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From Wafer-level Inspection to System-level Scaling: A Preview of the November Advanced Electronics Packaging Digest

From wafer-level inspection and precision dispensing to interconnected computing architectures and electronics designed for extreme environments, the November issue of Advanced Electronics Packaging Digest (AEPD) explores how increasing complexity is driving new approaches to performance, reliability, and process control.

3 Key Takeaways: Why Advanced Materials Are Shaping the Future of Electronics

The electronics industry is facing a new generation of engineering challenges. AI, advanced packaging, high-performance computing, and compact devices are pushing the limits of traditional design approaches. Engineers face mounting pressure to increase performance, manage rising power densities, and ensure reliability as electronic systems become smaller and more complex. In the companion guide, Engineering What’s Next, Qnity expands on the discussions featured in its six-part On the Line With… Qnity: Engineering What’s Next podcast series.

I-Connect007 Welcomes Dr. Cody Schoener as Newest Mil/Aero Columnist

I-Connect007 is excited to welcome Dr. Cody Schoener of Dow as a new monthly columnist for our weekly Mil/Aero Newsletter. His column, Built to Survive, will explore the materials and technologies used to protect electronics in demanding military, aerospace, and aviation environments.

Catching Up With Echo Yang of Archer Circuits

I’ve always believed the most interesting thing about a PCB company is the person who decided what kind of company it should be. Echo Yang chose to build Archer Circuits around engineering support, manufacturing options, and long-term customer relationships. I caught up with Echo to talk about the road that led her here, what customers are asking for today, and what it takes to earn their trust. I think you will be surprised and, frankly, as impressed as I was by Echo and her company.

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

My husband and I recently became empty-nesters (again), and it’s an interesting dynamic when you aren’t arranging your daily routines around your kids’ schedules and lives. You don’t feel as rushed, and you can turn your attention to some other things that have been put on hold, but you also feel a little melancholy about the changes, and you hope you’ve instilled enough of your wisdom into your children before they move away.

FSQuality in Thailand: From Automotive and Industrial Controls to AI and Optical Modules

One year after their first visit, the ECIO team returned to FSQuality Co., Ltd.’s Thailand factory to see what had changed over an eventful 12 months. The team was joined by Marcy LaRont following the THECA 2026 event in Bangkok. Having met with FSQuality Chairman Liu Tianming at the show the week before, we were eager to see firsthand how the company has evolved its customer strategy, expanded manufacturing to support AI and optical module applications, and added another new building to further increase its high-end manufacturing capabilities and strengthen Thailand’s growing PCB value chain.

Sundell Technology Laying the Groundwork for a ‘Certain’ Future

In early September, Edy Yu and Tulip Gu of ECIO, and I-Connect007’s Marcy LaRont visited Sundell Technology’s Thailand facility at the Rojana Industrial Park in Ayutthaya Province. Two years into operation, the factory has devoted considerable investment and effort to things that are largely “invisible.” Registered in February 2023 and commencing production in 2024, the company has invested nearly RMB 1.2 billion in the facility, which covers approximately 267,000 square meters and was initially planned for a monthly production capacity of 120,000 square meters.

Delton Turns Its Thailand Location Into a Rules-driven Smart Factory

On Sept. 1, 2026, ECIO’s Edy Yu and Tulip Gu, along with I-Connect007’s Marcy LaRont, toured Delton’s Thailand facility in Prachin Buri. The factory officially began production in June 2025 and, impressively, was profitable by December. Phase I capacity utilization has already exceeded 90%, and further expansion is moving quickly—a remarkably fast ramp-up for an overseas PCB operation.

Little Streams Make Big Rivers: Creating an Industry Voice in Brussels

There is a French saying I am fond of, and I used it to open my presentation in Paris: “les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivières,” translated as “Little streams make big rivers.” It is, to my mind, the whole of European government relations in six words. No single company, however large, and no single association, however active, changes the direction of European policy on its own. But enough voices, aligned and patient, moving in the same direction, become a current that is very hard to ignore.

