I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

“You are the average of the five people that you spend the most time with.” This saying is attributed to Jim Rohn, and I couldn’t help thinking of that quote as I put together this week’s listings. Hear me out:  1) There are five items on our list; 2) These items zoomed to the top based on reader interest; 3) Every single one of these news items has an “association” association—IPC, iNEMI, SMTA, and NextFlex are all represented in what you, dear reader, chose to explore this last week.

Seems well-timed, actually. Trade show season kicks off with the first major conference in early October and continues into the spring of 2023. So, if you haven’t yet spent time with this association news, now’s your chance.  Have a great weekend, everyone!

IPC Symposium Puts Spotlight on IC Substrate and Package Assembly 
Published September 9

This inaugural two-day symposium on advanced packaging technology aims to move past the hype and focus on the business and technology for IC packaging. Twenty-eight speakers will fill out eight different sessions. For industry professionals for whom packaging advanced packaging R&D is of interest, this symposium is a must. Get all the details from IPC here.

Flexible Thinking: The Rapidly Expanding Realm of Stretchable Circuits
Published September 12

Industry pioneer and I-Connect007 columnist Joe Fjelstad sees a rise in interest in flex circuitry applications. Joe updates us on the progress in developing stretchable materials for use in applications such as wearable devices. He also highlights the work done by the NextFlex organization to provide a demonstration center which engineers can use as a lab space to get comfortable with flex materials. If you’re looking into how flex works for your applications, click through here.

Women’s Leadership Program Announces Presentation Program during SMTA International 2022 
Published September 15

SMTA is sponsoring a Women’s Leadership Program as a part of the upcoming SMTA International 2022 conference and exposition in Minneapolis. Chairing the two presentation sessions and the social to follow are Tanya Martin, Jessica Molloy, Debbie Carboni, Julie Silk, Michelle Ogihara, and Sherry Stepp. The event is free; everyone is welcome to attend. Find more information here.

iNEMI Workshop: Reliability Challenges and Solutions for Automotive Electronics 
Published September 14

Oct. 20 in Shanghai is where ZESTRON and iNEMI will host a workshop on the requirements and challenges facing electronics reliability for automotive applications. The speakers list is a deep pool of automotive electronics talent. If automotive is your area of interest, this is a valuable resource.

Pricing Strategies With Michael Carano 
Published September 13

We spoke with Mike Carano, vice president of quality at Averatek, I-Connect007 columnist, and member of the IPC Thought Leaders Program, about the current market pressures on pricing.  Carano had some interesting insights to share on the subject, and some strategies for increasing margins through pricing, yield and technology improvements. Spoiler alert: Many fabs are clawing back margin they gave up over the years.

Passing the Test With SMTA’s Rob Boguski 
Published September 14

Andy Shaughnessy recently spoke with Rob Boguski, president of Datest, an SMTA vice president and board member. Rob explained why today’s test customers are asking for more information than the traditional pass/fail, offers a preview of SMTA International, and gives an update on SMTA’s planning strategy for the next five years. Whether test is your jam, or SMTA long-range planning is, you certainly should give this interview a read.