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Today is a holiday in the U.S., the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the document that launched the 13 British colonies on the path to becoming an independent country. The news, however, continues regardless of the day or the country being celebrated. Here are my top picks for the week.
This week, I’m drawing attention to three news items on the shifting component supply chain balance. I’ve also selected the July issue of SMT007 Magazine on setup time optimization, and Steph Chavez’s column on digital twins.
If you’re celebrating Independence Day in the U.S. with fireworks, do be sure to return to work Monday with all your fingers.
Transforming PCB Design from Reactive to Predictive With Digital Twins
Published July 1
In this column, Steph makes it clear we’re standing on a threshold. What do I mean? Well, back when I was a green software engineer, fresh out of school, working for Mentor Graphics, one of the mid-career programmers commented, “Won’t it be cool when computers have enough horsepower to simulate the entire system?” We didn’t have the term “digital twin” yet, but that’s what he was describing. Steph makes the case that we’ve now arrived and it’s going to change the future of design. It’s about time.
July SMT007 Magazine Focuses on Setup Optimization
Published July 1
It always seems a bit self-aggrandizing to add my magazine to the must-reads, but for EMS companies, this month’s SMT007 Magazine touches on a critical and often under-optimized part of business operations: job setup processes. No matter how optimized you think you are, chances are good there’s something here you hadn’t thought about yet. Give it a read.
AI Chip Shortage, Foundry Cuts to Extend Mature-Node Price Hikes in 2027
Published June 30
The Tier 1 semiconductor companies are reallocating their production to AI-related demand, and sending signals that the older technologies will receive less attention. If you read my Substack column on Apple and Intel, I dig into this dynamic. This news strongly suggests that the cutting-edge fab processes will cost more, and the reduced availability of the older processes will mean that they cost more, too.
Apple Price Hikes Cloud Demand Outlook as Notebook Shipments Set to Fall 13.6% in 2026
Published July 1
It’s been a truism: There’s a price point for flagship electronics products. New products usually come in at that “early adopter” price point, then steadily decrease in price. But when premium brands, such as Apple, which command high-profit prices to begin with, can no longer absorb tariffs and cost increases and respond by raising their list prices, it’s a sign we’ve squeezed all the room out of pricing structures. This move will cause a shift in demand for Apple. Read exactly how in this article.
EMS Market to Surge, Reaching $853.05 Billion by 2030
Published July 1
As a counterpoint to the Apple news above, companies that provide manufacturing services to OEMs are poised to make a killing regardless of retail prices. The article makes the point that increased complexity in OEM designs, means more business for EMS.