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

This week I’ve been in Rosemont, Illinois, attending SMTA International, pressing my finger more firmly on the pulse of the electronics manufacturing industry. It’s always good to see long-time colleagues and make new connections. The sentiment on the show floor is best described as “disciplined.” There is plenty of work to be done, and the internal systems must adapt to accommodate the demand.

What AI Servers Are Asking of the PCB

AI infrastructure is pushing PCB performance into new territory. As data rates move from 56 Gbps to 112, 224, 337 Gbps and beyond, the challenge isn't simply building more boards to support growing computing demand. Those boards also have to carry faster signals with less loss, often across increasingly complex, high-layer-count constructions. That puts new pressure on one of the most fundamental parts of the PCB: its materials.

Safer Chemistry, Shifting Rules: What’s Next for Electronics Manufacturers?

At the Chemical Watch Regulatory Summit North America 2026, we spent much of our time in different rooms. Kelly followed the chemicals management for electronics discussions, while Brendan focused primarily on chemical control. Yet a common concern emerged across both tracks: Companies are navigating a fragmented regulatory landscape while trying to maintain compliance, introduce new technologies and advance safer chemistry. Our perspectives reflect two sides of that challenge, how manufacturers respond to changing requirements, and how policy can support or complicate their progress.

New Meet the Author Episode Explores Direct Metallization in Advanced PCB Manufacturing

I-Connect007 is pleased to announce the release of its latest Meet the Author podcast episode, featuring Carmichael Gugliotti, Line of Business Director for Primary Metallization at MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions and author of The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to Direct Metallization: A Guide to Complex PCB Fabrication. As PCB designs become increasingly complex, fabricators face growing pressure to deliver higher performance while reducing process complexity, resource consumption, and waste. Direct metallization, a technology with decades of history, is gaining renewed attention as manufacturers seek more efficient and sustainable approaches to PCB production.

The Supplier’s Job Has Changed: Turning PCB Supply Chain Uncertainty Into Action

Information about what's happening in the PCB supply chain is abundant. Customers know materials are constrained and that lead times can change quickly. They know tariffs, geopolitical uncertainty, shifting manufacturing capacity, and growing demand from emerging technologies are creating pressure throughout the electronics supply chain. Another market update won’t solve their problem. What customers need is someone who can tell them what it all means for their program, and what they should do about it. I believe that's where the role of PCB suppliers is changing.

I-Connect007 Releases New Guide Expanding on Qnity’s Engineering What’s Next Podcast Series

I-Connect007 is pleased to announce the release of The Companion Guide to… Engineering What’s Next. This new publication expands on the insights shared in the six-part podcast series, On the Line with… Qnity: Engineering What’s Next. As AI, advanced packaging, and next-generation electronics continue to transform the industry, engineers face increasingly complex challenges in performance, reliability, thermal management, and sustainability. This new companion guide explores why advanced materials—and the expertise to integrate them into practical solutions—are essential to meeting these demands.

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

In my top five must-read items from this week’s articles and news, I am focusing on the interconnect because, honestly, who isn’t? We are in the interconnect business, and it just gets more complex and more fun every day. My interview with MKS Inc.’s Dr. John Lee and the accompanying article, which breaks down the technology, implications of current market realities, and their effect on the state of “the interconnect,” is my first choice this week.

ICT 2026 Annual Symposium Review (Part 2): Solving Complex Manufacturing Challenges

A logical follow-on from the discussion of AI infrastructure was a practical example of AI applications in a PCB manufacturing environment. Oliver Cleveley-Jones and his colleagues Patrick Brown and Sam Hair from Alpha Machines described the development and benefits of an AI-driven integrated digital-twin architecture, and what it looks like from the inside of a working factory. 

ICT 2026 Annual Symposium Review (Part 1): What Lies Ahead?

