Learning With Leo: Soldering—The Interpretation Problem
Nolan’s Notes: The ROI of Setup Optimization
Standard of Excellence: The Future of Fabrication—From Art to Automation
Yesterday was the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. The traditional meal is, of course, roast turkey with “all the trimmings.” Although not everyone observes that menu, most do, and it was reported that 42 million turkeys were consumed on that day. With an average weight of 16 pounds per turkey, we cooked up 672 million pounds! With approximately 342 million people in the U.S, that pencils out to just under two pounds of drumstick and white meat per person. That, my friends, is a whole lot of leftovers.
Today is informally known as “Black Friday,” the kickoff of the Christmas retail season. Retailers traditionally run all sorts of early morning sales, and consumer electronics are typically well represented in the lists of the best Black Friday deals. This is good for our business, to be sure.
So, if you’ve done your early bird shopping and you’re ready for a turkey sandwich, please check out my picks for the week. I’ve got something for everyone.
Nvidia CEO Rejects AI Bubble Fears as Reliance on Key Customers Raises Risks
Published November 21
That AI bubble everyone’s talking about? CEO Jensen Huang calls it a tipping point. His reasons are based on what he sees in the demand trends for AI-related semiconductors. If he’s right, we’ll see long-term shifts in feature sizes and component complexities continue.
OpenAI and Foxconn Collaborate to Strengthen U.S. Manufacturing Across the AI Supply Chain
Published November 21
The same day Huang shared his thoughts, OpenAI and Foxconn announced a joint project “focused on design work and U.S. manufacturing readiness for the next generation of AI infrastructure hardware.” There are three core efforts built into this joint effort, all three of which will steer PCB design, fab and assembly.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Solderability Test Methods, Myths, and Realities
Published November 26
In his ongoing column, Nash Bell explains why solderability testing is an increasingly important step in the EMS build process. Why should you? What are the appropriate standards? Examples? Bell touches on them all.
The Global Electronics Association Launches Double Materiality Assessment Toolkit to Support the Electronics Industry with Sustainability Reporting Compliance
Published November 20
The Global Electronics Association says that the Double Materiality Assessment (DMA) Toolkit is “designed to help companies efficiently navigate the complex reporting requirements of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Although the CSRD is an EU regulation, its requirements have global implications. Companies with operations, subsidiaries, or significant sales in Europe, and their worldwide supply chains, must also meet its rigorous sustainability reporting standards.”
Supply chain resilience may be leading to an increase in local manufacturing across many countries, but the overall supply chain is still a global entity. If your business is at all international, you may be affected by the CSRD.
Strong Signal for the Industry: productronica 2025 Drives Positive Industry Trend
Published November 21
Two members of the I-Connect007 team spent last week at productronica reporting on the show, which even organizers steered toward “new technologies, testing solutions, and manufacturing approaches (that) are helping improve transparency and security along the entire value chain. The trade fair thus sent a clear signal for the future viability of the industry.” Just as there is synchronicity in the U.S.’s AI industry, there is synchronicity in the EU regarding circularity in the supply chain.
