Nolan’s Notes: Is Mexico the Pulse of Electronics in the Americas?
Standard of Excellence: Speed vs. Quality in Customer Service
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Revamp Your Components with BGA Reballing
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
August 26, 2022 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
This week we have quite a variety of articles for you. There has been so much electronics industry news coming out of Washington, D.C., that it can be hard to keep track of what’s going on. So, Editor Michelle Te compiled a handy-dandy reference guide to recent legislation news, including our exclusive coverage. We need to keep an eye on these senators and representatives. They’ve been talking about the importance of our industry for the past year, but this is an election year, after all. They’ve been known to say one thing and do another.
We have some good news in the EMS segment, but it’s tempered with some not-so-good news. Isn’t that how it goes lately? We also have a great article by Cherie Litson on design techniques that can cut manufacturing costs, and an IPC call for participation in upcoming eco-design guidelines. We also featured an interview with ACE’s James Hofer about board shop pricing—is it time to raise your rates? James shares a few interesting ideas for board shops to consider when yet another supplier announces a price increase.
North American EMS Industry Up 22.7% in July
Published August 26
There’s a bit of good news in the EMS world, with July EMS shipments up 22.7% year-over-year. A high book-to-bill ratio of 1.39 is a good harbinger. But orders were down YOY in the first half of the year. The supply chain is still a big challenge, but we’re seeing improvements every month.
What’s Going On in Congress? Your Handy Guide to PCB Legislation Headlines
Published August 22
There’s been a lot of action in Washington, D.C. lately, as legislators and bureaucrats begin to understand the importance of our industry. At least they’re talking about supporting the domestic electronics manufacturing industry. Editor Michelle Te put together this handy compendium of the recent electronics industry news coming out of the capital of the free world.
IPC Issues Call for Participation: Help Shape the Future of Design for Environment Standards
Published August 22
IPC wants you! The 1-14 DFX Committee is reviewing IPC-2231A and plans to revise it within two years, and the group wants your input. They plan to create an eco-design for electronics guideline, so if you have experience in green PCB design or manufacturing techniques, get in touch with the committee.
Board Pricing Challenges and Opportunities
Published August 24
As we all know, the price of everything is going up, and if you own a board shop, you’re at least considering raising your rates, if you haven’t already. We asked Accurate Circuit Engineering General Manager James Hofer to share his thoughts on board pricing—the challenges and the opportunities.
Design Tips for Lowering Costs of Fab and Assembly
Published August 25
Our friend Cherie Litson of Litson1 Consulting has a great article full of design tips for cutting fab and assembly costs. Some of these ideas may seem counterintuitive, such as adding layers and using higher-temp materials, but they may reduce overall costs in the end. Design is a game of trade-offs, isn’t it? Check it out.
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EMS and ODM Market Size to Surpass USD 1589.62 Billion by 2033, Rising at 7.40% CAGR
11/04/2025 | Globe NewswireAccording to the SNS Insider, “The EMS and ODM market size was valued at USD 900.09 Billion in 2025E and is projected to reach USD 1,589.62 Billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 7.40% during 2026–2033.”
Electronics Manufacturing Powers U.S. Growth, Supporting 5.2 Million Jobs and $1.8 Trillion in Output
11/03/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationNew report from Global Electronics Association shows electronics industry contributes $853 billion to GDP and delivers average annual wages exceeding $156,000, reinforcing its role as a pillar of U.S. economic resilience.
Nolan’s Notes: Is Mexico the Pulse of Electronics in the Americas?
11/04/2025 | Nolan Johnson -- Column: Nolan's NotesLast year, I attended SMTA Guadalajara, where I saw the results of the Mexican investment in electronics manufacturing. The U.S. was still operating under the Biden administration, and while Mexican EMS companies had expanded capacity to support EV manufacturing, the demand dropped significantly. In my conversations at the show, the sentiment was one of patience. They knew the EV business would likely come back. However, they didn’t expect an overhaul of U.S. trade agreements and tariffs that would shift a more diversified portfolio in Mexico’s direction.
Infinite Electronics, RS Group Expand Partnership to Deliver L-com Connectivity Solutions to European and APAC Markets
11/03/2025 | PRNewswireL-com, an Infinite Electronics brand and a supplier of wired and wireless connectivity products, has expanded their strategic cooperation agreement with RS Group, a U.K.-based global provider of products and services for industrial customers, to begin distributing L-com products across European and APAC markets via the RS Group website.
DuPont Completes Separation of Qnity Electronics
11/03/2025 | PRNewswireDuPont announced that it completed the separation of its electronics business into an independent public company, Qnity Electronics, Inc., on November 1, 2025.