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AIM Appoints Oscar Hernandez as Sales Manager for Queretaro and Bajio Regions Mexico

AIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce the appointment of Oscar Hernandez to the position of Sales Manager for the Queretaro and Bajio regions of Mexico.

IPC Chief Economist Dr. Shawn DuBravac Shares Industry's Financial Outlook

On March 23, IPC Chief Economist Shawn DuBravac, Ph.D., CFA, spoke with I-Connect007 publisher Barry Matties in an exclusive phone interview immediately following DuBravac’s online briefing to IPC member attendees.

IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Attendees Speak: Heston Singh

"We have been coming here for many years, and we had another good experience this year," said Unitron's Heston Singh. "If it wasn’t good, we wouldn’t be coming back. They have products that are needed for this market, so we’ll be back every year."

IPC President and CEO Dr. John Mitchell: COVID-19 Global Industry Update

On March 20, Dr. John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO, spoke with I-Connect007 publisher Barry Matties in an exclusive phone interview with updates on COVID-19-related current events in the manufacturing industry. In this information-packed 14-minute audio interview, Dr. Mitchell shared key takeaways from Friday’s IPC Executive Forum conference call.

Phil Kinner on Sharing Expertise With the Industry

In this video interview from the show, Technical Editor Pete Starkey speaks with Phil Kinner, global business/technical director of Electrolube's coatings division, about the positive impact of the "Coatings Uncoated!" webinar series. They also discuss some of the ways that the company has responded to recent changes in the focus of the automotive industry.

This Month in SMT007 Magazine: Business Practices Drive the Smart Factory, Not the Other Way Around (Part 1)

In Part 1 of this conversation, Sagi Reuven— business development manager at Mentor, a Siemens Business—makes the case that smart factory implementations must start with traditional process analysis and improvement before the data capture process is useful. He also covers how sometimes the key to utilizing Industry 4.0 comes from a change in mindset rather than a drastic change or investment in new equipment or processes.

Watch It! The Perils of Technology Transfer (Selective Spray vs. Selective Dip Application)

The tenth episode of the popular micro webinar series “Coatings Uncoated!” is now available to view. Author of The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to...Conformal Coatings for Harsh Environments and topic expert Phil Kinner from Electrolube shares highly focused educational information on conformal coating and encapsulation. If you are in the assembly business, an EMS company, or responsible for specifying conformal coating and/or encapsulation, then this free series is for you.

Best Practices Highlighted at the 2020 IPC EMS Management Meeting

The key challenge at the top of EMS leaders’ minds during roundtable discussions was the lack of skilled workers. Leaders brainstormed solutions like creative identification and sourcing of talent outside of the manufacturing sphere, leveraging the flexibility of smaller businesses to make changes attractive to potential employees as well as cooperation with IPC and other talent development programs. John Mitchell updated the group on the IPC Education Foundation (IPCEF) and workforce initiatives to build and support workforce needs. The group welcomed Andy Marris of MRA, who discussed motivating and engaging an existing workforce to create a competitive advantage.

DownStream: Smoothing out the Post-Processing Bumps

In this video interview from the show, Joe Clark, co-founder of DownStream Technologies, gives Guest Editor Kelly Dack an overview of the company and their innovative product line, which serves to smooth the bumps that can occur between source design output and manufacturing line input. As Joe explains, 2019 was a great year for the company, and he expects that trend to hold through 2020.

Trends From the Show: Solder and Software

In my role as a media representative, my perspective on IPC APEX EXPO may be a bit different from that of many attendees. Since the I-Connect007 team had the opportunity to talk to many attendees and exhibitors and listen to their stories over the course of the week, our view can be particularly wide. When I reflected on all the conversations, pieces from all throughout the week coalesced and provided a different understanding of and takeaway from the show.

Are Trade Shows at a Crossroads?

With the cancellation of this year’s E3 show, the biggest gamer conference, the event’s format is shifting to a more fluid, online communication method. This may be the wave of the future. Can you imagine if the COVID-19 outbreak had occurred just three months earlier? Would there have been a Consumer Electronics Show, DesignCon, or IPC APEX EXPO? If the coronavirus is still in play in six months, will these shows take place in 2021?

