Connect the Dots: Designing for the Future of Manufacturing Reality—Surface Finish
The Pulse: Caught in the Crosshatch—A Cautionary Tale of Detective Work
Fresh PCB Concepts: Designing PCBs for Harsh Environments—Reliability Is Engineered Upstream
Geek-A-Palooza is Coming to Irvine, California on May 12
April 13, 2016 | Geek-A-PaloozaEstimated reading time: 1 minute
You are invited to a fun evening of networking with industry friends and colleagues on Thursday, May 12 at the Irvine Marriott in Irvine, California. Come mix and mingle with members of every segment of the local electronics industry.
Hosted by Judy Warner of Zentech Manufacturing and Tara Dunn of Omni PCB, this is not another dry, boring industry event. Last year’s Geek-A-Palooza in Minneapolis drew over 300 attendees, so this year it’s expanding to Southern California. You will enjoy yourself!
The evening’s agenda:
3-4 pm
- A presentation by John Coonrod of Rogers Corporation on insertion loss factors
4-8 pm
- Appetizers, beverages, networking
- Connect with industry suppliers in a relaxed atmosphere
- Sponsor tables representing the entire supply chain
- Great music, raffles, and games
- STEM and young engineering students
Admission is $20 at the door. This is definitely NOT a boring night of tech talk. Come to Geek-A-Palooza and see for yourself! To register, click here. For more information, contact Tara Dunn by clicking here.
Early Bird registrants who sign up before April 25, 2016 will be entered to win $100 at the event.
Location:
Irvine Marriott
18000 Von Karman Ave.
Irvine, CA 55021
Share on:
Testimonial
"Your magazines are a great platform for people to exchange knowledge. Thank you for the work that you do."
Simon Khesin - Schmoll MaschinenSuggested Items
The Journey from Dilution to Zero Liquid Discharge
05/11/2026 | Richard Nichols, GreenSource EngineeringIf you’re familiar with the PCB industry, and a little long in the tooth like me, you may remember the cry, “The water board is here!” (or an equivalent authority). This was the signal for a frantic but regularly rehearsed exercise to turn on all the rinses. This anecdote demonstrates that in the early days of PCB production, prevailing practices revolved around a “dilution is the solution” mentality, in which manufacturers used copious amounts of water to dilute contaminants before discharging them into regulated municipal wastewater systems or natural water bodies.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/08/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007This week, I’ve selected some outstanding interviews that you’ll want to take note of. First, is a roundtable discussion featuring three dynamic industry cybersecurity experts. Please watch this important discussion that affects us all. Following that, I spotlight the IPC-2581 Consortium, which explains why IPC-2581 is the standard to replace Gerber data for manufacturing. Next, I am including my interview with PCBAA and AAM, who collaborated to release a short documentary on U.S. PCB manufacturing.
Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Karen McConnell
05/07/2026 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007In 2021, Karen McConnell was awarded the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame award in recognition of her contributions to the Association and the electronics industry. As a senior staff member and CAD/CAM engineer at Northrop Grumman Enterprise Services, her primary responsibility was to develop a common, shared EDM (Electronic Document Management) library to support the electrical and PCB design tool initiatives across Northrop Grumman Mission Systems.
A Necessary Shift From Gerber to IPC-2581
05/07/2026 | Tracy Riggan, Global Electronics AssociationIPC-2581 is an open, vendor-neutral data exchange standard developed by the Global Electronics Association to streamline the exchange of PCB design information across fabrication, assembly, and test. It replaces multiple legacy formats—including industry standards, Gerber, and ODB++—with a single, comprehensive, XML-based dataset that captures all manufacturing details.
Meet Emerging Engineers: Patrick Owen and Eric Mickenbecker, Summit Interconnect
05/05/2026 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007Patrick Owen and Eric Mickenbecker both work for Summit Interconnect, and are in their second year of the Global Electronics Association’s Emerging Engineer Program with mentor Brian Chislea. They stopped by the I-Connect007 booth at APEX EXPO and shared a bit of their story with me. Patrick has worked at the Hollister, California, plant since 2018, while Eric has been at the Chicago site since 2023. Like many of their peers, they came to the electronics industry from different paths, but are both excited about making an impact.