Latest Articles

In Honor of the U.S. Labor Day

Sept. 2, is Labor Day in the United States, always observed the first Monday in September. In its official declaration, we learn that “Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late 19th century when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.”

Advancements in Drill Bit Technology

In this interview with Alex Girardot of Perfect Point Precision Carbide Tools, we explore the pioneering advancements in drill bit technology supporting high-tech fabrication. Alex leverages his 15 years of expertise in the PCB industry to discuss the critical role of coating technology in enhancing drill bit performance. This technological leap increases accuracy, especially in high aspect ratio builds, and nearly eliminates drill bit breakage.

Give Yourself an Edge at the IPC High Reliability Forum 2024

For those who support military and defense products, few topics are more important than reliability, particularly as we venture into complex packaging requirements that accommodate next-gen chips and electronic systems. Recently, I visited with Teresa Rowe, IPC senior director, assembly and standards technology, to discuss the IPC High Reliability Forum (HRF), Oct. 9-10, at the McKimmon Center, in Raleigh, North Carolina. With topics that cover high-voltage electronics, standardized test methods, and assembly and solder joint X-ray challenges, it is clear that this event needs to be included on your annual conference calendar.

Shifting to Automated Chemical Dosing for Enhanced Control and Safety

Mike Brask of IPS explores the shift toward automated chemical dosing in wet process lines for enhanced control, safety, and product reliability. Mike emphasizes that automating chemical dosing reduces variability, ensuring consistent quality and safer working conditions. He notes past reliance on manual labor and highlights current challenges, including space limitations and regulatory hurdles.

Why You Need to Take This New ‘Semiconductor Essentials’ Course 

Recently, Andy Shaughnessy and Nolan Johnson met with Soo Lan Cheah, the developer of a new IPC course geared toward PCB manufacturing professionals who have little to no knowledge about semiconductor manufacturing. With her background in PCB and IC design, Soo Lan brings a circumspect vision of these disciplines and how they are inter-related. You don’t need to know a lot of math to take this course, and you’ll come out with a much better understanding of the whole silicon-to-systems approach.

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

It is the last weekend before the much-celebrated Labor Day holiday, also known as the official end of summer. Though I am not yet ready for pumpkin spice lattes and heinously early Christmas decorations, I do relish the end of the heat. But the heat in our industry is not set to die down anytime soon, nor should it. Just about one month shy of the end of Q3 2024, things are looking positive for many industry members, so let’s make sure to keep the metaphorical pedal to the metal for a strong quarter-end and a great upcoming trade show season.

Navigating Cost Drivers and Sustainability in PCB Production: A Comprehensive Guide

In May, I had the privilege of presenting "Cost Drivers in PCB Production" to attendees at the SMTA Wisconsin Expo. This presentation, one of our most popular, received tremendous feedback, inspiring us to share our insights more broadly through a comprehensive white paper on the subject. One of my favorite examples to share from this white paper which really illustrates the impact of both cost and sustainability is panel utilization.

Cost-optimize Your PCB Design and Specifications

Knowledge is the key to identifying the small details that makes the big cost difference for your printed circuit board. There are many types of printed circuit boards and multiple choices between the development of schematic and BOM to PCB technology selection, electronic PCB design, mechanical and physical properties, and PCB specification.

Maximizing ROI Through Better Wet Process Control

“When things get out of control, the variation in your wet process begins,” says Mike Carano,. “Just because they look like good boards and may even pass electrical test, it does not necessarily mean you have good boards. Once the chemistry is headed toward the right or left side of the process control parameter cliff, the plating is compromised. If the copper is thinner than it should be, when the customer puts it into service, the board may fail after 500 cycles vs. the requisite 1,000 or 2,000 cycles. The root cause issue is that you plated 7/10ths of a mil of copper instead of one-mil of copper because you were not controlling your process. The fact that you passed your own electric test becomes inconsequential.”

A Less Expensive Defense and Aerospace PCB Fab Startup

Editor’s note: Investing in a new printed circuit board fabrication startup is not for the faint of heart or the light of wallet. Standing up a new “high-tech” PCB fab facility capable of becoming qualified for aerospace and defense work typically takes a minimum investment of $50 million. However, Alex Stepinski says entering the defense and aerospace markets with a new PCB fabrication start-up facility far under this prohibitive cost benchmark is possible when good partnerships, innovation, and sound engineering design enter from the beginning. In this article, Alex Stepinski outlines just how this can be achieved.

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

People are on the move, new books are being released, and a new PCB manufacturer is making waves. This week, I'm highlighting the latest ASC/Sunstone book on DFM essentials, our 40th book in the I-Connect007 library and a must-read whether you're a new or seasoned member of industry. I'm also including leadership news from NextFlex, a discussion on integrated passives from Joe Fjelstad, and a new processor chip from Intel meant specifically for automotive applications.

