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Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2023: Coating With Robotic Technology

Paige Fiet sits down with Steve Keller of Taiyo America to discuss the benefits of using robotic technology such as Taiyo Circuit Automation's AT-100 for coating PCBs. If you were unable to attend IPC APEX EXPO 2023, don't worry. We're bringing you coverage of the week's events in San Diego, from ribbon cutting to teardown.

Don't Blink: The IPC APEX EXPO Time-lapse

It’s a tradition here at I-Connect007 to set up a time-lapse for IPC APEX EXPO. There’s something satisfying, mesmerizing even, to watch the show floor build out and see the moment when the doors open and visitors fill the exhibit hall. Based on what others have said over the years, I know I’m not the only one whose favorite part is when the carpet gets rolled out and the whole character of the exhibition changes. This time lapse starts on the Saturday prior and continues through the Thursday tear-down phase.

DFM 101: Final Finishes—Electrolytic Nickel/Gold

One of the biggest challenges facing PCB designers is not understanding the cost drivers in the PCB manufacturing process. This article is the latest in a series that will discuss these cost drivers (from the PCB manufacturer’s perspective) and the design decisions that will impact product reliability.

IPC APEX EXPO Wrap-up

IPC APEX EXPO 2023 is over, and I think it was a successful show no matter how you slice it. There was barely a break in traffic on the show floor on Tuesday and Wednesday, and even on Thursday I saw people sprinting to close one more deal. Some committee meetings had nearly 200 participants; the meetings I sat in on were anything but boring.

NIST Resources for CHIPS Act Participants

At the recent IPC Advanced Packaging Symposium, Dr. Frank W. Gayle, deputy director of the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office, an interagency team with core staff hosted at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), gave a presentation on the work NIST has recently undertaken in support of both the semiconductor and R&D sectors, and the CHIPS and Science Act.

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

This week, the IPC APEX EXPO event has cast a long shadow across the news feeds. No, that’s not the right metaphor. No, not a shadow; shadows are dark. It would be more accurate to say IPC APEX EXPO cast a beam of illumination upon the news feeds for the electronics manufacturing industry. To that end, the APEX EXPO news makes a prominent appearance in this week’s editor’s picks.

Advanced Packaging Means Advanced Routing Issues

In today’s ever-shrinking world of electronics designs, the use of BGA parts with very fine pitch features is becoming more prevalent. As these fine-pitch BGAs continue to increase in complexity and user I/O (number of balls), the difficulty of finding escape routes and fan-out patterns increases. Additionally, with the shrinking of silicon geometry leading to both smaller channel length and increased signal integrity issues, some of the traditional BGA escape routing techniques will require a revisit and/or adjustment to allow for not only successful fan-out, but also successful functioning of the circuitry of the BGA design.

Bright Lights, Big City: STEM Event Kicks Off

The San Diego sun was warm and bright on Wednesday afternoon, but it didn’t stop the crowds from filling the aisles at IPC APEX EXPO 2023 for the trade show’s second official day. Technical conferences, professional development courses, and a keynote from IPC President and CEO John W. Mitchell kept attendees busy. But the real highlight of the day was upstairs where approximately 300 high school students from the local San Diego area rode buses to the San Diego Convention Center for a day full of activities meant especially for them.

Everyone Wants Change: Who Wants to Lead the Way?

Nolan Johnson recently met with Alun Morgan, technology ambassador at Ventec, and Ventec COO Mark Goodwin to discusses the industry’s determination to cling to outdated processes and standards, and some potential consequences. To maintain efficiency and keep pace with the market’s newest entries in Asia, Alun and Mark believe that legacy companies in the West must be open to challenging conversations that will require questioning old practices and revising those practices toward sustainability.

IPC APEX EXPO 2023: Face-to-Face Not Mask-to-Mask

It was a bright, sunny California day as IPC APEX EXPO officially opened its doors on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at the San Diego Convention Center. The Technical Conference began on the same day, while the program of standards meetings and professional development courses had been in progress since Saturday, Jan. 21. During the hustle and bustle of the show build-up over the weekend, it was clear to see that so many exhibitors had the confidence to bring so much major equipment and to invest in such spectacular booths to display it.

The Nuts and Bolts of Advanced Packaging

The I-Connect007 Editorial Team asked IPC Chief Technologist Matt Kelly: Will you help us understand what advanced packaging means? This informative conversation touched on topics for both assembly and board fabrication. To that end, we will present this conversation in two parts. In this issue of SMT007 Magazine, Matt helps define not only what advanced packaging is, but the approach EMS companies must take when looking ahead. Think it’s about just adding some new equipment and software? Think again. There are logistics, onboarding, and so much more.

Monday Recap: Optimism and Economics at IPC APEX EXPO

It was a packed house for two large events at IPC APEX EXPO 2023 on Monday, Jan. 23, as the EMS Leadership Summit was wrapped in the pale veil of caution, meanwhile hundreds more gathered to hear from IPC’s chief economist, Shawn DuBravac. At the EMS summit, the morning presenters from IPC all shared silver linings they saw inside the fading clouds of uncertainty.

Classes and Meetings Under Way at IPC APEX EXPO

IPC APEX EXPO 2023 doesn’t officially kick off until Tuesday, but there’s plenty of action going on here at the San Diego Convention Center. Booths are sprouting up on the show floor, and exhibitors are starting to arrive. Upstairs, committee meetings have been taking place all weekend; the IPC-J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 Joint Task Group, and IPC-A-600 and IPC-6012 Joint Task Group meetings, were abuzz with activity. The Professional Development classes began on Sunday, covering everything from design through assembly processes, flex and rigid-flex, and technologies of the future.

