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Current IssueThe Hole Truth: Via Integrity in an HDI World
From the drilled hole to registration across multiple sequential lamination cycles, to the quality of your copper plating, via reliability in an HDI world is becoming an ever-greater challenge. This month we look at “The Hole Truth,” from creating the “perfect” via to how you can assure via quality and reliability, the first time, every time.
In Pursuit of Perfection: Defect Reduction
For bare PCB board fabrication, defect reduction is a critical aspect of a company's bottom line profitability. In this issue, we examine how imaging, etching, and plating processes can provide information and insight into reducing defects and increasing yields.
Voices of the Industry
We take the pulse of the PCB industry by sharing insights from leading fabricators and suppliers in this month's issue. We've gathered their thoughts on the new U.S. administration, spending, the war in Ukraine, and their most pressing needs. It’s an eye-opening and enlightening look behind the curtain.
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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
May 26, 2023 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 2 minutes

It’s been a busy week here at I-Connect007, an even busier week for PCB designers and manufacturers. This week, we published a variety of articles and news items. In this week’s wrap-up, we have an interview with Rex Rozario that is basically a historical look at the birth of commercial PCB manufacturing, and his involvement with the Rolling Stones in their early days. Then we bring you a look at trends in freight costs, which are—fortunately—heading southward right now.
Columnist Kelly Dack shares his thoughts on specifying materials, with a warning against over-specifying laminates for boards that will go to volume production in Asia. And we’ve just published a book written by our friends at GEN3 that focuses on process control.
Finally, let’s welcome our newest columnist, SMTA Vice President of Communications Mike Konrad, who discusses manufacturing reliable PCBs that can withstand harsh environments. Mike has been around the world discussing PCBA cleaning, and we’re happy to have him in the I-Connect007 stable of columnists.
I hope you all have a great holiday weekend!
The Birth of the Printed Circuit Board
Published May 23
Rex Rozario has been involved in so many parts of the history of the PCBs—and rock and roll—that it’s hard to keep up with him. In this wide-ranging interview, Rex discusses his involvement in the beginning of the circuit board industry, as well as the earliest days of the Rolling Stones, who used to practice in his night club in the ‘60s. Rex is a real connector, as Malcolm Gladwell would say.
Where Are Freight Costs Going?
Published May 24
Nothing happens in a vacuum, and everything we manufacture has to be shipped somewhere. In this article, IPC Chief Scientist Shawn DuBravac discusses the recent drop in freight costs and trends he’s seeing in global container throughput. If you’re wondering where the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index stands right now, read on.
The Knowledge Base: Building Reliable Electronics for Harsh Environments
Published May 22
Check out our newest column! We’ve known Mike Konrad for years, and we’re glad to have him on board as a columnist. Mike is known throughout the industry for his PCBA cleaning expertise. In his first column, he discusses how to manufacture reliable electronics for harsh environments.
Latest I-007eBook from GEN3 Focuses on Process Control
Published May 25
Our newest book has just dropped, as the kids say. Check out The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to… Process Control, written by GEN3 and published by I-Connect007. If I’m going to keep editing books, I may have to get a meerschaum pipe and a pretentious blazer with elbow patches.
Stop Over-specifying Your Materials
Published May 25, 2023
Designers are only trying to help when they over-specify your materials. But guess what? Many times, they’re actually making things worse if the board goes to volume production overseas, as columnist Kelly Dack explains in this feature interview. Definitely an interesting read.
Suggested Items
Advancing Aerospace Excellence: Emerald’s Medford Team Earns Space Addendum Certification
06/30/2025 | Emerald TechnologiesWe’re thrilled to announce a major achievement from our Medford, Oregon facility. Andy Abrigo has officially earned her credentials as a Certified IPC Trainer (CIT) under the IPC J-STD-001 Space Addendum, the leading industry standard for space and military-grade electronics manufacturing.
Magnalytix and Foresite to Host Technical Webinar on SIR Testing and Functional Reliability
06/26/2025 | MAGNALYTIXMagnalytix, in collaboration with Foresite Inc., is pleased to announce an upcoming one-hour Webinar Workshop titled “Comparing SIR IPC B-52 to Umpire 41 Functional & SIR Test Method.” This session will be held on July 24, 2025, and is open to professionals in electronics manufacturing, reliability engineering, and process development seeking insights into new testing standards for climatic reliability.
IPC Rebrands as Global Electronics Association: Interview With Dr. John W. Mitchell
06/22/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Today, following a major announcement, IPC is embracing the rapid advancement of technology with a bold decision to change its name to the Global Electronics Association. This name more accurately reflects the full breadth of its work and the modern realities of electronics manufacturing. In this exclusive interview, Global Electronics Association President and CEO Dr. John W. Mitchell shares the story behind the rebrand: Why now, what it means for the industry, and how it aligns with the organization’s mission.
Global Electronics Association Debuts; New Name Elevates IPC’s 70-Year Legacy as Voice of $6 Trillion Electronics Industry
06/25/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationToday begins a new chapter for IPC as it officially becomes the Global Electronics Association, reflecting its role as the voice of the electronics industry. Guided by the vision of “Better electronics for a better world,” the Global Electronics Association (electronics.org) is dedicated to enhancing supply chain resilience and promoting accelerated growth through engagement with more than 3,000 member companies, thousands of partners, and dozens of governments across the globe.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
06/20/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007It’s been a busy week in this industry, and we have news and articles from the PCB design, fabrication and assembly communities. Some of this news is out of this world. We may be losing the high ground—the really high ground. Columnist Jesse Vaughan explains how the U.S. seems to be falling behind in space, and how this could affect our ability to defend ourselves in the future. We have an update on the U.S.-China tariff talks, which seem to be moving forward, though sometimes at a snail’s pace.