever since the CHIPS Act was released last year, there’s been a lot of talk about how the DoD is going to support the electronics industry. But some of us don’t trust Washington as far as we can throw Rep. Jerrold Nadler. PCBAA is working to make sure that the CHIPS Act isn’t just lip service by congressmen eager to win reelection. In this column, Executive Director David Schild discusses the CHIPS Act, as well as the organization’s mission to “educate, advocate, and legislate for our industry.”
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Dan Feinberg on Walt Custer: Remembering an Extraordinary Business Associate and Friend
09/09/2025 | Dan Feinberg, Technology Editor, I-Connect007The passing of Walt Custer marks the end of an era for all those who knew him and were helped and impressed by his presence, both personally and professionally. Walt's life was characterized by his unwavering commitment to the industry, his profound wisdom and willingness to share it, and his infectious enthusiasm for everything he did.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
09/05/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007It’s almost fall here in Atlanta, and that means that the temperature is finally dropping. And it quit raining! It’s been raining since March, and I’m so over it, as the social influencers say. Last night we grilled out on the deck, and it wasn’t hot, and we didn’t get rained on. Life is good. It was a busy week in the industry. In this installment of my must-reads, we say goodbye to Walt Custer, the man who made PCB data points interesting for the rest of us.
UHDI Fundamentals: UHDI Technology and Industry 4.0
09/03/2025 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsUltra high density interconnect (UHDI) technology is rapidly transforming how smart systems are designed and deployed in the context of Industry 4.0. With its capacity to support highly miniaturized, high-performance, and densely packed electronics, UHDI is a critical enabler of the smart, connected, and automated industrial future. Here, I’ll explore the synergy between UHDI and Industry 4.0 technologies, highlighting applications, benefits, and future directions.
Nolan’s Notes: Everyone Has Their Eye on India
09/03/2025 | Nolan Johnson -- Column: Nolan's NotesIn this issue of SMT007 Magazine, we turn our attention to the Indian EMS market. We start with an interview with David Bergman, whose foresight in the early 2000s opened doors for the Global Electronics Association to begin helping Indian EMS companies with standards and certifications that would give EMS companies a footing to enter a global EMS market.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
08/29/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007This week, we bring you Global Electronics Association’s Chris Mitchell’s government relations column on—you guessed it—trade deals. TTM is balancing its facilities between East and West. The Global Electronics Association released July numbers for North American PCB shipments, and the news is good. Meanwhile, the corresponding report for EMS might seem like bad news, but that’s misleading. Be sure to look deeper for the rest of the story. Finally, for a bit space-science palate cleansing, I’m sharing news of the latest launch of NASA’s X-37B.