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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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Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
Statement from the Global Electronics Association on the July 2025 Tariff on Copper Foil and Electronics-Grade Copper Inputs
07/31/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationWe are disappointed by today’s decision to impose a 50% tariff on imported copper foil and other essential materials critical to electronics manufacturing in the United States.
Considering the Future of Impending Copper Tariffs
07/30/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamThe Global Electronics Association is alerting industry members that a potential 50% tariff on copper could hit U.S. electronics manufacturers where it hurts.
Connect the Dots: Sequential Lamination in HDI PCB Manufacturing
07/31/2025 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsAs HDI technology becomes mainstream in high-speed and miniaturized electronics, understanding the PCB manufacturing process can help PCB design engineers create successful, cost-effective designs using advanced technologies. Designs that incorporate blind and buried vias, boards with space constraints, sensitive signal integrity requirements, or internal heat dissipation concerns are often candidates for HDI technology and usually require sequential lamination to satisfy the requirements.
OKI Launches Rigid-Flex PCBs with Embedded Copper Coins Featuring Improved Heat Dissipation for Space Equipment Applications
07/29/2025 | BUSINESS WIREOKI Circuit Technology, the OKI Group’s printed circuit board (PCB) business company, has developed rigid-flex PCBs with embedded copper coins that offer improved heat dissipation for use in rockets and satellite-mounted equipment operating in vacuum environments.
Designers Notebook: Basic PCB Planning Criteria—Establishing Design Constraints
07/22/2025 | Vern Solberg -- Column: Designer's NotebookPrinted circuit board development flows more smoothly when all critical issues are predefined and understood from the start. As a basic planning strategy, the designer must first consider the product performance criteria, then determine the specific industry standards or specifications that the product must meet. Planning also includes a review of all significant issues that may affect the product’s manufacture, performance, reliability, overall quality, and safety.