It was a misty autumn morning on the outskirts of Coventry in the Midlands of England for the 2026 Annual Symposium of the Institute of Circuit Technology. ICT technical director Alun Morgan welcomed delegates and remarked upon the excellent attendance. Although there were plenty of familiar faces in the audience, an encouraging number of hands were raised when Morgan enquired who was there for the first time. Remarking that although the Institute had seen a lot of changes since it was founded in the 1970s, the time for reminiscing was in the bar and the purpose of the symposium was to talk about the future, hear some new ideas, and discuss where we were going as an industry.

From IPC Standards to Practical DFM

DFM seems like common sense: If we know the rules a PCB must meet, why not check the design against them before it ever reaches the factory? In practice, of course, it’s not quite that simple. I caught up with Susan Kayesar, product manager at Siemens and longtime contributor to Global Electronics Association standards activities, to talk about an ongoing effort between Siemens and the Association to translate IPC requirements into practical, software-based DFM checks.

Optimizing the Interconnect with Dr. John T.C. Lee

When Dr. John T.C. Lee talks about the evolution of electronics, he keeps coming back to the interconnect. As CEO and President of MKS Inc., he saw growing complexity in the connections between increasingly powerful devices as both a manufacturing challenge and a business opportunity. That thinking helped drive MKS’ acquisition of Atotech in 2022, bringing process chemistry and electroplating together with MKS’ existing strengths in lasers, optics, and precision motion, and giving substance to a strategy the company calls Optimize the Interconnect™.

Stop Inspecting AI and Start Understanding

If you are new to a PCB shop, there is a good chance your first real job is at the back end of the line. Maybe you run the AOI station or pull boards at final inspection and flag the ones that do not pass. I want you to notice something: Every board you reject has already been built. The copper was plated and the layers pressed before you ever saw it. Your job is to catch the mistake, not to stop it from happening. That is a problem, but not with you. Unfortunately, it has always been the way most shops go about achieving quality.

Enabling the Interconnect Technologies That Transform Our World: MKS’ Strategic Role in Powering the Future of AI and HPC

AI is reshaping industries, economies, and daily life at an unprecedented speed. From generative AI and autonomous systems to high-performance computing (HPC) applications in science, defense, and advanced manufacturing, the demand for computational power is accelerating exponentially. But while algorithms capture the spotlight, the true enabler of this transformation lies deeper, in the physical infrastructure that makes AI possible. Performance in the AI era is no longer defined by transistor shrink alone. It is increasingly defined by how efficient systems are integrated, interconnected, cooled, and manufactured at scale.

Who Will Replace Electronics Manufacturing’s Most Experienced Workers?

The electronics manufacturing industry has spent years discussing technological advancement, expanding domestic production, and developing the next generation of manufacturing capabilities. But behind those conversations is another challenge that deserves attention: Who will replace the industry’s most experienced workers as they approach retirement? Recent research from the U.S. Census Bureau illustrates the scale of the issue. In 2022, 52.1% of workers in electronic component and product manufacturing were age 45 or older.

The Need for Speed in Mil/Aero Manufacturing

Military and aerospace manufacturers are being asked to move faster, whether developing new drone technologies, responding to supply constraints, or getting new designs from prototype to production. James Hofer of Accurate Circuit Engineering sees that pressure as changing more than just manufacturing schedules. He talks about the growing role of quick-turn PCB fabrication, new relationships between defense primes and startups, and why even long-established approaches to standards and manufacturing have to become more adaptable.

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

Working from home really has its perks, especially when it comes to driving. I don’t miss the commute time, driving in the rain, or having to maneuver around everyone else going to work or coming home. Simply popping up to my desk in the morning is such a benefit. But what I do miss is being physically with my coworkers and the interactions that can happen when you’re all together. You just don’t get the synergy over a Teams call that you can get in person. Even more, being together fosters a sense of camaraderie you can’t get any other way.
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