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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
March 28, 2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

How was your week? I’ve spent my time recovering from a busy and interesting week in Anaheim for the 25th IPC APEX EXPO. I think back to my first APEX EXPO, and the changes since then are too numerous to count.
I first attended IPC APEX EXPO in 2004, also in Anaheim, back when there was almost no design content in the conference or expo portions of the show. It was just a few years after the downturn, and attendees and exhibitors alike were skittish, almost afraid to show confidence in our industry. A few unemployed design friends handed out copies of their resumes. Travel budgets were still down, and the aisles weren’t exactly packed with traffic.
Contrast that with this year’s APEX EXPO, which I think succeeded in every way. Everyone I spoke with was bullish on their company and the industry in general. There were no really slow times on the show floor, except right before the show closed last Thursday. Almost everyone seemed to be hiring, or planning to hire soon. A few managers said they were worried somewhat about the effect of tariffs on their bottom line, but for the most part, people were excited and happy to be in this industry. And there was plenty of design content this year, from the conference classes to the Design Town Hall.
I watched "John Wick 2" on the trip out, and "John Wick 3" on the way home. (Why are there never any police around when John Wick is being shot at by 13 assassins at the same time in Central Park?) I have about a month until PCB East. Maybe I’ll see you there. So, here are my must-reads of the past week.
Life in the Fast Lane: A Smooth Ride for Bill Cardoso's New Business Converting Cobra Roadsters to Electric
Published March 26
Our contributors are an interesting group of people. Bill Cardoso is one of our columnists in X-ray inspection, but he also has a love of electric cars and Shelby Cobras. In this interview for IPC Community, Bill explains how he found himself converting his gas-powered Cobra into an EV, and eventually manufacturing Cobra EV conversion kits. Scorpion EV now sells complete Cobra EVs, including one that cranks out 1,000 horsepower in a 2,700-pound car, starting at $200,000 apiece. If you have the cash, get in line; there’s quite a waiting list.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: Mycronic's Evolution Drives Record-breaking Year
Published March 26
This guy has a clue! (Sorry.) In this interview, Mycronic VP of Global Sales Kevin Clue and Editor Nolan Johnson discuss the company’s move over the past decade from pick-and-place supplier to a provider of full-line solutions, including screen printing, inspection technologies, material handling, and more. Like many companies in our industry, Myrconic isn’t letting the grass grow under its feet.
The Knowledge Base: At the Forefront of Electronics Manufacturing
Published March 26
In his latest Mike Konrad installment of The Knowledge Base, Mike Konrad describes the electronics manufacturing industry as being at a “transformative crossroads.” That seems like an apt description. As he explains, innovations in chip manufacturing, AI, and automation have the power to shape our industry for decades. Mike walks us through these developments and their implications for everyone involved. It’s a great time to be in this industry, but a momentous time as well.
Global PCB Connections: A Field Engineer’s Perspective on the Top 10 Trends to Watch
Published March 27
Jerome Larez is one of the newest columnists in the I-Connect007 stable, and as he points out here, his job as an FAE for a large Chinese PCB company gives him a wide view of the tech trends in our industry. He lists the 10 trends that he thinks will shape PCB manufacturing over the next 10 years. Check it out.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: Emphasizing Sustainability in PCB Design with Summit Interconnect
Published March 27
My interview with Summit Interconnect VP of Technology Gerry Partida has something for everyone. Gerry discusses his upcoming paper on design for sustainability, a “Design For” that most PCB designers do not consider. And he shares a great story about a customer realizing that most of the company’s designers have never looked at the appropriate IPC standards. Gerry always tells it like it is.
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SEMICON West: The Path to a $1 Trillion Future
10/14/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007After more than 50 years in San Francisco, SEMICON West moved its 2025 show to Phoenix, which is significant because it highlights the importance of Arizona as a semiconductor and tech hub. Though the show will be back in San Francisco in 2026, the overwhelmingly warm welcome SEMI received from Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, and ASU President Michael Crowe—who has been responsible for ASU repeatedly achieving the U.S. News and World Reports most innovative university ranking—was remarked upon repeatedly. All indications are that SEMICON West may well be back in Phoenix after that 2026 season.
Technica USA Named Exclusive U.S. Distributor for DCT Cleaning Products
10/14/2025 | Technica USATechnica USA is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with DCT USA, LLC, becoming the exclusive master distributor of DCT cleaning products in the United States, effective November 1, 2025.
Is Glass Finally Coming of Age?
10/13/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Substrates, by definition, form the base of all electronic devices. Whether discussing silicon wafers for semiconductors, glass-and-epoxy materials in printed circuits, or the base of choice for interposers, all these materials function as substrates. While other substrates have come and gone, silicon and FR-4 have remained the de facto standards for the industry.
Amplifying Innovation: New Podcast Series Spotlights Electronics Industry Leaders
10/08/2025 | I-Connect007In the debut episode, “Building Reliability: KOKI’s Approach to Solder Joint Challenges,” host Marcy LaRont speaks with Shantanu Joshi, Head of Customer Solutions and Operational Excellence at KOKI Solder America. They explore how advanced materials, such as crack-free fluxes and zero-flux-residue solder pastes, are addressing issues like voiding, heat dissipation, and solder joint reliability in demanding applications, where failure can result in costly repairs or even catastrophic loss.
The Training Connection, LLC Welcomes Industry Veteran Jack Harris to Lead Training Partnerships
10/07/2025 | The Training Connection LLCThe Training Connection, LLC (TTC-LLC), a premier provider of test engineering and development training, is proud to announce that Jack Harris, one of the most recognized names in electronics manufacturing training and technical development, has joined the company as Relationship Lead, Training.