PCBAA Applauds Presidential Action to Invest in Critical American Microelectronics
March 27, 2023 | PCBAAEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The recent partnership announced by the U.S. and Canada is a welcome acknowledgement of the urgent need to support the American printed circuit board industry. The Presidential determination of printed circuit boards as essential to national defense under section 303 of the Defense Production Act is welcome news, and achieves a 2023 goal of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA).
The $50 million identified is a down payment on what must be a larger and sustained effort by the U.S. government to rebuild this critical manufacturing sector. The American printed circuit board industry was decimated by offshoring over the past 20 years, dropping from almost 30 percent of the world’s supply to only 4 percent today. The U.S. depends on other nations—primarily in Asia, and more than half from China.
“We are eager to work with the Administration to make the best use of this and advocate for subsequent funding for this long-overlooked industry”, said Travis Kelly, Chairman of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America and President and CEO of the Isola Group. “The costs of creating new facilities or upgrading existing printed circuit board facilities can run into hundreds of millions. Just as legislation and policies were created to support semiconductors, the U.S. government needs to invest in our nation’s future by providing support for printed circuit boards.”
Suggested Items
OE-A Business Climate Survey: 2024 Slowdown, 2025 Set to Shine
10/10/2024 | OE-AThe survey predicts revenue growth of +7 percent for 2024, a significant decrease from the previous survey (March 2024: 13 percent). However, optimism remains high for 2025, with a forecast growth of 19 percent.
Confidee Continues to Strengthen Defense Supply Chains Through AS9120 Certification Compliance
10/10/2024 | CONFIDEEThe AS9120 certification is a quality management standard specifically designed for distributors in aviation, space and defence. It helps recognize the regulatory requirements on QMS processes, for the prevention of counterfeit and suspected unapproved parts, both in the production and aftermarket environments.
I-Connect007 Launches Latest Podcast Series: Meet the Author
10/09/2024 | I-Connect007In the first episode of our Meet the Author series, SMT007 Magazine’s Nolan Johnson hosts Julie Cliche-Dubois, product manager at Cogiscan, and Andres Luna, general manager at Univertools, who represents Cogiscan in Mexico. Julie is the author of the recently published book, "The Printed Circuit Assembler's Guide to... Factory Analytics.” In this episode, the group discusses the evolving role of data analytics, with an eye toward how analytics is driving meaningful action throughout the electronics manufacturing industry in Mexico and the rest of the Americas.
Nortech Systems Announces Expansion of PCBA Capabilities with IPC-J-STD-001 Space Addendum
10/08/2024 | BUSINESS WIRENortech Systems Incorporated (“Nortech Systems”, or the “Company), a leading provider of engineering and manufacturing solutions for the aerospace and defense industry, has announced the Company has certified trainers and operators to build printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) to the IPC-J-STD-001 Space Addendum standard.
VDMA: Machine Vision Industry to Decline by 10%
10/08/2024 | VDMAThe VDMA Machine Vision sector group is forecasting a 10% drop in sales in nominal terms for the machine vision industry in Europe this year.