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

It’s been a busy week here at I-Connect007, an even busier week for PCB designers and manufacturers. This week, we published a variety of articles and news items. In this week’s wrap-up, we have an interview with Rex Rozario that is basically a historical look at the birth of commercial PCB manufacturing, and his involvement with the Rolling Stones in their early days. Then we bring you a look at trends in freight costs, which are—fortunately—heading southward right now.

Knowledge: At the Heart of Great Customer Service

David Thomas, master IPC trainer at EPTAC, says that the more you understand the work and technology that go into your processes and products, the better you can serve your customers. That includes knowing the basics.

Stop Over-specifying Your Materials

Columnist Kelly Dack has had a pretty wide range of experiences. As a PCB designer, he has sat behind the desk at an NPI company, an OEM, a fabricator, and now an EMS provider. We asked him to share a few thoughts on the materials selection process and how it could be improved.

Where Are Freight Costs Going?

For some electronics manufacturing companies, lower freight costs are likely to be their most significant cost savings this year. Decreased demand and improving supply chain dynamics are pulling freight costs down, a trend that should continue throughout this year. Downward cyclical pressures will curtail volume, which should keep prices in check.

Eye on the Ion

During the recent SMTA Houston Expo & Tech Forum, I had the good fortune to meet and interview Joey Sanchez, senior director of ecosystems at The Ion, a 300,000-square-foot space in the renovated historical Sears building in the city’s Midtown section. Opened in 2021, The Ion is part of the 16-acre (12 city blocks) Ion Innovation District, which is currently under development. The facility is owned and managed by Rice University.

The Birth of the Printed Circuit Board

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.

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

This week, our must-reads include reporting on the new PCB support legislation, now submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives; financial results from two Tier 1 manufacturers, which readers read quite thoroughly; ESG in Asia Pacific; new features from Altium; global sourcing; and a “How I got here” interview with an up and coming industry expert.

NCAB Advocates for Advanced Technologies

At the SMTA Atlanta Expo and Tech Forum, I spoke with NCAB Group Field Application Engineer Ramon Roche, who gave a presentation at the show titled, “Technical Trends in the Global PCB Industry.” Ramon and I discussed his presentation, the emerging technologies that have NCAB’s focus over the next few years, and why semi-additive processes may be the key to succeeding with ultra HDI technology.

Guru & Geezer: A Celebration of the Life of Martin Cotton

This last weekend, industry guru and dear friend to many, Martin Cotton passed away. He was one of the first people I worked with in the electronics industry when I joined Toptec Design to learn to layout PCBs. He was a bit of a rock star to many PCB designers, myself included. He was known to be among the best in his field, if not the best, and went on to be one of the most influential and innovative people in the industry over a long and distinguished career. He will be hugely missed by his family and by his numerous friends in and out of the electronics industry.

Sustainability Podcast: Episode 2 'Sustainability Through Cloud Applications' Now Available

Now available on Spotify, Episode 2 of I-Connect007’s new podcast, On the Line with… features an interview with Susan Kayesar of Siemens. Kayesar addresses cloud applications and sustainability, as well as some key, new best practices that emerge from using a cloud-based platform for business operations software systems.

Ryan’s Hope: From Cop to CAD

I recently ran into Ryan Miller of NCAB Group at SMTA Atlanta. Ryan is a field application engineer and a columnist for Design007 Magazine who joined NCAB last year. In this interview, Ryan discusses his path from Air Force Security Forces to design engineer, and he outlines what he plans to accomplish at NCAB.

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

This week’s must-reads contains a veritable potpourri of information from around the industry. We have a Pete Starkey review of the latest EIPC webinar on ultra HDI and thin film resistors, an interview with the founder of an electronics trade school in Texas, and an update from PCBAA about their lobbying efforts in Washington. We also have news about our brand-new podcast, or “pod,” as the kids say, and a column about the wisdom of Don Draper that just might serve technologists and managers well. Read on, folks!

EIPC Review: Ultra-high-density Interconnects, Thin-film Resistor Materials

It’s been a little while since I first had the opportunity to review an EIPC Technical Snapshot webinar. This excellent series began in October 2020 when our industry was besieged by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has continued successfully as restrictions have lifted and provides an effective channel for the efficient sharing of relevant knowledge that complements the traditional live conferences. The 20th in the series, in December 2022, focused on environmental issues impacting the electronics industry. In early February, EIPC held its live Winter Conference in Lyon and now, by popular demand, the 21st Technical Snapshot fills a slot before the Summer Conference scheduled for mid-June in Munich.

