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From Silos to Systems: 2026 and Beyond
Welcome to the debut issue of I-Connect007 Magazine. This publication brings all of the pieces together from PCB design and fabrication for a closer alignment and a more integrated electronics manufacturing landscape.
The Automation Advantage
In this issue, we discover how AI, machine learning, and practical factory automation are reshaping PCB fabrication, and where these tools can meaningfully move your business forward.
Thank you, Columnists
This month, we give thanks to our columnists—the brilliant minds who share their expertise, experiences, and passion for the PCB industry. Meet the people behind the pages, learn what drives them, and discover their personal stories.
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New IPC White Paper Focuses on Use of Artificial Intelligence in Automated Optical Inspection in Electronics Manufacturing
February 6, 2025 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
A new white paper, “Unlocking AI for Automated Optical Inspection” released today by IPC’s Chief Technologist Council, focuses on AI’s role in AOI processes for printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs). According to data within the white paper, recent advancements in technology, particularly in Cloud AI, IoT and Smart Manufacturing, have provided opportunities to further enhance AOI performance. AI solutions leveraging deep learning and edge computing technologies have shown significant improvements in AOI accuracy and efficiency.
While the white paper focuses on the application of computer vision AI for automating inspection (i.e., applying AI for pattern recognition on inspection images), the rapidly growing availability and maturity of generative AI presents future possibility in generating inspection criteria.
Key focus areas within the white paper include:
- AI systems explanation
- The use of AI in AOI
- Challenges with deploying AI on the manufacturing floor
- “AI Enhancement to AOI for PCBA” project
- Technical Strategy Recommendations
“AI has shown significant potential in the realm of AOI, particularly in improving detection accuracy, reducing manual intervention and improving production efficiency. It presents many opportunities for the electronics manufacturing industry to increase reliability, speed up time to market and reduce costs and time associated with manual adjustments to systems,” said Matt Kelly, IPC chief technology officer and vice president of technology solutions. “However, several challenges must be addressed before AI can be widely adopted on electronics manufacturing production floors. AI research, industry collaboration and an ecosystem of standards, will help close the gap in AI adoption within the electronics manufacturing industry.”
Download “Unlocking AI for Automated Optical Inspection" here.
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Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
RBB Systems Boosts Manufacturing Capabilities with Equipment Upgrades for 2026
02/11/2026 | RBBRBB, a trusted leader in electronics manufacturing since 1973, is starting the new year with significant equipment upgrades designed to enhance precision, throughput, and manufacturing capabilities across its production lines.
Fukui Murata Manufacturing Completes Construction of New Ceramic Capacitor R&D Center
02/10/2026 | MurataFukui Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a manufacturing subsidiary of Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., began constructing the Ceramic Capacitor R&D Center, a new research and development base, in November 2023.
Scanfil to Invest in Suzhou Plant in China
02/10/2026 | ScanfilScanfil is investing EUR 9 million in expanding its Suzhou plant, driven by a positive customer outlook. The investment will increase the facility’s area by 15,700 square meters, bringing the total area to nearly 37,000 square meters upon completion.
Taiwan Pushes Back on U.S., Citing 40% Goal ‘Impossible’
02/10/2026 | I-Connect007Taiwan has pushed back strongly against U.S. calls to shift a large share of its semiconductor manufacturing capacity to American soil, saying such a move is unrealistic and would undermine an ecosystem built over decades, according to a recent Reuters news article.
Global Sourcing Spotlight: The New Landscape of Manufacturing
02/11/2026 | Bob Duke -- Column: Global Sourcing SpotlightFor decades, manufacturing followed a familiar pattern: design in the West, production in China, and distribution elsewhere. That map no longer works. The shocks of the past five years—the pandemic shutdowns, trade wars, logistics meltdowns, and geopolitical uncertainty—have redrawn the boundaries of global manufacturing. The question every OEM is asking isn’t “How cheap can we make it”? but “How certain are we that we can obtain it?” We are witnessing a seismic shift in the landscape of making things. The work hasn’t disappeared; it’s just moving.