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

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

It’s the weekend, and I’m pretty happy about that. Did this feel like a long week to you too? 

In this week’s roundup, we have a variety of articles covering everything from design through assembly, and even box build. I’ve always wondered whether box build was all it was cracked up to be. Do customers really pick one EMS provider over another because one company offers box build?

And if you’ve ever wanted to volunteer, IPC’s Thought Leaders Program is looking for a few good technologists to help them on their mission. Check out Stanton Rak’s article, which was published in the spring issue of IPC Community.

It’s almost summer, and I’m ready to test out my new central air conditioning! Have a good weekend.

The Right Approach: I Hear the Train A Comin'
Published April 25

As columnist Steve Williams says, lots of companies brag about their training programs, but if you look a little deeper, you’ll find that there’s not much substance behind the talk. Is your company one of these? Steve gets extra credit for the Johnny Cash reference in his headline.

Elevating PCB Design Engineering With IPC Programs
Published April 24

If you’ve ever searched the Department of Labor website for salaries of electrical engineers in our industry, you were out of luck. You might find info on “engineers” or “electrical engineers,” but nothing specific to the PCB community. Until recently, that is. As Cory Blaylock explains, IPC has lobbied the DOL to recognize “PCB design engineer” as a specific career. This is bigger news than you might imagine. Check it out.

Determining the Value-add of Box Build
Published April 24

We hear a lot of talk about EMS companies providing box build services to “seal the deal” with customers. But what is the actual value of box build? Does it really bring in new customers or help ensure loyalty with existing customers? Jon Schmitz of RiverSide Integrated Solutions talks with Nolan Johnson about the true value of box build, and why it’s such a draw for certain customers.

Stan Rak: Elevating the Ideas and Insights of IPC's Thought Leaders Program
Published April 25

If you’ve never heard of IPC’s Thought Leaders Program (TLP), don’t miss this article. Stanton Rak, owner of the SF Rak Company, explains his role in the TLP and the program’s goals—strengthening the IPC community and our industry overall. The TLP is looking for volunteers, so if you’d like to contribute, they’d love to have you on board.

Digitalisation and ESG
Published April 19

Our industry continues to move toward complete digitalization of data, and now advocates for ESG (environmental, social and governance) are realizing that digitalization can be very good for the environment. Marina Hornasek-Metzl of AT&S breaks it all down.