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"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."

Julia McCaffrey - NCAB Group

Suggested Items

The Journey from Dilution to Zero Liquid Discharge

05/11/2026 | Richard Nichols, GreenSource Engineering
If you’re familiar with the PCB industry, and a little long in the tooth like me, you may remember the cry, “The water board is here!” (or an equivalent authority). This was the signal for a frantic but regularly rehearsed exercise to turn on all the rinses. This anecdote demonstrates that in the early days of PCB production, prevailing practices revolved around a “dilution is the solution” mentality, in which manufacturers used copious amounts of water to dilute contaminants before discharging them into regulated municipal wastewater systems or natural water bodies.

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

05/08/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007
This week, I’ve selected some outstanding interviews that you’ll want to take note of. First, is a roundtable discussion featuring three dynamic industry cybersecurity experts. Please watch this important discussion that affects us all. Following that, I spotlight the IPC-2581 Consortium, which explains why IPC-2581 is the standard to replace Gerber data for manufacturing. Next, I am including my interview with PCBAA and AAM, who collaborated to release a short documentary on U.S. PCB manufacturing.

Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Karen McConnell

05/07/2026 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007
In 2021, Karen McConnell was awarded the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame award in recognition of her contributions to the Association and the electronics industry. As a senior staff member and CAD/CAM engineer at Northrop Grumman Enterprise Services, her primary responsibility was to develop a common, shared EDM (Electronic Document Management) library to support the electrical and PCB design tool initiatives across Northrop Grumman Mission Systems.

A Necessary Shift From Gerber to IPC-2581

05/07/2026 | Tracy Riggan, Global Electronics Association
IPC-2581 is an open, vendor-neutral data exchange standard developed by the Global Electronics Association to streamline the exchange of PCB design information across fabrication, assembly, and test. It replaces multiple legacy formats—including industry standards, Gerber, and ODB++—with a single, comprehensive, XML-based dataset that captures all manufacturing details.

Meet Emerging Engineers: Patrick Owen and Eric Mickenbecker, Summit Interconnect

05/05/2026 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007
Patrick Owen and Eric Mickenbecker both work for Summit Interconnect, and are in their second year of the Global Electronics Association’s Emerging Engineer Program with mentor Brian Chislea. They stopped by the I-Connect007 booth at APEX EXPO and shared a bit of their story with me. Patrick has worked at the Hollister, California, plant since 2018, while Eric has been at the Chicago site since 2023. Like many of their peers, they came to the electronics industry from different paths, but are both excited about making an impact.
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