Evolving Solder Capabilities for Shrinking Components

Taiyo’s Yuya Suzuki, marketing manager for IC packaging materials, talks with Nolan Johnson and Dan Feinberg about the challenges with soldering due to shrinking components and how Taiyo’s R&D work around smaller filler sizes and increased planarity has been preparing them for the future of solder mask.

IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Attendees Speak: Travis Smith and Mindy Sanchez

"I’m seeing a lot of great manufacturers and different equipment that’s available in the market, as well as new, emerging technologies," said Travis Smith of Ball Aerospace. "I’m learning a lot more about some of IPC’s standards and committees as well. It has been a fantastic week of educating ourselves for manufacturing processes going forward. And the IPC booth has a wealth of information."

Congratulations to Bhanu Sood! Dieter Bergman IPC Fellowship Award Recipient

Patty Goldman speaks with Dr. Bhanu Sood of NASA, Dieter Bergman IPC Fellowship Award recipient, about his extensive involvement with IPC on many committees developing standards to his work teaching professional development courses and mentoring young engineers.

IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Attendees Speak: Camille Sybert

"There’s a need for flexible solutions, so people are trying to make the most of the equipment that they buy, and they want to have the equipment that’s able to be flexible in scale with what it is that they’re looking for," said Camille Sybert of Nordson Electronics Solutions. "We have customers asking about future capabilities that they might not be ready for right now, but they want to know that it’s something that can be easily integrated into their processes in the future, as they’re in a position to better be able to do so."

Show & Tell Feature: New Developments and Opportunities

“Elevate the Excellence of Electronics” was the theme for this year’s IPC APEX EXPO. As expected, the show set the bar high with technical sessions, professional development sessions, committee meetings, numerous networking opportunities, and an exhibitor list that included all aspects of the electronics supply chain. Columnist Tara Dunn explains how she repeatedly found herself interested in multiple sessions being hosted at the same time, and having to pick and choose which session to attend.

IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Attendees Speak: Jered Stoehr

"What I like is the CFX and the Hermes standards and the little flags, showing IPC-CFX supporters," said Jered Stoehr. "It’s nice to see the data standards for how these machines are connecting and communicating."

Show & Tell Feature: Happy’s Highlights

Happy Holden traveled to San Diego for IPC APEX EXPO 2020. He was happy to get out of Grand Rapids, where the temperature had dropped to 28 degrees. In this article, he describes some of the highlights of the show, from beginning to end.

Take Advantage of e-Education: Watch Free Webinar Series ‘Coatings Uncoated!’

The ninth episode of the popular webinar series “Coatings Uncoated!” is now available to view. In this new segment, viewers will learn about an automotive-based application (engine management system). Over a period of two years, the number of field failures escalated beyond all accepted levels, and a new solution was required. Phil discusses the finer details of this interesting case study.

Semiconductors in Charge: The Changing Face of PCB Manufacturing

The I-Connect007 editorial team recently spoke with Chuck Bauer and Dana Korf in a technical discussion that spanned a number of topics around shrinking components, such as redistribution layers (RDLs), active embeddeds, and why even the most revolutionary technologies must show ROI to be successful.

I-Connect007 Researchers Survey Industry on COVID-19 Outbreak Effect

In the last 24 hours, we surveyed our readers regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and its effect on our industry. After reviewing the first 100 survey responses primarily from North America and Europe, one-third of the respondents reported that the outbreak was having at least a small effect on their orders. Two-thirds of our readers have yet to see any effect on their orders.

IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Attendees Speak: Gerry Padnos

"Overall, it has been a successful show for us," said Gerry Padnos. "We have mainly seen serious shoppers, not just window shoppers. We have done a lot of good work here, and we have a lot of interest in our products."

Oren Manor: Mentor Leading Way for Industry 4.0

In this video interview from the show, Guest Editor Steve Williams talks with Oren Manor—director of business development at Mentor, a Siemens Business—about Industry 4.0, robotics, and other applications. They also addressed integration of Mentor's CAD/CAM solutions with Siemens' mechanical offerings.

