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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
June 30, 2023 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

It’s a heady time here in the U.S. between the summer holidays of Memorial Day (last Monday in May) and Independence Day (July 4). This four-week period straddles the Northern solstice, boasts the longest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the high season for outside activities, which may be pulling you away from the office. Am I right? Never fear, I-Connect007 is here to deliver the “must know” news stories.
I’m bending the rules (again) this week by adding some additional links to some of the news items, so as to provide a more comprehensive picture of the story. So, what do we have? A conversation with Omron, news from Isola and Insulectro, Pete Starkey’s EIPC Summer Conference coverage (keynote, Day 1 and Day 2 summaries), and IPC monthly sales reports for EMS and PCB fab.
If you’re in the U.S., have a wildly independent holiday weekend; for our global readers, we’ll still be here, watching the news for you. Stay tuned.
Omron Discusses SPI, AI and More
Published June 26
At the recent SMTA Oregon Tech Forum and Expo, Tim Anderson, a senior account manager at Omron, presented his insights on SPI, the latest trends in the industry, and some solutions to consider. Afterward, Barry Matties caught up with Anderson for a follow up discussion. As Anderson points out, the SPI, AOI, and AXI systems of today do far more than simply catch defects. This is a short and informative read for anyone following these machinery applications.
Isola Changing With the Times
Published June 29
Changing market conditions require changes in approach. I-Connect007’s Barry Matties and Nolan Johnson spoke with Isola’s Travis Kelly, Sean Mirshafiei, and Kirk Thompson about Isola’s recent responses to market conditions. In this interview, Kelly, Mirshafiei, and Thompson outline recent changes to Isola senior leadership, optimizing manufacturing to meet the needs of the global market, and the strategic importance of advanced packaging to the global economy, and to the U.S., in particular.
EIPC Summer Conference 2023: The Keynote Session
Published June 26
The EIPC technical sessions–whether the monthly snapshot sessions, or the semi-annual conferences– are eternally full of high-value technical updates. This year’s summer session follows that same tradition. Of course, Pete Starkey’s detailed narratives always bring an extra bit of humanity to the sessions. We’re leading with Mr. Starkey’s coverage of the keynote, but I’ve added links to the summaries for Day 1 and Day 2 here, as well.
Insulectro Announces New Partnership With Laminate Suppliers Arlon Electronics Materials and EMC
Published June 27
Insulectro announces its new status as exclusive distributor for North America of Arlon copper clad laminates beginning Sept. 4, 2023. In addition, Arlon is the master distributor for Elite Materials Company (EMC), based in Taiwan. This brings both product lines to the Insulectro line card. Read here to get the details.
North American EMS Industry Up 7.1% in May
Published June 22
Read the whole post here, but just to tease the content, “EMS bookings in May increased 0.8 percent year-over-year and increased 4.4 percent from the previous month.” Also linked to the EMS report is the PCB fabrication report: North American PCB Industry Sales Up 6.7% in May
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Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
How Good Design Enables Sustainable PCBs
08/21/2025 | Gerry Partida, Summit InterconnectSustainability has become a key focus for PCB companies seeking to reduce waste, conserve energy, and optimize resources. While many discussions on sustainability center around materials or energy-efficient processes, PCB design is an often overlooked factor that lies at the heart of manufacturing. Good design practices, especially those based on established IPC standards, play a central role in enabling sustainable PCB production. By ensuring designs are manufacturable and reliable, engineers can significantly reduce the environmental impact of their products.
50% Copper Tariffs, 100% Chip Uncertainty, and a Truce
08/19/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007If you’re like me, tariffs were not on your radar screen until a few months ago, but now political rhetoric has turned to presidential action. Tariffs are front-page news with major developments coming directly from the Oval Office. These are not typical times. President Donald Trump campaigned on tariff reform, and he’s now busy revamping America’s tariff policy.
Global PCB Connections: Understanding the General Fabrication Process—A Designer’s Hidden Advantage
08/14/2025 | Markus Voeltz -- Column: Global PCB ConnectionsDesigners don’t need to become fabricators, but understanding the basics of PCB fabrication can save you time, money, and frustration. The more you understand what’s happening on the shop floor, the better you’ll be able to prevent downstream issues. As you move into more advanced designs like HDI, flex circuits, stacked vias, and embedded components, this foundational knowledge becomes even more critical. Remember: the fabricator is your partner.
MKS’ Atotech to Participate in IPCA Electronics Expo 2025
08/11/2025 | AtotechMKS Inc., a global provider of enabling technologies that transform our world, announced that its strategic brands ESI® (laser systems) and Atotech® (process chemicals, equipment, software, and services) will showcase their latest range of leading manufacturing solutions for printed circuit board (PCB) and package substrate manufacturing at the upcoming 17th IPCA Show to be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from August 21-23, 2025.
MKS Showcases Next-generation PCB Manufacturing Solutions at the Thailand Electronics Circuit Asia 2025
08/06/2025 | MKS Instruments, Inc.MKS Inc, a global provider of enabling technologies that transform our world, today announced its participation in Thailand Electronics Circuit Asia 2025 (THECA 2025), taking place August 20–22 at BITEC in Bangkok.