SMTA Atlanta: No Rain Delay For This Event

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And I wonder, still I wonder, who’ll stop the rain? – Creedence Clearwater Revival

The SMTA Atlanta Expo & Tech Forum couldn’t stop the rain, but the chilly, rainy weather didn’t deter the technologists who came out for this annual event yesterday. Held at the Atlanta Tech Park small business incubator in Norcross, Georgia, the show drew a crowd primarily from the SMT segment, along with a number of designers and fabricators. 

The event began with a keynote speech by Jason Moss, president and CEO of the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance. Ramon Roche of NCAB, gave a presentation on emerging trends in the PCB industry, including HDI and ultra HDI. James W. Fuller, VP of engineering and technology development with Sanmina, led a roundtable discussion on HDI reliability. Much of the discussion centered on microvia reliability and techniques such as staggering microvias even slightly off axis from typical stacked vias. 

We all enjoyed the catered lunch of salad, barbecued chicken, potatoes, and giant brownies for dessert. Beer and wine were available during the afternoon, a positive trend that’s been catching on at SMTA events over the past few years. After the show, about 20 attendees and exhibitors moved on to Happy Hour at the nearby Lazy Dog restaurant. 

Moving this show to the Atlanta Tech Park was a great move by SMTA; the previous venue, the Gwinnett County Civic Center, did not allow organizers to bring in catered food or beer. Next year, the show should be even bigger, no matter what the weather brings.