Accurate Circuit Engineering on Passion and Pushing the Envelope

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

In this interview at PCB Carolina in November, James Hofer, general manager of Accurate Circuit Engineering (ACE), shares insights into the company’s innovative approach to component embedding and highlights the passion and dedication driving his team’s commitment to quality and innovation in PCB manufacturing. James is still having fun as they push boundaries and do some pretty cool things in the process.

Andy Shaughnessy:  James, I understand you're working on some pretty cool stuff, doing things that haven't been done much before.

James Hofer: That's correct. As a leading prototype manufacturer, Accurate Circuit Engineering has consistently been at the forefront of quality, technology, and innovation. Recently, there has been significant interest in embedding components within printed circuit boards, and I am pleased to share that we have successfully completed a large, highly innovative project in this area. For this project, we embedded resistors of varying values directly into the PCB. Our capabilities can extend to integrating capacitors and other component chips seamlessly into the circuit board as well. There are several applications that can benefit from this technology. One purpose could be for space hardening, but there are a lot of other opportunities as well.

Shaughnessy: These are active components?

Hofer: Yes, they are active components directly placed onto an internal layers.

Shaughnessy: It seems like it would open a big of cans of worms.

Hofer: It can indeed, but when done correctly, it also opens new avenues of opportunity for exploration. Whether this approach evolves into a long-term, viable alternative to radiation hardening or ruggedizing printed circuit boards remains to be seen. However, this is precisely what Accurate Circuit Engineering excels at—being at the forefront of innovation, experimenting, and pushing boundaries to uncover new possibilities. I am incredibly proud of our success and of the strides we continue to make not only in this new approach, but many others as well.

Shaughnessy: Of course, it potentially frees up a lot of real estate.

Hofer: That's correct. While this does use some interior space and may introduce challenges with thickness due to the need to encapsulate components within active layers, proper engineering can overcome these obstacles. When executed effectively, it not only conserves valuable real estate on the board but also enhances protection for the embedded components.

Shaughnessy: Congratulations on that achievement. What else are you working on that you can discuss?

Hofer: We are working with some interesting milling techniques and I'm happy to say that we recently passed extended D coupon testing on six stacked microvias per side on a 26-layer board.

Shaughnessy: I know the industry has been saying we need to get away from stacking vias because of weak vias and too much pressure in one spot, but there are workarounds.

Hofer: That is correct and copper filling the vias is the best solution when you must directly stack. Additionally, the industry is adding some innovative laminates and prepregs that will aid in the reliability of stacked vias. Further, with the advancements in D coupon testing, which accelerates the time to delamination, we can now rigorously test these Stacks and materials to validate their long-term reliability.

Shaughnessy: James, you really seem to love your job.

Hofer: I do love it and I am passionate about what I do. Most of our team at the shop are also passionate about what we do, and that's why we make some of the best boards out there. It’s why we can do what other people refuse to or are unable to do. When you love something, you find a way to make it happen.

Shaughnessy: Thank you, James. It’s always great to talk to you.

Hofer: Thank you, Andy.