2020 EIPC Winter Conference, Day 1

Pete Starkey recaps how the 2020 EIPC Winter Conference, held in mid-February, attracted around 90 delegates from a dozen European countries—as well as a few from North America—to an outstanding learning and networking experience for members of the PCB community. The theme of this year's event was: “The Needs for Next-Generation Electronic Devices and Changes in Fabrication Solutions for PCBs, PCBAs, Materials, and Technologies.”

MacDermid Alpha Electronics: Stronger With Kester Acquisition

In this video interview from the show, Technical Editor Pete Starkey and Tim Williams, VP of assembly solutions, discuss the structure and strategy of MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, and how the company benefits from the Kester acquisition.

Inspiring Next-Generation Engineers Through STEM

Through the STEM Student Outreach Program, IPC invites high school students to visit IPC APEX EXPO for a day. Last year, they had about 100 participating students, and this year, it doubled. The program is designed to introduce students to our industry at a younger age. During one event planned for them, the students had a chance to participate in a hands-on soldering track, creating wearable buttons to take home with them.

Watch & Learn! Latest Installment of I-007 Micro Webinar Series Covers UL Approvals: Aerosol Spray Technology

The eighth episode of the popular webinar series “Coatings Uncoated!” is now available to view. In this segment, viewers will learn about a customer application involving aerosol spray coating. The customer reported failures due to arcing, creepage, and corrosion. Kinner explains the relevance of UL approvals and progresses through the details of the case study.

Joe Fjelstad Breaks Down His Occam Process

Joe Fjelstad recently met with the I-Connect007 Editorial Team to discuss the potential benefits of his Occam process for solderless assembly. This technique allows assembly of the PCB without the risks associated with traditional surface-mount processes, such as solder joint failure. Has the time come for the industry to embrace Occam?

Michael Ford Explains the Benefits of IPC-CFX

In this video interview from the show, Guest Editor Dan Beaulieu and Michael Ford, senior director of emerging industry strategy at Aegis Software, discuss the IPC-CFX standard that allows machines to communicate with other machines. They also focus on some strategies that can turn any factory with old or new equipment into a smart factory.

This Month in SMT007 Magazine

We recently surveyed readers on the topic of smart factories, specifically exploring reader perceptions of what a smart factory entails, along with implementation plans that may be on readers’ minds. Looking at how respondents ranked their top three from this list of 10 objectives, some patterns do emerge.

David Bergman: CFX a Key Ingredient of Smart Factories

In this video interview from the show, Jennie Hwang and David Bergman, IPC's VP of standards and training, address the use of CFX to facilitate plug-and-play smart factories. IPC APEX EXPO 2020 offered a variety of demonstrations of CFX, IPC’s Connected Factory Exchange.

IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Attendees Speak: Mike Montesi

"One of the biggest challenges for me selling is educating customers that they can generate oxygen and nitrogen on their own for up to 90% savings versus getting trucked in deliveries," said Mike Montesi of On Site Gas Systems. "It’s all about education because 98–99% of customers are used to the high cost of delivered gases, where we can separate it on-site with their own equipment, and the payback is typically under a year."

IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Attendees Speak: Victor Mendez

"I’ve seen a lot of new technology that could solve a lot of problems regarding handling and manual soldering," said Victor Mendez of Sigmatron International.

Randy Cherry: IPC Validation Services Continues to Expand

In this video interview from the show, Randy Cherry, IPC's director of validation services, gives Guest Editor Judy Warner his annual update on IPC's Validation Services, which is growing along with ever-increasing IoT and connectivity.

IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Attendees Speak: Hector Hernandez

"Many companies are focused on the smart factory and the connection between their own equipment and other brands and competitors," says Koh Young's Hector Hernandez. "IPC APEX EXPO has been a great opportunity to see the new CFX line, which is one of the better things right now.

Stencils: Not As Simple As They Seem

Stephanie Hardin of Integrated Ideas and Technologies Inc. discusses her role in the supply chain as a stencil manufacturer, improvements she sees from micromachined step stencils, and why she believes trying to have standardized stencil layouts is wishful thinking due to the many fluctuating variables.

