Latest Articles

Calculating PCB Complexity and First-pass Yields

There are three things I know mathematically about PCB yields: Defects that produce low yields may be systemic and repeatable, while others may be random (but you can test for this); you can predict yields if you take the time to collect the data; and yields are such wonderful things, so we should write about them more.

Accurate Circuit Engineering on Passion and Pushing the Envelope

In this interview at PCB Carolina in November, James Hofer, general manager of Accurate Circuit Engineering (ACE), shares insights into the company’s innovative approach to component embedding and highlights the passion and dedication driving his team’s commitment to quality and innovation in PCB manufacturing. James is still having fun as they push boundaries and do some pretty cool things in the process.

Case Study: PCB Design Flaws Affect Product Cost

In the rapidly evolving aerospace industry, precision and reliability are paramount. “AeroTech Solutions” (not the company’s real name), an aerospace company specializing in satellite technology, recently faced a significant challenge that tested its operational integrity: A flaw identified in the PCB design of its latest satellite model led to unexpected delays and cost overruns.

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

If you’re in the U.S. today, odds are you’re at home enjoying the aftermath of a Thanksgiving holiday meal. Let me just say that whether you had a Thanksgiving holiday surrounded by family, friends, or both, I hope it was joyous. If you know someone who doesn’t have friends or family with whom to share this time, please reach out and include them. Chronic loneliness can exact a measurable toll on our mental and physical health. Wherever you are on the globe this holiday season, I encourage you to reach out to someone who might be battling loneliness and connect. It will make a difference to them. Not only will it help get you in the mood for your winter holiday of choice, but it’ll be good for your mental health as well.

Happy Thanksgiving From the I-Connect007 Team

As we take time to observe Thanksgiving, the I-Connect007 team wishes to offer our thanks to our readers, advertisers, and contributors: designers, fabricators, engineers, assemblers, quality and process control gurus, chemists, physicists, supervisors, managers, entrepreneurs, business owners, standards writers, industry experts, and more. Thank you all for your support.

Real Time with... electronica 2024: ICAPE—Localized Manufacturing Strategies and Strategic Acquisitions

Pete Starkey interviews Christelle Bonnevie, chief industrial officer at ICAPE Group. Bonnevie summarizes the evolution of the group and the strategy of developing a network of manufacturing facilities outside Asia. She also discusses the recent acquisition of NTW in Japan and explains the mechanism of integrating it into the ICAPE organization.

Process Yield Statistics and Distributions

The costs of poor quality include all expenses incurred for not making or providing a perfect product the first time, including scrap, rework, re-purchasing raw materials, labor, and inventory. Companies operating at a three-sigma quality level can spend about 25% of their annual sales remediating poor quality costs. Other estimates put the costs of poor quality in the range of 25–40%. Poor quality can destroy a company.

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

In this week’s roundup, I’m highlighting a variety of articles. We have an interview with Jess Hollenbaugh, a recent graduate working for Polar Instruments. We also have an interview with IPC’s Matt Kelly and Devan Iyer, whose white paper may provide a way forward for companies dealing with complex advanced packages. Our newest columnist Tom Yang describes the U.S. PCB industry from the point of view of a technologist from another country, and Dan Beaulieu has a review of Malcolm Gladwell’s follow-up to The Tipping Point. Finally, we have my review of PCB Carolina, a one-day tabletop show that keeps expanding, much like my waistline after eating their catered food. Enjoy!

IPC Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Patty Goldman

In my first article of this special series, I wrote a synopsis of the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame (HOF) Award, along with a commentary on its first few members, particularly Pritchard. Over the years, IPC members who have contributed significantly to IPC and our industry have been awarded this high honor and recognition. 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 Patty Goldman.

Real Time with... electronica 2024: Inside CEE PCB—Innovations in Technology

Marcy LaRont Interviews Tom Yang and Jerome Larez From CEE PCB. Tom and Jerome showcase the company's advancements and emphasize the importance of automation in PCB manufacturing for quality and efficiency. The CEE PCB focuses on sustainability and aims to connect with high-tech clients while exploring new partnerships for high-volume production.

Designing for Cost to Manufacture

ICAPE's Richard Koensgen, a seasoned field application engineer with a rich background in PCB technology, shares his journey of working with customers and manufacturers through the intricacies of circuit board development and emphasizes the importance of early-stage collaboration with PCB designers. With a focus on tackling the most challenging aspects of PCB design and manufacturing, he discusses everything from layout considerations to the thermal challenges of today's technology when it comes to designing for cost.

Offshore Sourcing in the Global Supply Chain

​​​​​​​Bob Duke, president of the Global Sourcing Division at American Standard Circuits, discusses the challenges and benefits of navigating the global supply chain, including the value of strong supplier relationships, rigorous quality control, and strategic sourcing from regions including China, Vietnam, and India.

Real Time with... electronica 2024: Exciting News at Ventec

An excited Mark Goodwin brings Pete Starkey up-to-date with Ventec's latest news. Spoiler alert: Ventec is to become the primary material supplier for a new PCB factory aiming for full production by 2025. The factory will specialize in four- to eight-layer technology for in-house products and EMS.

