Global PCB Connections: Understanding the General Fabrication Process—A Designer’s Hidden Advantage
Elementary, Mr. Watson: Why Your PCB Looks Like a Studio Apartment
The Shaughnessy Report: A Plan for Floor Planning
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
February 23, 2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
It’s not spring, but we must be getting close. It was 70 yesterday here in Atlanta, and I was able to wear a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and sandals for the first time this year. If you’re wearing a Hawaiian shirt, you know it’s going to be a good day.
It was a good week in PCB design and manufacturing as well. In this week’s wrap-up, we have news about an uptick in EMS shipments in January, a look at the current M&A climate, some guidance on investing in your company in order to stay competitive, a primer on designing with embedded capacitance materials, and a roadmap for the industry to embrace sustainable PCBs in the future.
As many of you have told me at recent trade shows, it's a good time to be in this industry. Have a good weekend!
Catching Up With Industry M&A Expert Tom Kastner of GP Ventures
Published February 21
Dan Beaulieu recently interviewed Tom Kastner, our resident mergers and acquisitions expert. Here they discuss the current M&A climate, and whether CFIUS (the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) regulations prohibit Chinese companies from acquiring U.S. tech companies. (Apparently, yes.) Check it out.
Standard of Excellence: Moving Into the Future by Growing Your Technology
Published February 21
Is your company growing every day? As columnist Anaya Vardya points out here, in this industry, if you’re not growing, you’re dying. In this column, Anaya discusses the need for fabricators to invest in their businesses, and he lays out a roadmap for this investment as well.
Beyond Design: Embedded Capacitance Material
Published February 22
More and more designers are working with embedded components. If you’re considering moving into this arena, you probably have a lot of questions. In this column, Barry Olney addresses many of your concerns about embedded, particularly regarding signal integrity and embedded capacitance materials. On the plus side, embedding components often provides better signal integrity.
North American EMS Industry Up 2.6% in January 2024
Published February 23
Our industry seems to be in a pretty good spot right now. At trade shows, company managers from all sectors tell me that they’re optimistic about the rest of 2024, and this news backs up that confidence. With North American EMS shipments up 2.6% over the same period last year, things are looking good.
Recycling PCBs: How NCAB is Navigating Challenges and Embracing Opportunities
Published February 22
There’s been a lot of talk about sustainability in this industry, and each year we see more environmental regulations designed to steer manufacturers into producing sustainable PCBs. But as Jan Pedersen points out, regulations alone won’t get the job done. In this article, Jan discusses some of the technologies that he believes will lead us into a world of fully recyclable PCBs.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Our marketing partnership with I-Connect007 is already delivering. Just a day after our press release went live, we received a direct inquiry about our updated products!"
Rachael Temple - AlltematedSuggested Items
Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Jerry Siegmund
08/15/2025 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007The Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame (HOF) Award has been awarded to those who have contributed significantly to the Global Electronics Association (formerly known as IPC) and our industry. Though many early HOF members have passed away and are unknown to today’s membership, their contributions still resonate. This special series on Hall of Fame members provides a reminder of who was honored and why.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
08/15/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007In our industry, my top reads include Prashant Patel’s overview and argument for reshoring, which I found to be a great general overview and breakdown. In further support of the onshoring/reshoring message, I’m highlighting Nolan Johnson’s interview on the survey and report by the Reshoring Initiative. Check out my interview with USPAE’s Jim Will on the state of the flat panel display (FPD) industry and the risks associated with it for U.S. defense and critical infrastructure products.
20 Years of Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT) – Backbone of German Semiconductor Research Celebrates Anniversary
08/14/2025 | Fraunhofer IPMSThe Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT) of the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Since its founding in 2005, it has developed into a pillar of applied semiconductor research in Germany and Europe. With its unique research cleanroom and equipment adhering to the 300-mm wafer industry standard, CNT is unparalleled in Germany and serves as a central innovation driver for the microelectronics industry.
A Passion for PCB Prototypes: Accurate Circuit Engineering—'Good People Doing Something They Love'
08/13/2025 | Linda Stepanich, Community MagazineFounded in 1983, Accurate Circuit Engineering (ACE) in Santa Ana, California, is a PCB prototype manufacturer and industry leader in radio frequency (RF) and microwave boards. It started as a family company and still adheres to those values by knowing its staff well and tailoring work and education to encourage them to stay at the company. “ACE is good people doing something they love,” says James Hofer, director of operations. “I am passionate about what I do, and ACE allows me to pursue that passion."
COVID, Tough Sales, and What Made Me a Better Salesperson
08/12/2025 | Daniel Beauvois, The Component StoreBefore 2020, we approached sales differently. A persistent, gritty salesperson could approach businesses daily without an appointment. They would often be turned away, but sometimes, they would be given a shot. Then, in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic became official, and things started to shut down. When we finally came back, everything had changed, creating an impenetrable barrier for outside salespeople.