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

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

He’s back, and in splendid form. Pete’s Starkey’s coverage of the EIPC Summer Conference, which took place June 4-5 at the European Space Centre, The Netherlands, is top notch. Joan Tourné from NextGIn Technologies emphasized that our attention must be focused on the interconnection ability of our PCBs and highlights VeCS as an alternative to the traditional plated-through-hole approach. Finally, Martyn Cauwe of IMEC discusses environmental impact and specifically, the need for a better, parametric approach to quantifying it, something European businesses are being required to do on the regular. Reading Pete’s reviews is almost as good as being there. Check out his Part 1 coverage here.  

Looking Into Space: EIPC Summer Conference, Part 2
Published June 18

This second-day write-up of the conference, themed, “Innovative Development of PCB Technology and Design,” kicked off with a compelling presentation by Dr. Evelyne Parmentier, research and development engineer with Dyconex, who broached the question, “Why aren’t we including more of the elements (metals) in the periodic table in our manufacturing?” This was followed by a discussion on sputtering as an alternative method of metalization, something of great interest to many of us.

American Made Advocacy: Changing Leadership and Three Years of Advocacy in D.C.
Published June 18

Travis Kelly, CEO of Isola and the first chair of PCBAA, signs off in his final column this month as he turns the PCBAA reigns over to Shane Whiteside of Summit Interconnect. Recollecting the last three years of advocacy work of which he and PCBAA have been a critical part, he highlights all that remains to be done and how important it is for business leaders to have their voices heard. As he bids Mr. Whiteside much success in this role, he calls out to all industry members to become involved in helping to create a more balanced global supply chain where U.S. businesses and interests can prosper.

Traditional Materials, High-Frequency Boards?
Published June 18

This interview with PCB design guru Kris Moyer and the former CTO for Isola Ed Kelly is an energetic and informational discussion about the evolution of PCB materials and the cross-over we are seeing today between high-speed digital designs and PCB designs for RF applications. RF materials are no longer the only go-to material solution when dealing with RF attributes in a PCB design. Today, this is the middle ground, utilizing and blending different resin systems to achieve low loss and target Dks. This is a great read.

The Critical Role of Materials
Published June 19

As a PCB fabricator, managing your inventory, especially your laminate inventory, is a critical piece for achieving and maintaining financial success in business. If you do everything else right and do this wrong, you will negatively affect your bottom line. In this article from PCB007 Magazine’s May issue, Anaya Vardya of American Standard Circuit shares his approach and best practices regarding this essential part of operations. When managing high-tech, high-mix, low-volume production, the criticality of great supplier relationships and managing necessary risk are all covered in this in-depth interview.

Manufacturing Industry's Path to Innovation and Efficiency Lies in Exponential IT, Says Info-Tech Research Group
Published June 18

Sometimes, a news item resonates deeply with our readers, and this announcement by the Info-Tech Research Group did just that. Speaking to the seemingly incessant search for good information and data that may provide clarity for our business futures, this article showcases the reality that achieving innovation is increasingly and inextricably linked to one’s investment and engagement in IT or technology. Of course, leveraging AI capabilities comes immediately to mind. “Exponential IT,” as it is called in this study, is not the IT of yesteryear. As with all things, strategy will be key in how technology will be used optimally to the greatest advantage and success of manufacturing businesses. This is a quick read focused on your IT management, but if you are a business leader or stakeholder, it is worth two minutes of your time.