The September issue of I-Connect007 Magazine examines the relationship between automation and the people who understand PCB manufacturing firsthand. Steve Williams considers how the pioneers of quality and continuous improvement would have approached AI, while Don Ball contrasts PCB shops that use automation and employee empowerment effectively with those that do not. GreenSource Fabrication’s Michael Gleason and CrossGenAI’s Sean Patterson offer additional shop-floor perspectives on how AI can improve analysis, consistency, and problem-solving—and why experienced employees remain indispensable.
The issue also looks to Europe, where PCB designers and industry leaders are strengthening regional connections and contributing to global standards development. Marcy LaRont speaks with representatives from IPC Designers Council groups in Italy and France, FED leaders Christoph Bornhorn and Erika Reel, Siemens’ Susan Kayesar, and Dominik Grau, the new vice president for Europe at the Global Electronics Association.
Additional articles cover global design teams, reliable HDI microvias, flexible circuits in CubeSats, circular electronics, glass substrates, material selection in copper and nickel tabs, signal integrity, and designing for reliability.
