Ringing in Some Holiday Cheer at SMTA Silicon Valley

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

It was a pleasure to attend SMTA Silicon Valley on Thursday, Dec. 7 at the Flex campus. The show hosted just over 60 exhibitors, which meant the narrow aisles remained full of attendees throughout the day. As festive music was piped through the sound system, and board members like Michelle Ogihara kept the energy high for all involved, old friends and colleagues caught up and made deals. The Flex facility in Milpitas was indeed a great choice for this event.

Three keynote speakers enlightened visitors and exhibitors alike throughout the day. I attended the presentation by David Geiger, senior director of AME assembly and test technology at Flex, who spoke on “SMT Manufacturing Challenges.” Interestingly, he began his presentation by asking, “How do we pass our knowledge onto the generations (of engineers and technicians) coming up?” I imagine a follow-up question on the minds of many there was, “Are we imparting this knowledge effectively, and to all the right people?” 

Geiger broke down SMT manufacturing’s most pressing challenges into four broad categories:

• PCBA, advanced engineering
• Circular economy: Mostly around the sustainability of products
• Supply chain and processes
• Digital factories: Something we’ve all been talking quite a bit about lately

Geiger reinforced that the overarching theme across all technology challenges comes from the ever-increasing demand for more miniaturization coupled with greater functionality. He used examples like large BGAs up to 100 x 100 mm—which Flex is seeing right now—and shared that 120 mm and even 150 mm are in the immediate future. He said the evolution of materials toward lead-free, and the proliferation of different alloys across the globe, continue to present manufacturing and test challenges. He discussed the need for better modeling for predictive engineering and problem-solving, not just modeling at the design stage of product development, but also process modeling (digital factories).

During her lunchtime keynote, Julia Silk of Keysight Technologies discussed the emergence of 6G and the benefits it will likely bring to our industry. To round out the day, speaker Jasbir Bath of Bath Consulting spoke about the INEMI Board Assembly Roadmap, showcasing the most prevalent and problematic issues in assembly in the areas of solder paste, underfills, conformal coatings, encapsulants, thermal interface materials, wave materials, and rework materials.

Kudos to the SMTA Silicon Valley chapter board of directors for hosting an early December show that succeeded in being both relevant and fun, with a festive vibe that kept smiles on faces all day long. The generally high Silicon Valley energy and enthusiasm—which always seems to be in evidence at a show like this—was boosted by the ambiance.

Check out our photo gallery for a glimpse into the day.