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What happens when the rule book is no longer useful, or worse, was never written in the first place? In today’s fast-moving electronics landscape, we’re increasingly asked to design and build what has no precedent, no proven path, and no tidy checklist to follow. This is where “Design for Invention” begins.
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From the growing role of AI in design tools to the challenge of managing cumulative tolerances, these articles in this issue examine the technical details, design choices, and manufacturing considerations that determine whether a board works as intended.
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PCB007 Magazine: The Essential Guide to Surface Finishes—March 2025
March 17, 2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The Essential Guide to Surface Finishes
Corrosion, adhesion, bonding—the comprehensive issue of surface finish plating is a primary one for printed circuit board manufacturers and their assembly counterparts with gold as the “gold standard” for many applications. But gold is expensive, and it has its limits.
In the March 2025 issue of PCB007 Magazine, we compare and contrast surface finishes by type and application, taking a hard look at the many iterations of gold plating as a longtime standard and as palladium as a surface finish. We also take another look at a compelling additive manufacturing metallization product and technology. We go back to basics, recount a little history, and look forward to addressing the many challenges that high density, high frequency, adhesion, SI, and corrosion concerns for harsh environments bring to the fore.
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Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
Connect the Dots: Designing for the Future of Manufacturing Reality—Surface Finish
05/07/2026 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsWhen designing the complex boards that many electronic devices require to operate, designers should consider manufacturability at every step. This is my last article focused on designing for the always-evolving manufacturing reality. Choosing the right surface finish has always been important. If you are creating intricate designs with a wide variety of components, like for an ultra-high density interconnect (UHDI) board, surface finish is a critical last step.
Boyd Completes the Sale of its Thermal Business to Eaton for $9.5 Billion
03/13/2026 | BUSINESS WIREBoyd Corporation, the trusted global innovator in engineered materials and thermal solutions, announced it has completed the sale of its Thermal business to Eaton, an intelligent power management company, for $9.5 billion as previously announced on November 3rd, 2025.
Boyd Receives Gold Tier Partner 2 Win Award from BAE Systems
02/25/2026 | BUSINESS WIREBoyd, whose rugged, high-quality technologies enable critical aerospace and defense applications, announced it received a Gold Tier Supplier Award from BAE Systems.
Fresh PCB Concepts: Cost Stability in a Period of Copper and Gold Volatility
02/12/2026 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsAnyone who works with PCBs in any capacity right now can feel that copper and laminate prices are not stagnant, gold price is increasing even faster, and the impact shows up quickly on PCB quotations. For many design teams, this feels like a force outside their control. Raw materials go up, and the board cost goes with it. I want to highlight that many of these swings are manageable.
NCAB Releases PCB Supply Chain Outlook 2026
12/08/2025 | NCABThe PCB market is currently undergoing a drastic shift. After a period of relative stability, we see that manufacturing capacity is tightening during next year, lead times are extending, and input costs are rising sharply.