Latest Articles

Unveiling the Future: Insights on Next-Gen Megtron Materials 

In this interview from DesignCon, Jim Kenny, OEM business development manager at Panasonic, touches on next-generation Megtron materials and delves into the industry's growing demand for high-speed, low-loss laminate systems, particularly in light of the anticipated 224 gigabits per second technology. With a focus on material development and production timelines, Jim highlights the challenges and opportunities in meeting customer needs while also maintaining quality and supply chain stability. As Panasonic prepares for the evolving landscape, they remain committed to innovating in this competitive market.

Bridging the Gap: Workforce Collaboration in East Texas

IPC has partnered with Stephen F. Austin State University's (SFASU) Center for Applied Research and Rural Innovation (CARRI) and the IPC Education Foundation on a transformative project aimed at aligning academic training with real-world demands in electronics manufacturing.

IPC Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Doug Pauls

Over the years, IPC members who have contributed significantly to IPC and our industry have been awarded the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame (HOF) Award. Though many early HOF members have passed away and are unknown to today’s IPC membership, their contributions still resonate. This special series on IPC Hall of Fame members provides a reminder of who was honored and why. As a bonus, for those who are still around, we get to find out what these talented individuals are up to today. 

Happy Holden: How I Became an Engineer

What drives someone to become an engineer, particularly a PCB engineer? For industry icon Happy Holden, it was growing up in a family that couldn’t afford a TV but that lived close to a library and a movie theater. It allowed a curious boy the time and space to entertain his interests in science fiction and take things apart to see how the world really worked. As we guide and mentor today’s and future generations, his counsel is definitely worth considering.

Empowering Interns: Shaping Tomorrow's Tech

Today, we widely accept that creating and leveraging opportunities to fill our future tech workforce is paramount to future success—both as individual companies and as an industry. This is even more true, and certainly more challenging, for in-person manufacturing jobs. In our conversation, Gerry Partida of Summit Interconnect focuses on the essential role of interns in the technological landscape and emphasizes how nurturing their skills and potential contributes significantly to the future of technology and business operations in our companies today.

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

For my top picks this week, I wanted to highlight some other important content we’ve featured. First is the incomparable Stephen Chavez, who provides insight into what the future PCB designer will look like. Bob Duke of American Standard outlines the seven key challenges he sees in offshore manufacturing. We move seamlessly from there to tariffs, one of today’s most talked about topics. Jeffrey Beauchamp of NCAB looks back at a recent timeline regarding tariffs, and it’s quite interesting. I’m also pointing you toward a feature on a thriving EMS company in Malaysia, one of the two most popular locations for China Plus One manufacturing expansions. Finally, we acknowledge the expansion news of a long-time PCB and EMS global supplier.

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

The year is off to a roaring start across the globe, but especially in the U.S. We’ll all be carefully watching the changes in policy, legislation, and enforcement coming out of Washington D.C., in the coming weeks and months. One thing is clear, though. No matter what your opinions or political affiliations are, things will change. That said, it is impossible to look at last week’s news and draw any conclusions about how everything will equilibrate in the end. Frankly, it’s just too soon for that sort of analysis. In the meantime, here are last week’s five top stories. If you’ve read nothing else about the industry this week, read these.

The Future of Electronics Manufacturing in APAC

The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is solidifying its leadership in electronics manufacturing, fueled by significant new investments from global industry leaders. This growth is driven by surging demand for high-performance components in key sectors like AI, autonomous vehicles, and sustainable energy, making strategic innovation in semiconductors and advanced electronics essential. APAC's strong supply chains further enhance its appeal to investors.

U.S. Work Visas Demystified

The H-1B visa has been a long-time friend of the U.S. technology and manufacturing sectors. It allows companies to bring high-level talent from other countries or transition university students with student visas over to the workforce. This is a boon for U.S. public diplomacy while providing a deeper talent pipeline for fulfilling U.S. workforce needs.

Building a Manufacturing Career at DIS

Ryan Moore, 27, and Emily Telesca, 31, are two millennials who share their unique perspectives on building a career in the manufacturing industry. With backgrounds ranging from computer science to military service, they highlight the fulfilling nature of their roles and the sense of camaraderie within the company. Their stories illuminate the opportunities available in manufacturing, especially for a younger generation seeking meaningful work.

Bridging Career Pathways in Electronics

Dr. Lisa Burns is the career and technical education (CTE) coordinator at Fremont Unified School District in California, where several middle and high schools are participating in Project Lead the Way, a specialized curriculum involving partnerships among schools, industry, and higher education. Having a career in tech before moving into education, Lisa has maintained that passion as she now works with industry partners to integrate educational curriculum with hands-on projects, mentorships, and internships.

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

This week’s round-up includes a variety of valuable articles, columns, and news items, focusing on the future of the industry, global markets, and more. Don’t forget to peruse our latest book, The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... More Secrets of High-Speed PCBs, by Martyn Gaudion of Polar Instruments.  I hope to see you at DesignCon! 