I-007e Micro Webinar: Primary Flight Control Case Study on Condensation and Coverage

The seventh episode of the popular webinar series “Coatings Uncoated!” is now available to view. Author of "The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to Conformal Coatings for Harsh Environments" and topic expert Phil Kinner from Electrolube shares highly focused educational information on conformal coating and encapsulation. If you are in the assembly business, an EMS, or responsible for specifying conformal coating and/or encapsulation, then this free series is for you.

IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Attendees Speak: Lance Davies

"Test engineers are always being pressed to be agile and reduce costs all the time," said Lance Davies, director of sales for Acroname. "It’s a challenge that they face every single day. They’re getting compressed in the amount of time that they have to develop a test fundamentally."

The Success of IPC’s STEM Student Outreach Program

The IPC Education Foundation (IPCEF) hosted its STEM Student Outreach Event on February 6 at IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego. Nine local high schools attended bringing 193 students and 30 educators from Mission Hills High School, Morse High School, North County Trade Tech High School, Saint Marcos High School, E3 Civic High School, Point Loma High School, Otay Ranch High School, Mount Miguel High School, Otay Ranch High School—Girls in STEM. Twice as many students were able to participate this year, and each participating high school received a $1,000 grant and soldering station to enhance STEM-related learning at their school.

Max Seeley: Some Designers Hesitant to Adopt New Tech

I spoke with Max Seeley of 3M about a design class he presented at AltiumLive in Frankfurt, Germany. We also discussed autorouting and the continuing advances in EDA tools, as well as the schism between users who embrace new technology and those who still prefer to layout their boards the old-fashioned way. Which camp do you belong to?

Congratulations to Steve Pudles! IPC Hall of Fame 2020 Inductee

With over 32 years spent working with IPC, Steve Pudles was elected to the IPC’s Hall of Fame this year. Patty Goldman spoke with Steve about how he first became involved as well as his time in the organization, including his work with the EMS Management Council.

IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Attendees Speak: Katie Carl

"We have a wide range of kids. All of them have some sort of interest in technology, which is why they wanted to come in general," said Katie Carl, a high school teacher escorting a group of kids at IPC APEX EXPO. "It’s neat when they start seeing how these technologies are created because a lot of them have seen robotics or have done a tiny bit of soldering with little circuits, but when they can see how those things are built and created in the industry, it makes it more applicable for them."

Watch Coatings Uncoated Webinar, Part 6 Now: Field Failures, Silicon vs. Sulfur

The sixth episode of the popular webinar series, "Coatings Uncoated," is now available to view. Based on an interesting case study concerning a telecommunications giant experiencing a high degree of field failures, coatings specialist Phil Kinner explains the mechanism behind the failures and why the silicone option proved unsuccessful. Part six of this micro webinar series concludes with a full explanation of the successful solution.

Solder Paste Printing From the Stencil’s Perspective

Jeff Schake of ASM Assembly Systems discusses the complications surrounding printing and solder paste that he sees from his perspective as a stencil expert.

IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Attendees Speak: Joel Scutchfield

"Based on traffic and attendance, we have had a great week. We had 40+ more scans than what we did last year at this point, and we’re waiting for the final tally today," said Joel Scutchfield, Koh Young's director of sales for the Americas.

IPC Government Relations: Focus on Supply Chain Resiliency

During IPC APEX EXPO, Editor Nolan Johnson sat down with Chris Mitchell, VP of global government affairs, to discuss IPC’s latest initiative with industry intelligence programs. As Chris explains, some of these efforts are focused on improving the DoD’s supply chain. This includes moving the DoD from leaded to lead-free components to help avoid millions of dollars in rework. He also discusses the team’s drive to unite with partners around the world and create a truly global organization.

Solder in PCBA: Can’t Live Without It... or Can We?

For most of its historical use in electronics, the solder alloy of choice was tin-lead, either an Sn60/Pb40 alloy or the Sn63/ Pb37 eutectic version of the tin-lead alloy. These two alloys were the workhorses of the industry. They were both well understood in terms of their processing and reliability—that is, until the advent of lead-free, a well-meaning but ill-conceived and poorly executed conversion, forced on the industry by the European Union in 2006.

