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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
May 9, 2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Trade show season is wrapping up as we head into summer. Where has the time gone? I hope you all get the chance to take a vacation this year, because I know you’ve earned one. Speaking of which, when was my last vacay? If I can’t remember, it’s probably time for one.
It’s been a busy week in electronics, with fallout from the back-and-forth on tariffs taking up most of the oxygen in the room. We have quite an assortment of articles and columns for you in this installment of Must-Reads. See you next time.
Hunting for Clues: Feng Xue Solving Circuit Board 'Crimes' With AOI Standard
Published May 8
My ex-wife was a big fan of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, a PBS series about a Belgian detective named Hercule Poirot who always catches the bad guy. And as IPC’s Linda Stepanich explains in this IPC Community article, IPC standards committees often rely on the A-Team Hercule when creating standards to detect defects with AOI. Check it out.
Voices of the Industry: Alpha Circuit
Published May 6
Many are worried about the effects of tariffs on their bottom line in the short and long term. In this interview, Alpha Circuit CEO Prashant Patel explains how tariffs and the changing economy are impacting his company and the overall electronics manufacturing industry. As the Chinese say, “May you live in interesting times.”
Nick Koop Launches IPC Flex Design Class
Published May 6
More of our readers are moving into flex and rigid-flex design every year. They need more knowledge, but there aren’t many flex design classes available. TTM’s Nick Koop is filling the void with his new IPC class, Flex and Rigid-Flex Design for Manufacturability. This two-week course begins May 12, so if you’re working with flex or rigid-flex, don’t miss out.
Navigating Global Manufacturing in an Era of Uncertainty
Published May 7
Our old friend Phil Stoten is now the host of the IPC podcast MADE IN EUROPE. Phil always has his finger on the pulse of European electronics manufacturing, and he shares his thoughts on the current outlook on the continent. As he says, “For European manufacturing, adaptability is no longer just an advantage; it's essential for survival.”
Driving Innovation: Registration in PCB Production Throughout the Process
Published May 6
If you’ve ever encountered challenges with registration when fabricating a PCB, you’ll understand why columnist Simon Khesin compares this process to building the perfect cheeseburger: “You wouldn’t want your tomato sliding off one side, the patty leaning in the opposite direction, and the cheese hanging unevenly.” Speaking of cheeseburgers, is it time for lunch?
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Nick Koop Launches IPC Flex Design Class
05/06/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineNick Koop is director of flex technology for TTM Technologies, and he’s been a staple of IPC’s flex committees for decades. He’s also a longtime flex design instructor, and he’s about to debut a new IPC class, Flex and Rigid-Flex Design for Manufacturability, which will run May 12–21. In this interview, Nick tells us about this new class and what attendees can expect to learn.
ASC Sunstone Circuits to Exhibit at PCB Detroit 2025
05/05/2025 | ASC SunstoneASC Sunstone Circuits will be exhibiting at the inaugural session of PCB Detroit to be held on June 2 and 3 on the campus of Wayne State University.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/02/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineIn our industry, this week’s must-read features include CEE’s Tom Yang and his perspective on having a global business amidst tariff talk and other challenges. Joe Fjelstadt talks to the “Flexperts,” Nick Koop of TTM and Mark Finstead of Flexible Circuit Technologies. Nolan Johnson interviews the McGucken Group about the importance of empathic leadership in BANI times. NCAB’s Ryan Miller writes about reliability and compliance for building PCBs for medical applications, and surprise, more news from Siemens.
A Visit With ‘Flexperts’ Mark Finstad and Nick Koop
05/01/2025 | Joe Fjelstad, Verdant ElectronicsAt IPC APEX EXPO 2025, I chatted with seasoned flex experts Mark Finstad and Nick Koop about "Flexperts" and their roles as leading educators and in the realm of standards development for this increasingly indispensable electronic interconnection technology. They have been teaching about lessons learned and how to successfully navigate the “seas” of flexible circuits to help their students avoid the hazards that have taken down many of their predecessors in the past.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: DuPont Electronics Materials and Innovations
04/23/2025 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPODuPont is many things to many markets, but DuPont Electronics Materials is, perhaps, a bit out of the DuPont "norm," developing specialized electronic materials that are particularly focused on challenging areas such as flex circuits, high power PCBs and products that must withstand harsh environments. At IPC APEX EXPO, Marcy LaRont sat down with Shannon Dugan from DuPont Electronics Materials to discuss some big news. They are being spun off into an independent entity with a new CEO having just been announced as the show wrapped.