From Concept to Reality: Building Alpha Circuit

Meet Prashant Patel, one of the industry’s newest PCB fabricators. Prashant was a pharmacist for his entire career and did very well. Surrounded by friends with decades of PCB industry experience who shared their outlook on the industry, Prashant acquired Alpha Circuit, located in Elmhurst, Illinois, in 2021. Alpha Circuit was established in 1981, where the primary focus was on low-tech. That has all changed.

Real Time with… THECA 2024: Innovation and Economy in Factory Design Is Just Smart

Smart Factory Design's CEO, Alex Stepinski, provides an update on his work with zero liquid discharge solutions and lower-investment PCB fabrication setups. Both of these solutions, Stepinski argues, now cost less to operate than traditional methods, while providing more capability and sustainability.

Thriving Through Partnership: Alpha Circuit’s Journey with IPS

In this illuminating conversation with Mike Brask of IPS, we explore IPS’s involvement in the transformative journey of Alpha Circuit. Mike explains the strategic partnership between the two companies. He reveals the crucial decisions and investments that were made to improve their manufacturing capabilities, particularly in copper plating. The discussion also touches on the changing technological landscape, emphasizing IPS's commitment to innovation and client support, which has greatly contributed to Alpha Circuit’s growth and operational excellence.

Real Time with… THECA 2024: ENIG Paper Presented by MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions

Dr. Frank Xu reports on the paper he presented at THECA on ENIG processes, confirming that MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solution’s Affinity family of processes not only comply with IPC ENIG corrosion standards but also exceed them

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

We’ve finished the first full week of August, and now more than midway through summer. This week brought us quite a lot of military and aerospace news, with headlines from Airbus, Rocket Lab, AST Space Mobile, Menlo Microsystems, CACI, and L3 Harris. In other news, Pete Starkey takes us on a tour of RoBAT in England, highlighting the ever-important topic of high-technology SI testing.

Real Time with… THECA 2024: MKS Atotech—A PCB Perspective on China Plus One

MKS Atotech Regional Vice President Thomas Beck provides perspective on the burgeoning PCB manufacturing industry in Thailand specifically, and more widely throughout Southeast Asia. 

Real Time with… THECA 2024: State of the Art Copper Adhesion

Bruce Lee, MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, joined Nolan Johnson following his paper presentation on the show's mainstage. Lee provided a detailed overview of the current state of adhesion promoters and discussed the interaction between mechanical adhesion, chemical adhesion, signal integrity, and substrate impacts.

Real Time with… THECA 2024: A Successful First Show for THPCA

As the THECA show begins its last day, THPCA's Supachak Manutsathit shares some details from this successful inaugural show. Manutsathit describes the planning that went into creating an industry event from scratch and elaborates on the plans for THECA 2025. 

A Visit to RoBAT

It was the beginning of July, on an English summer’s day—overcast and raining—as I drove up to Cheshire the pretty way, across the Derbyshire dales, to avoid the traffic problems on the M6 motorway. It was well worth the journey when I arrived at the premises of RoBAT Ltd., in Macclesfield, to meet with Managing Director Bruce Nockton. 

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

After getting stuck in an airport during the Crowdstrike outage, our colleague Nolan Johnson has a review of the first-ever THECA trade show in Bangkok, Thailand. We have a column by Matt Stevenson on drilling optimization, and an interview with Schmoll America President Kurt Palmer about what it takes to thrive in this industry. We have an article by SMTA’s Tara Dunn that focuses on the organization’s educational offerings, and news about All Flex joining the PCBAA.

Real Time with… THECA 2024: MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions–A Critical Comparison of Metallization Methods

Carmichael Gugliotti, product manager for primary metallization, MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, describes his research—presented here at THECA—looking at reliability, process efficiency, and environmental sustainability. Learn about his findings in this interview.

Market Spotlight on India

India has long fascinated me. Aside from the fact that I love the cuisine, I have been fortunate to have some close Indian friends who were very generous in sharing their culture, celebrations, and homes. Growing up in the Bay Area (Silicon Valley), my exposure to talented Indian engineers started in the 1990s.

Schmoll America: Thriving in the Global PCB Market

As we examine what it means to thrive in our industry, I reached out to Kurt Palmer, president of Schmoll America. The business expansion was created from Schmoll Maschinen to focus on and better serve the expanding North American PCB market. Professionally, Kurt has been in this business for decades. He explains what thriving looks like for Schmoll America as the company moves forward into this new venture and what he is most looking forward to in the years ahead.

Real Time with... THECA 2024: IPC Focusing on the Needs of a Growing Region

Dave Bergman, vice president of standards and technology at IPC, updates Nolan Johnson on the active development work underway by IPC in the SE Asia region. Dave shares that IPC is very involved in helping to encourage and enable new investment in this region through IPC's core work in standards, education, and advocacy.
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