PCB Carolina’s Formula: Industry Experts and Catered Food

PCB Carolina organizers at the Better Boards design bureau seem to have found the perfect formula: Industry experts plus catered food equals a constantly expanding show. This one-day tabletop show has been growing for two decades, and that trendline continued with this year’s event on November 13. 

Virginia is for (PCB) Lovers: Weidmuller USA Celebrating 50 Years in Virginia

The Weidmuller Group, a provider of Smart Industrial Connectivity products and solutions, is a family-owned company founded in 1850 in Germany. It currently operates sites in more than 80 countries. Weidmuller USA, based in Richmond, Virginia, and celebrating 50 years in 2025, plans to open an engineering and production facility this fall, bringing more jobs to the region.

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

We have quite a mix in this week’s must-reads. The November issue of Design007 Magazine was published, and you don’t want to miss Andy Shaughnessy’s column. This week, we also have a discussion of long-flex PCBs with CEE PCB’s Jerome Larez, and we revisit my forward-looking interview with Dr. Evelyne Parmentier of Dyconex. Jim Will gives us an update on the many things that have transpired in his first five months as executive director at USPAE. Finally, Happy Holden’s next installment of Happy’s Tech Talk looks into the weaknesses of CAD drawings by using a famous Escher print as an example. Happy is definitely one of a kind.

International Electronics Circuit Exhibition (Shenzhen) Coming Dec. 4–6

HKPCA hosts the 22nd annual International Electronics Circuit Exhibition (Shenzhen) (HKPCA Show), Dec. 4-6, at the Shenzhen International Convention and Exhibition Center (Bao’an) in Halls 5, 6, 7, and 8. With more than 600 global brands and emerging companies, it is one of the world's largest gatherings for the circuit board and electronic assembly industry. The theme of the event is "AI Powers the Future." It will focus on AI, high-end PCBs, high-performance materials, smart automation, and other hot topics. It will showcase innovative processes and technologies across the PCB and PCBA industry chain, bringing together global elites and resources to drive ongoing development.

Exploring Innovation Through Alternate Metals and Sputtering

Dr. Evelyne Parmentier has a PhD in physical chemistry from ETH Zurich. She was born in Luxembourg and is now a proud resident of Switzerland, where she has been part of Dyconex’s R&D engineering team for the past two years. Evelyne gave a presentation at the EIPC Summer Conference titled “Functionalization of Printed Circuit Boards Through Introducing Alternate Metals Through Sputtered Layers,” where she asked her audience, “If there are 93 metals in the periodic table, why are we not using more of them?”

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

In our industry we work on solutions. This week, solutions are represented in these must-read choices. Solid state batteries make an appearance, as does LED imaging equipment at American Standard Circuits. SPEA’s AI-based optical inspection is here, as are Happy Holden’s recent article on one key engineering skill and news about a flagship R&D facility funded by the U.S. CHIPS Act.​​​​​​​

TTM’s Grand Opening in Malaysia

When I last spoke with Tom Edman, president and CEO of TTM Technologies (TTM), he provided an update about the company’s new high-tech printed circuit board facility under construction in Syracuse, New York, and how the grand opening of a facility in Malaysia is informing TTM’s overall expansion efforts: a cutting-edge facility spread across 27 acres and providing roughly 1,000 jobs. Now, Tom provides more details about the new automated facility, its regional and global impact, and the importance of having both government and industry support.

Tritek Hosts Open House at Advanced West’s Facility

In this recent conversation with I-Connect007’s Andy Shaughnessy and Barb Hockaday, Steve Kenney, president of Tritek and Advanced West, discusses their long history serving the PCB industry, dating back to when Tritek sold Shipley chemistry in Southern California. During this interview, recorded minutes before an open house at Advanced West in Corona, California, Steve underscores the company’s customer-centric culture and their drive to meet customers' changing requirements in the PCB space.

Real Time with... SMTAI 2024: John Johnson on American Standard Circuits' Advanced Technology

In this interview from SMTAI 2024, American Standard Circuits' John Johnson details a conversation that starts with the news of a new LED imager and pivots to a peek into American Standard's capabilities roadmap for the next three years.

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

It’s been a busy week in PCB design, fabrication, and assembly. We published some mixed news about the EMS segment, and an article about the supply chain. Are companies holding onto too much inventory? After the recent supply chain snafus, I can certainly understand why they might. We have an article about liquid metal ink, a cool new technology developed by LDQX, formerly known as Averatek. We also have an article about fighting advanced counterfeiting methods, and news about an acquisition by Siemens.

Root-cause Analysis and Problem-solving

An essential skill for any process engineer in printed circuit fabrication is the ability to conduct root-cause analysis (RCA) and problem-solving. These are related to TQC and Six Sigma applications and are essential for customer support and continued profitability. All engineers will encounter these methods sooner or later, but it will likely be sooner if you are in product or process engineering in manufacturing.

Unlocking Advanced Circuitry Through Liquid Metal Ink

PCB UHDI technologist John Johnson of American Standard Circuits discusses the evolving landscape of electronics manufacturing and the critical role of innovation, specifically liquid metal ink technology, as an alternate process to traditional metallization in PCB fabrication to achieve ever finer features and tighter tolerances. The discussion highlights the benefits of reliability, efficiency, and yields as a tradeoff to any increased cost to run the process. As this technology becomes better understood and accepted, even sought out by customers and designers, John says there is a move toward mainstream incorporation.
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