Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘Dream First, Details Later
Happy’s Tech Talk #40: Factors in PTH Reliability—Hole Voids
Facing the Future: Time for Real Talk, Early and Often, Between Design and Fabrication
The Birth of the Printed Circuit Board
May 23, 2023 | Barry Matties and Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Every industry has a beginning, and we are lucky to have Rex Rozario here to share the story of how the printed circuit board industry got its start. I-Connect007 chatted with Rex recently about how he became involved with circuit board inventor Dr. Paul Eisler.
Barry Matties: Let’s start at the beginning, Rex. My understanding is you were there when circuit boards were first being manufactured.
Rex Rozario: You're correct. Fortunately for me, when I left university, my first job was with a company called The Telegraph Condenser Company; they had just acquired the first license from Paul Eisler. He developed the printed circuit in a shed in London, circa 1940; they were single-sided boards. He had the patents in 1948 and issued five licenses. We (The Telegraph Condenser Company) were the first to get a license.
Eisler later joined Technograph and worked there for some time. Eventually, Technograph and Telegraph merged.
Matties: Would you say you were the first company to produce a licensed printed circuit board?
Rozario: Technically, we were the first company in the UK to manufacture PCBs. Eisler sold one license to the UK and four others to the U.S. We could appoint other people as well, if they wanted to manufacture under our license.
Matties: So, how did you get involved?
Rozario: Whilst studying for my degree at university, I was lucky to obtain a work/study job in my spare time in a development lab with Daly Condensers Ltd. (UK) where I learned all about manufacturing electrical condensers. This gave me the opportunity, after obtaining my university degree, to apply to the UK's largest condenser manufacturer, The Telegraph Condenser Co., which employed me as a development technician. Three weeks into my new job, I took a pre-arranged vacation for two weeks. When I returned, I was met by a senior director and was marched into the office of the managing director who was already addressing five men. The managing director informed us that Telegraph had just obtained the first license in the world from the inventor Dr. Paul Eisler, who was also engaged by Telegraph as a consultant. I was invited to join the five specialists which Telegraph had tapped to form this new team with Dr. Eisler. We were given 5,000 square feet of a surplus building to further develop and introduce printed circuits to replace manual wiring. This period was circa 1953.
In the beginning, we had to shop around for everything, from the base laminate to the copper foil. We did all that within our team, and then suddenly the printed circuit developed in the UK went from a single- to a double-sided board. For the double sided, we used eyelets until through-hole [electroless copper plating] came along.
Matties: You were along for the journey the whole way.
Rozario: I was just lucky to be there.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the May 2023 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
07/11/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineThis week, we have quite a variety of news items and articles for you. News continues to stream out of Washington, D.C., with tariffs rearing their controversial head again. Because these tariffs are targeted at overseas copper manufacturers, this news has a direct effect on our industry.I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
Digital Twin Concept in Copper Electroplating Process Performance
07/11/2025 | Aga Franczak, Robrecht Belis, Elsyca N.V.PCB manufacturing involves transforming a design into a physical board while meeting specific requirements. Understanding these design specifications is crucial, as they directly impact the PCB's fabrication process, performance, and yield rate. One key design specification is copper thieving—the addition of “dummy” pads across the surface that are plated along with the features designed on the outer layers. The purpose of the process is to provide a uniform distribution of copper across the outer layers to make the plating current density and plating in the holes more uniform.
Trump Copper Tariffs Spark Concern
07/10/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamPresident Donald Trump stated on July 8 that he plans to impose a 50% tariff on copper imports, sparking concern in a global industry whose output is critical to electric vehicles, military hardware, semiconductors, and a wide range of consumer goods. According to Yahoo Finance, copper futures climbed over 2% following tariff confirmation.
Happy’s Tech Talk #40: Factors in PTH Reliability—Hole Voids
07/09/2025 | Happy Holden -- Column: Happy’s Tech TalkWhen we consider via reliability, the major contributing factors are typically processing deviations. These can be subtle and not always visible. One particularly insightful column was by Mike Carano, “Causes of Plating Voids, Pre-electroless Copper,” where he outlined some of the possible causes of hole defects for both plated through-hole (PTH) and blind vias.
Trouble in Your Tank: Can You Drill the Perfect Hole?
07/07/2025 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankIn the movie “Friday Night Lights,” the head football coach (played by Billy Bob Thornton) addresses his high school football team on a hot day in August in West Texas. He asks his players one question: “Can you be perfect?” That is an interesting question, in football and the printed circuit board fabrication world, where being perfect is somewhat elusive. When it comes to mechanical drilling and via formation, can you drill the perfect hole time after time?