I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

It’s been a busy week. We’ve been covering PCB West, and we’ll be bringing you a variety of news and interviews from the show in the next few weeks. We’ll also be attending SMTA International later this month, and productronica as trade show season rolls on.

This week, we have a number of interesting columns and news items. We start with a positive story about North American PCB sales, which were heading in the right direction in August. Don Ball writes about the ins and out of working with overseas partners, and there’s a great column by Dan Beaulieu on avoiding the temptation to offer discounts when your customer gets squirrely.

We have an announcement about our new companion guide to The Printed Circuit Assembler's Guide to... SMT Inspection: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond, an I-Connect007 book written by Koh Young’s Brent Fischthal. The companion piece delves deeper into the metrology of advanced semiconductor packages. Finally, columnist Kelly Dack discusses the similarities between multilayer stackups and multilayer cakes. I hope you’re hungry!

If you haven’t signed up to receive our magazines and newsletters, time’s a-wastin’! Click here to sign your life away. We promise not to try to sell you extended car warranties.

North American PCB Industry Sales Up 12.8% in August
Published October 2

We had some good news recently, with August’s PCB industry sales up 12.8% YOY, according to the North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio clocked in at 0.98, and bookings were down 4.1% over the same year-ago period, but we’re looking positive. August’s YTD bookings were up 14.5% over the same period in 2024, so let’s hold a good thought.

The Chemical Connection: The Practice of Doing Business in Foreign Lands
Published October 1

Don Ball has a great column about conducting business in other countries. He explains why Chemcut decided to use a system of reps in Asia and Europe, and how little things that can trip up a relationship, potentially costing a company millions in the long run. Some of his “horror stories” might remind you of your own company’s experiences across the pond.

It’s Only Common Sense: Pricing PCBs? It’s All in Their Heads
Published September 29

It must be human nature to give in when we think we might lose a negotiation, in any situation. The pressure to cave is much worse in a tight industry like PCB fab. But, as Dan Beaulieu says in this week’s column, you’re not just selling PCBs—you’re selling value, reliability, and a relationship. When you offer a 10% discount, as Dan says, “You just told them your value was negotiable, and they were right to doubt you.” Stick to your guns, folks.

Now Available—The Companion Guide to… SMT Inspection: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond: Mastering Metrology for Advanced Semiconductor Packages
Published October 1

It’s always nice to have companions. Well, if you’ve read Koh Young’s I-Connect007 book The Printed Circuit Assembler's Guide to... SMT Inspection: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond, written by Brent Fischthal, you won’t want to miss this companion guide. This handy tome focuses on the metrology of advanced chip packages, and like the original book, it’s free to download. Check it out.

Target Condition: Rethinking the PCB Stackup Recipe
Published October 1

Columnist Kelly Dack starts out with a short history lesson, and he explains why creating the perfectly optimized stackup is much like baking the perfect layer cake. It’s usually best to let the PCB “bakers” do their thing. As Kelly points out, calling out a specific brand name of resin is like ordering a cake with only “non-GMO cacao from Ecuador.” Read on, but you might get hungry!