Realizing the Promise of IPC-1791

IPC-1791, Trusted Electronic Designer, Fabricator and Assembler Requirements, is an electronics standard developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and industry to address some of today’s greatest risks to a trusted supply chain. The standard provides traceability and helps protect against counterfeits. In fact, IPC-1791 was specifically cited in the U.S. Department of Commerce response to Executive Order 14017-Securing America’s Supply Chains.

I-Connect007 Launches 'On the Line with...' Podcast with Series on Sustainability

Expanding its avenues of content delivery, I-Connect007 is excited to announce the launch of our latest educational product, On the Line with.., available on Spotify, Apple and all the major podcast platforms. In this podcast, we speak with industry experts to get the latest insights and perspectives on the most relevant topics in the electronics industry today.

May 2023 Issue of Design007 Magazine Available Now

As you’ll see in this month’s issue of Design007 Magazine, slash sheets such as IPC-4101/126 were never meant to be used by designers when comparing PCB laminates. These documents were created to facilitate communication between purchasing and customer service departments. You could say that slash sheets are made for administrative purposes, not engineering.

Onboarding 101 With Mike Hoyt

You’ve decided to revamp your process for onboarding new hires, but where do you start? How do you create a thorough onboarding system that allows each new hire to become a happy, long-term employee? I asked Mike Hoyt, IPC’s training advisor, to discuss the organization’s onboarding program, the hiring issues facing companies in the PCB space, and the best way to get aboard a new onboarding process.

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

This week, I’m identifying key news about EVs, orbital payloads, environmental sustainability, the state of the economy, and new executive leadership. I’d say it’s a well-rounded selection of what’s happening in the industry. I can’t help but continue to be impressed by the pervasiveness of space commercialization. Satellites have a long history of being commissioned and operated by private business, but as commercial launch vehicles become more available, it seems that satellite launches are accelerating. Read on!

Catching a Cool Vibe in Del Mar

The Del Mar Electronics & Manufacturing Show in late April attracted a strong crowd, and for good reason. This show, which started in 1995 and attracts approximately 400 exhibitors, takes a refreshing approach: It’s at the local fairgrounds, so the vibe is cool, relaxed and easier on the pocketbook. Attendance hasn’t yet reached the highest pre-COVID levels, but show organizer Doug Bodenstab said registrations improved over last year.

The Secret to Successful Onboarding

John Izzo is a celebrated author, activist, and public speaker who advises companies worldwide on corporate sustainability, social responsibility, leading on purpose, and employee engagement. In this interview with Barry Matties, John offers some suggestions for a better onboarding process, and he answers some of the tough questions that companies are facing regarding employee retention.

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

In this week’s must-reads, we have coverage of NAMM 2023 and SMTA Atlanta, plus some tips for traditional PCB designers who are entering the RF design space, where designers have to master ideas like antenna tuning. We also have some news about March PCB sales, as well as a great conversation with Ventec’s Frank Lorentz, who explains how to set up an onboarding process that converts new hires into happy, long-term employees.

Chemical Legislation and Restrictions on Solder Masks

Ever since liquid photoimageable solder masks (LPISMs) were introduced, their UV exposure speed has been a key factor in their performance. The LPISM is coated onto the PCB, dried, and then selectively exposed with UV light via a phototool, or more recently, via direct imaging using LED or lasers. The exposed areas polymerise and become insoluble in the developing solution. The polymerisation is initiated by one or more chemicals called photoinitiators, which are components of the LPISM.

Successful Onboarding Takes Training, Technique, and Trust

Many companies in our industry are trying to hire new career-minded, long-term employees, but the hiring process is costly, especially if you hire someone who doesn’t work out. How do you ensure that your new hire stays on and becomes a happy, long-time employee? We recently spoke with Ventec’s Frank Lorentz about his company’s onboarding processes. Frank is the general manager of Ventec’s customer and technical service, warehouse, and quick-turn facility in Germany, and he’s made a career out of logistics. He walks us through his exhaustive onboarding process, which includes letting new hires make mistakes so that they can learn from them.

A Complex and Contradictory Economic Outlook

At this year’s EMS Summit held at IPC APEX EXPO, I shared IPC’s economic outlook for 2023 and 2024. The electronics industry overcame significant hurdles and headwinds in 2022, thanks in large part to strong underlying demand. While many of those hurdles and headwinds have subsided, the industry faces new challenges in the year ahead. At the EMS Summit, I shared three key themes defining the year ahead.

NAMM 2023: It’s All About That Bass

The use of AI in the music industry seems only natural. For example, if you’re trying to create a specific sound, rhythm, mix of instruments, or volume level, you’d typically be in front of a series of mixers and controls, making tweaks and adjustments. If you’re trying to create a piece of music that is similar to one you already have, AI can do that for you. Just give it some basic instructions and let it go to work.
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