It’s All in the App

The IPC APEX EXPO mobile app provides everything attendees could possibly need for the event, including viewing exhibitors, sessions, speakers, and products. Need information on an exhibiting company? With the IPC APEX EXPO mobile app, you can look up exhibitors by company name and search by product category—it’s that simple.

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

We’re in the middle of show season, and it certainly “shows.” Thank you very much. I’m here all week. Don’t forget to tip your wait staff. This week, we published a variety of articles, columns, and news items, and much of it centered on trade shows. Technical Editor Dan Feinberg brings us a report from CES 2023. IPC announced the winners of the Best Technical Paper awards for IPC APEX EXPO 2023. And we have an interview with Altium’s Rea Callender about the company’s educational efforts at APEX and around the globe.

It’s Here: The Launch of IPC Community Magazine

IPC Community Magazine launches today at IPC APEX EXPO 2023, both in digital and print form. It is now widely available for download at no cost. This magazine helps tell the stories of IPC, particularly for IPC members who use and interact with the trade organization. IPC worked closely with I-Connect007 (IPC Publishing Group) to develop the concept for the publication, and asked John W. Mitchell, president and CEO of IPC, to share a few thoughts as he looked at the magazine for the first time in print.

Prepare for Next-level Professional Development at IPC APEX EXPO 2023

IPC APEX EXPO 2023 will offer a refreshed Professional Development Course program. This year’s conference includes something for everyone, including informative courses catering to technical managers ready to level up their careers. Thirty-six courses will be offered on Sunday, Jan. 22 and Monday, Jan. 23. Attendees will find both updated content from veteran instructors and innovative courses from new instructors.

Setting Expectations for IPC APEX EXPO's Women in Electronics Reception

Emily Calandrelli, IPC APEX EXPO’s opening keynote speaker and featured speaker of our Women in Electronics Reception, is an MIT-engineer turned Emmy-nominated science TV host. She’s the host and co-executive producer of “Emily’s Wonder Lab” on Netflix, she's featured as a correspondent on Netflix’s “Bill Nye Saves the World” and an executive producer and host of FOX's “Xploration Outer Space.”

Altium Focuses on Design Education

Altium keeps its eyes on the designers of the future. The company has been working with colleges and universities for years, providing free seats of Altium Designer for the next generation of PCB designers and design engineers. At IPC APEX EXPO 2023, Altium will be providing software for the finalists in the IPC Design Competition just as it did last year. They offer a variety of other educational programs as well, including Upverter classes and a design competition that aims to address environmental change. Here, Rea Callender, Altium’s VP of education, discusses its educational programs and plans for the week of the show.

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

“New year, new you.” That tagline seems to be everywhere right now. All five must-reads this week reflect this theme. Does this apply to you and your company? We have quite a duke’s mixture of articles. We’ve got AT&S outlining their market position on advanced packaging, and Auburn University doing research on smart manufacturing processes. Keysight is coordinating practical 6G research in Europe, Technica shares where they see the market growing, and SEMI adds new members to a key board responsible for market guidance. These five stories drew a lot of reader attention this week.

The Battle of the Boards

Last year, IPC held its first-ever design competition at IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego. PCB designers from around the world competed in a series of heats during the months before the show, culminating in a showdown on the show floor between the top three finalists. Rafal Przeslawski, now with AMD, took home the top prize last year. This year, the competition is back for its sophomore year. I asked Patrick Crawford, manager of design standards and related programs for IPC, to “layout” the details on the design contest, including lessons learned in 2022 and what’s new for the 2023 competition.

Shawn Dubravac: What’s New in Tech

As the world grapples with issues like climate change, consumers and manufacturers are increasingly looking for ways to reduce environmental impact. This has led to a focus on fostering innovation in sustainable materials, renewable energy sources, and recyclable components. One example is CarbonX, a new carbon material composed of nano-sized carbon filaments that could help tire makers meet the increasing demand for sustainability. Technology will play a pivotal role in this transformation and one sector set to see tremendous change is the auto industry.

Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO 2023: Jesse Session Talks R&D at Taiyo

Nolan Johnson checks in with Taiyo America’s Technical Manager, Jesse Session, about the new and exciting developments cooking in Taiyo’s R&D department. The company’s groundbreaking inkjet solder mask product line is expanding to meet the needs of customers looking for updated color options that retain the same quality standards and reliability that have come to define Taiyo’s offerings.

Turn E-textiles Concepts Into Real-World Products

IPC E-Textiles 2023 is an international forum for materials suppliers, product designers, manufacturers, technical experts, and company executives from around the world to collaborate on all areas of the supply chain for e-textiles technologies in the fashion design, health and medical, sports and athletics, automotive, and military and aerospace sectors. It takes place Monday, Jan. 23, in conjunction with IPC APEX EXPO. This year’s event will feature informative and engaging presentations encompassing all areas of e-textiles, Q&A discussions with presenters, and a panel discussion on the economic and business aspects of e-textiles.

Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO: Technica Keeps the Heat on a Hot Market

As the leader of a firm representing multiple equipment and supplies manufacturers in both the EMS and PCB fab markets, Technica USA president and CEO, Frank Medina, has a commanding view of what’s happening in the industry. In this Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2023 preview, Nolan Johnson asks Frank what’s hot in the industry, and what visitors can expect to see from Technica at IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego.
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