Watch and Learn: Not All Acrylics Are Created Equally

How can additional data, including test results, ensure a greater understanding of the most suitable coating for your application? The fifth episode of the popular webinar series, "Coatings Uncoated," is now available to view. Author of "The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to Conformal Coatings for Harsh Environments" and topic expert Phil Kinner from Electrolube shares highly focused educational information on conformal coating and encapsulation.

IPC APEX EXPO 2020: The I-Connect007 Photo Gallery

If you couldn’t make it to IPC APEX EXPO 2020 in San Diego, don’t worry. I-Connect007 was there to cover it all. From “A Night of Happy-ness” through tear-down, our reporters were on hand to document the entire week.

LPKF on Stencils and Depaneling

Stephan Schmidt and Mirela Orlowski of LPKF Laser & Electronics North America discuss laser technology in cutting stencils and depaneling circuit boards as a factor in shrinking component sizes and why few people in the industry realize how much of an impact the stencil can have on the manufacturing line.

iNEMI: Emerging Technologies Driving Rapid Industry Development

During IPC APEX EXPO, Editor Joe Fjelstad spoke with Grace O'Malley, iNEMI's VP of technical and project operations, about the well-attended roadmap sessions and other iNEMI meetings taking place at the show. Topics covered included emerging applications and how these technologies are driving industry development across the board, and at a fast pace.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: John Mitchell Discusses the Show's Evolution

During IPC APEX EXPO, Technology Editor Dan Feinberg spoke with John Mitchell, CEO and president of IPC, about the event’s evolution from a strictly PCB show into a miniature Consumer Electronics Show, including new ideas and prototypes. They also discussed several new IPC initiatives, including IPC Design.

IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Show Week Time-lapse Video

It was a busy week at IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego, and I-Connect007 was there to cover it all. From set-up to tear down, I-Connect007 captured a four-day time-lapse video of the show floor. We’d like to thank our good friends at MacDermid Alpha for letting us set up our camera in their booth.

Phil Carmichael: IPC Asia Continues Solid Growth

Phil Carmichael, IPC president of Asia Pacific, talks with Barry Matties at the HKPCA show during the first week of December 2019 about the continued growth and increased engagement by Asian member companies with IPC, with over 320 members in standards committees now working on the development of the next-generation standards.

True or False: CFX Edition

Since the release of IPC-2591—Connected Factory Exchange (CFX), Version 1.0—there has been a lot of buzz regarding CFX within the industry from all segments. Still, with all of the buzz, there are also some misconceptions floating around the industry regarding CFX. David Bergman takes some of those statements, using feedback from Subcommittee members, and plays a little game of “True or False: CFX Edition.”

IPC APEX EXPO 2020: Day 2 Review

Wednesday at IPC APEX EXPO drew a fairly steady stream of attendees to the show floor. Exhibitors we spoke with said the visitors were ready to spend some money. Almost everyone said their company was having a good quarter and experiencing slow but consistent growth year over year.

AT&S: Working With Designers on a Global Level

Barry Matties recently took a tour of AT&S’s Austrian factory, which is developing new circuit design strategies surrounding embedded and active components. Gerald Weis discusses the company’s focus on serving and educating PCB designers around the world, as well as their plans to embrace the latest technology and Industry 4.0 processes going forward.

I-007e Micro Webinars Releases Part 4 in ‘Coatings Uncoated!’ Series

What is creepage, and how does it impact clearance? Can conformal coatings reduce creepage? The fourth episode of the popular webinar series, Coatings Uncoated, is now available to view. Author of The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to Conformal Coatings for Harsh Environments and topic expert Phil Kinner from Electrolube shares highly focused educational information on conformal coating and encapsulation.

IPC APEX EXPO 2020: Day 1 Review

2020 was a special anniversary year for IPC APEX EXPO: “Celebrating 20 years of excellence in electronics” was the tagline. Pete Starkey provides a review of the Day 1 activities on the show floor and beyond.

‘A Night of Happy-ness’ and 2020 Good for the Industry Awards

The Horton Grand Hotel in San Diego was the site of “A Night of Happy-ness” on the evening of Monday, February 3, 2020. I-Connect007 transformed the Regal Ballroom into a cozy lecture hall with two key objectives: to award the I-Connect007 Good for the Industry awards, and to celebrate the life, achievements, and personality that is industry pioneer Happy Holden.
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