-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueCertifications
Certifications have historically been seen as a cost of doing business, but how do we turn them into a positive ROI and a value to both customer and vendor?
The Butterfly Effect
The basis of chaos theory is a key concept known as the “butterfly effect.” It’s the idea that a small event in one place creates a cascading set of events elsewhere. So, how is the EMS landscape changing? We’re tracking the concerns and dynamics of this landscape, and there’s a lot to learn.
Coming to Terms With AI
In this issue, we examine the profound effect artificial intelligence and machine learning are having on manufacturing and business processes. We follow technology, innovation, and money as automation becomes the new key indicator of growth in our industry.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
SMTAI 2022: Like a Tesla in a Drag Race
November 3, 2022 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
![](https://iconnect007.com/application/files/1516/9087/0238/SMTA_keynote_350.jpg)
If you’ve ever experienced an electric car launching from a dead stop, felt the torque and acceleration that a motor made of magnets and copper coils can deliver over a combustion engine, then you’ll have a sense for how this year’s SMTAI took off—both literally and figuratively.
The launch to the event was John Thomas’ keynote on “the EV conundrum.” Thomas is a key executive with Autel, a new startup specializing in EV chargers. Early in his presentation, referring to the industry and government commitments to stop selling combustion engine automobiles by 2035, Thomas said, “Never have I seen an adoption happen as fast as this.”
Later, however, he used a pair of photographs to illustrate how we’ve transitioned even faster in the past. One photo showed a New York City street in 1903, with a crush of horse-drawn carriages and a lone automobile. The second photo, taken of a NYC street in 1913, showed a traffic jam of automobiles, with a single horse-drawn carriage. Did the hay-selling companies transition to gasoline?
Thomas’ keynote positively dripped with optimism wrapped in uncertainty. By the end of his speech, it was clear that the automobile will eventually be made up of 94% electronics and 6% mechanics. Clearly, in the automotive industry overall, the hay-sellers of today will need to pivot to new business models. Simultaneous optimism and urgency was the takeaway from the keynote.
Moments later, the show launched like a Tesla in a drag race. Just 90 minutes into the show, multiple exhibitors I talked to proclaimed that they’d already taken more customer leads than during the entire show in 2021. Attendees were here to learn and, most likely, make some purchase decisions. The technical conference tracks and the networking events continue through tomorrow.
We’ll be posting audio interviews from the show on our Real Time with… SMTAI site. Keep checking back for more show coverage over the next few months. See you on the road.
Suggested Items
Trouble in Your Tank: Materials for PWB Fabrication—Drillability and Metallization
07/16/2024 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankLaminate materials are the building blocks on which printed circuit boards are manufactured. Circuit board designers rely on the critical electrical properties of the materials to design the interconnects, and with the drive toward IoT (internet of things), autonomous driving, and virtual and augmented reality, material properties take on a very high level of importance.
Beyond Prepreg: The Glassless ‘Revolution’
06/25/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineAs our industry rallies around the call to action for HDI and UHDI, we find unparalleled and myriad laminate options. This abundance is rivaled only by the question surrounding them: Can they measure up to the high technology packaging demands required in our near future? Unsurprisingly, recent developments in FR-4-esque materials for high-speed and high-density designs, as well as newer, glassless technology for replacing traditional glass-impregnated laminates and prepreg, are garnering much interest. I caught up with Alun Morgan, technology ambassador for Ventec International Group, to ask about the impending “glassless revolution” and how it’s poised to solve some of our manufacturing challenges.
Connect the Dots: Designing for Reality—Lamination and Materials
06/19/2024 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsAs many of you have likely figured out, I am quite passionate about the subject of designing PCBs for the reality of manufacturing. I wrote a book about it and I participate in an I-Connect007 On the Line with… podcast series dedicated to the subject. This companion article will focus on multilayer lamination, keeping the bigger picture in mind: Realistic PCB designs should prioritize manufacturability and reliability of the PCB as well as meet the other design requirements. So, one must account for the production variables associated with individual manufacturing partners.
Day 2: A Full Day at the EIPC Summer Conference
06/19/2024 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007Editor's note: This is the third and final report from the EIPC Summer Conference. It was a bright and early start to the second day of the 2024 EIPC Summer Conference at the European Space Centre, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, June 4-5. A short journey by bus from the hotel in Leiden and our security passes from the day before got us through the gate and to our seats in the Newton Room for Session 4, “Material Studies,” moderated by Martyn Gaudion.
Looking Into Space: EIPC Summer Conference, Part 2
06/17/2024 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007“Innovative Development of PCB Technology and Design” was the theme of the second session of the 2024 EIPC Summer Conference, June 4-5, at the European Space Centre, Noordwijk, The Netherlands.