The Promising Future for CEE PCB in Thailand

Tom Yang, CEO of CEE PCB, understands the importance of collaboration between U.S. and Chinese fabricators. He believes that to understand the current political and economic conditions between the two countries, we must maintain a level of international business cooperation. In this interview, we discuss market conditions under a new U.S. administration, how companies like CEE are responding to potential changes, and CEE’s strategic move into Thailand.

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

We’re even more committed to being your best source for industry news and tips and tricks of the trade. To that end, I’m sharing my favorite news items of the week. They range from reports on quarterly earnings to Dan Feinberg’s coverage of CES and some harsh reality from marketing expert Dan Beaulieu. If you missed it on Monday, be sure to read it again here. It’s well worth your time.

NAMICS Brings Innovative Thermoset Materials to PCB Fabrication

At PCB Carolina, Matt Lake and Ken Araujo of NAMICS Technologies spoke with Andy Shaughnessy about the introduction of an innovative thermoset material to PCB fabrication. This groundbreaking material, originally developed for the semiconductor packaging industry, addresses a longstanding demand for unreinforced thermoset films that enhance dielectric properties in PCB applications and allow for manufacturing the very finest of features, 0.002" and below.

Hot Off the Press: Explore the New Issue of IPC Community

The latest digital copy of IPC Community is now ready to view. Each quarter, IPC Community provides exclusive interviews and practical tips on what’s happening with IPC and its members. Find stories on IPC student leadership, successful women in business, the trouble with tariffs, the inside workings on an IPC mentorship duo, standards updates, and so much more.

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

In the past couple of weeks, we’ve had some big industry news. In the automotive world, Honda and Nissan merged to form the largest car manufacturer in Japan. Before President Biden left office, he made sure to distribute more CHIPS Act money to bring some measure of electronics manufacturing back to the U.S. And former President Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100 and was honored on Thursday, reminding us all what true integrity looks like. 

Data Paints a Picture—Can You See It?

Andrew Kelley is CTO of Xact PCB, a company founded by engineers with firsthand experience in PCB fabricators. Xact PCB has developed a cutting-edge system to monitor and predict the registration of inner layers through advanced registration control systems. By leveraging data collected from various production stages, Xact PCB’s GX tool enhances precision. It minimizes errors, ensuring that the final products meet their customers' exact specifications while eliminating the need for costly pilot lots.

Expansion, Retirement, and New Leadership at FCT

In the dynamic landscape of interconnect solutions, Flexible Circuit Technology (FCT) is making waves through significant leadership changes and expansion initiatives. Vice President Carey Burkett, newly appointed executive vice president Ray Cottrell, and marketing director Abby Meyer share their vision for steering the company toward innovative growth. FCT has a robust focus on diverse markets such as medical, automotive, consumer electronics, and HDI (high density interconnect). They are accelerating FCT’s mission to provide exceptional value and service to customers throughout the product lifecycle.

Welcome to the Newest I-Connect007 Columnist Prashant Patel

The American PCB industry is on the brink of transformation, and at the forefront of this evolution is Prashant Patel, the visionary founder and president of Alpha Circuit. In his groundbreaking new column, Facing the Future, Patel invites readers to journey with him into the future—one year, five years, and even three decades ahead. This isn’t just another industry column; it’s a blueprint for what’s to come in North America’s PCB sector.

I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Top Five New Year's Resolutions for 2025

The diet starts tomorrow! At least that’s what Americans say on New Year’s Day.  But it turns out that losing weight is not the No. 1 New Year’s resolution in the United States. For this week’s list, I checked with Statista Consumer Insights, a company that tracks statistics of all kinds. Here, then, are the Top Five New Year’s resolutions made by American adults heading into 2025. 

BOOK EXCERPT: The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... High Performance Materials, Chapter 4

In Chapter 4, Michael Gay discusses the two main types of copper foil used for PCB boards today: electrodeposited (ED) foil and rolled annealed (RA) foil. He also explains the pros and cons of each, and provides an update of the latest innovations in copper foil technology.

Happy New Year From I-Connect007 

As I-Connect007 observes the New Year’s Day holiday, we also wish you and yours a prosperous new year. We will be back covering the news of the industry tomorrow, January 2, 2025, according to the Gregorian calendar.

IPC Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Gene Weiner

Over the years, IPC members who have contributed significantly to IPC and our industry have been awarded with the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Award. Though many early HOF members have passed away and are unknown to today’s IPC membership, their contributions still resonate. Over the coming months, I look forward to researching and reporting on IPC Hall of Fame members and their contributions. This month, I highlight Gene Weiner.

Does China Plus One Really Make a Difference? (Part 2)

In this article, we consider the industrial regions benefiting from investment outside China, and what all this might mean to manufacturers and their customers. According to Prismark, more than half of the world’s $70 billion printed circuit boards were manufactured in China in 2023 (Figure 1). When you add Taiwan-headquartered companies to the huge manufacturing capacities in Mainland China, two-thirds of all PCBs are manufactured in greater China.
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