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

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Our editorial team has been working on more cultural topics in the magazines of late. The November issue of SMT007 Magazine, for example, just published an issue on attracting young talent to the industry, while Design007 Magazine (publishing next week) will focus on simplifying designs, followed by PCB007 Magazine’s topic on layer registration.

We chose these November topics, in part, because readers seem to gravitate to those topics with multi-faceted coverage. Case in point, my top picks for this week, which highlight this well-rounded coverage of our industry.

When I use our analytics to see what’s of most interest to our readers, what comes to the top of list are topics such as sustainability, materials, reshoring, upskilling, and high reliability. It makes sense, doesn’t it? In today’s business climate, we must be ever aware of the impact we’re having on the environment while maintaining a high-quality product that supports our national economic and security interests.

I-Connect007 will be onsite at productronica in Munich this month, if you see us on the show floor be sure to say hello.

Fresh PCB Concepts: Sustainable PCBs—Raw Materials and Compliance Methods
Published October 27

Columnist Ramon Roche writes, “The shift toward sustainability in the printed circuit board industry has required PCB producers to rethink their manufacturing processes and who they do business with. A PCB producer's sustainability efforts are for naught if their raw materials providers are not in regulatory compliance.” Find out how Ramon recommends meeting sustainability standards in fabrication in this column.

Forecasting the Wind: IPC's Expert Economist on the Impact of Inflation Rates
Published October 31

IPC's Chief Economist Shawn DuBravac keeps a close eye on what's happening in the U.S. economy, and writes an exclusive report just for IPC Community about the risks of rising interest rates and what it could mean for the electronics manufacturing industry. This is a must-read for anyone doing business today.

Silicon Frogs and Smashing Asteroids: A Review of the IPC High Reliability Forum
Published November 1

High reliability is top of mind for a lot of PCB designers and manufacturers, especially in the defense and aerospace segments. Teresa Rowe brings us her coverage of the IPC High Reliability Forum, which was held in Baltimore recently after being postponed for a few years due to Covid. 

Planning, DFM, and Inspection: Key to High-reliability Fab
Published October 30

In a recent interview, Andy Shaughnessy and Kelly Dack speak with with Marc L’Hoste, VP of West and South Americas for ICAPE Group. They asked Marc to share some advice regarding high-reliability fab. Marc makes it clear that planning, pre-work, and inspection are the key ingredients to high-reliability success. 

All Flex Solutions Acquires Building, Expands Manufacturing in Minneapolis
Published October 31

Companies are on the grow all around the industry, and All Flex Solutions is no exception. All Flex recently announced its acquisition of additional manufacturing space in Minneapolis, adding capacity and capabilities. Kevin Jackson, president and CEO at All Flex, said, “We are initiating an acceleration this year.”