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

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

It’s Friday the 13th so here’s a little Friday morning trivia to start us off. 

Did you know that Fridays the 13th can happen up to three times a year? Triskaidekaphobia is the fear or avoidance of the number 13. Most believe the bad feeling around this day to have Christian origins, specifically referring to the Last Supper where Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus to his captors, was the 13th guest to arrive at dinner. Now, as another week comes to an end, here are my five must-reads for the week.

At the top of my list is “Silicon to Systems,” an interview with technology experts from IPC: Matt Kelly, Devan Iyer, and Kris Moyer. Also, this week, we hear from I-Connect007 Managing Editor Nolan Johnson, who’s been in Mexico for SMTA Guadalajara. Speaking of Mexico, I want to highlight an interview that appeared in IPC Community between Lorena Villanueva and Barjouth Aguilar of Flex, who talk about the importance of sustainability. I wrap up my recommendations with articles about solder printing and wet process control. Be sure to click the links and share these important articles.

From Silicon to Systems
Published September 10

What does silicon to systems mean for PCB designers? “You don't hold a chip in your hand,” says IPC CTO Matt Kelly, who coined the term. “You don't even hold a component in your hand; you hold a cellphone in your hand, and for that system to work, while these components and changes are absolutely important, it's really just one part among many more that makes up the system you are using.” PCB instructor Kris Moyer states that PCB design teachers no longer have the luxury of teaching from the standpoint of a single device, but must consider the entire system. This is a cutting-edge conversation you don’t want to miss.

Grow, Pause, Grow: A Report From SMTA Guadalajara
Published September 12

“This week’s SMTA Guadalajara Expo and Tech Forum reflects that growth through the show’s rapid expansion and high-energy enthusiasm,” says Managing Editor Nolan Johnson, onsite this week at SMTA Guadalajara. Though the region seems to be experiencing a slight EMS pause, long-term investment remains strong, and the Mexico and the Southern region is poised for continued growth. This is a quick read.

A Leader in Sustainability: Talking With Barjouth Aguilar of Flex
Published September 9

In this interview originally published in IPC Community, Lorena Villanueva, director of IPC Mexico, discusses sustainability and the challenges that professional women in Mexico (and around the world) face in our industry. Having met Barjouth at Women’s IPC Day in Ciudad this past March, Lorena says Barjouth immediately became someone she both respected and admired. Barjouth is head of global sustainability at Flex and the Flex Foundation, and resides in Guadalajara, “the Silicon Valley of Mexico.” She talks about how she was clear in her desire to work for Flex and adds, “I have always had a goal of making a change in society, a real change, like fixing things I don’t like.” And she is getting to do just that through her sustainability work at Flex. 

Scrutinizing Solder Printing
Published September 10

In this interview, Adam Murling and Dr. Ron Lasky of Indium discuss the pros and cons of solder jet printing and describe “solder jetting” as the next generation of solder dispensing. Solder jetting, says Murling, yields smaller, more consistent solder deposits and is faster than solder dispensing. They discuss solder formulation and metallurgic reliability, and plainly state, “Quality manufacturing isn’t cheap. Make sure you do your research so you are getting the right equipment for your manufacturing.”

Trouble in Your Tank: Things You Can Do for Better Wet Process Control
Published September 12

I love Mike Carano’s columns. He always states things truly and plainly. In his August column, he says, “As the level of complexity increases (higher layer counts, HDI and ultra high-density designs, and smaller footprint IC substrates, etc.), the process windows for wet chemical processing (etching, developing, and plating) are narrowing.” Things will always go wrong, he says, but you must have the systems in place to know whether those “things” are a special or common cause variables.