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

It's been a chilly week for most of us in the United States, and whether you’re in the frozen Pacific Northwest (where I live) or the windswept plains of the Midwest and beyond, you were hunkering down and fighting to stay warm. What better way to pass the time than these editorial offerings. Have a great weekend, everyone.

Rework: A Perspective From the Source

Maria Mejias and her team at Intel work on the cutting edge of rework techniques. Tasked with characterizing rework processes for Intel’s boards and packages, Maria’s work is on the vanguard. We spoke to Maria about how her team works, what it’s like to be on the cutting edge of rework, and what contract manufacturers should expect.

Jonny Nichols: The Hanwha Future-proof Proposition

With expansion, added personnel, and a new view on onshoring, Hanwha Corporation is alive and well. Vice President of Marketing Jonny Nichols details just what it takes for a supplier like Hanwha to remain competitive amongst shorter lead times and itchy customers anxious to get their product to market. The key, Jonny says, is to deliver systems that can do it all.

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

Welcome back, readers! Glad to see you. I hope you had plenty of rest over the holidays and you don’t need a vacation from your vacation. This week, our five must-reads include articles and news items on global fab trends and challenges, a breakdown of M&A activity in 2023, Ventec’s move into the equipment arena, the opportunities that arise from designer-fabricator communication early in the design cycle, and a new kind of AOI that’s driven by an AI neural network.

A New Generation of AI AOI

Barry Matties interviewed Roberto Gatti, CEO of Delvitech, a Swiss company that has launched a new generation of AOI utilizing an AI neural network. As Roberto explains, their approach was not to bring another AOI machine to the market; instead, they focused on bringing a new technology to an AOI system.

The High Cost of Repair

When talking to the staff at BEST, Inc., there’s one key message: Not much has changed in the repair business, except for all the things that have changed. We spoke with Dan Patten, general manager; Laura Ripoli, customer service manager; and Nash Bell, president, to learn just how much the cost-benefit analysis is changing for their clients and their business. It’s safe to say that change for the good is in the air at BEST.

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

The Christmas and New Year’s holidays made for much-appreciated off-time in the U.S. and Europe, but there was still a lot of good industry reading for all to enjoy. From Happy Holden’s influence on our youngest and brightest to the cost of rework, policy challenges ahead for European PCB and PCBA companies, to new faces in the industry—with some bonus R2-D2 thrown in for good measure—these articles are worth a few minutes of your time. Here are my picks from this past week in industry news and feature articles.

IPC Standards and Electronics Sustainability: More Than Meets the Eye

When we look at existing IPC standards, we see that most were created and intended to communicate and clarify expectations for superior quality, reliability, and consistency in electronics manufacturing. At first glance, their connection to sustainability is not obvious.

Jordan Mandel: The New Face of Totech North America

Jordan Mandel, sales director in North America for Totech Europe, discusses his new role with the company as Rich Heimsch prepares to retire, the untapped potential of Dry Storage, and how Totech is working with OEM’s and manufacturers to help them create solutions to their moisture control problems. Like the need to protect components from ESD, Mandel says we are now seeing that same thing around moisture-sensitive devices.

Economic Outlook: Mil/Aero Gaining Altitude and Velocity at Axiom

Oregon-based Axiom Electronics specializes in complex assembly services for aviation, mil/aero, and similar complex high-reliability sectors. In this Q&A, Rob Rowland, director of engineering at Axiom, shares a bullish outlook for 2024 tempered by a few key concerns.

Happy New Year 2024 From I-Connect007

As we bid farewell to a remarkable 2023, let's welcome the New Year with renewed hope and endless possibilities. Though we are taking the day off to spend the holiday with our family and friends, the entire staff at I-Connect007 wishes you a happy and prosperous new year.

I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Most-returned Holiday Gifts

It’s the last Friday of 2023, and a relatively quiet news week here for the industry. Most of our staff has been spending time with family and friends. Still, the news never sleeps, and I encourage you to revisit our websites and see what’s been happening. Now, we all appreciate great gifts, but sometimes they just aren’t what we need—or want. So, in keeping with the holiday spirit, here are the top five most returned gifts.

Economic Outlook: Joe O’Neil Has More Optimism than Concerns

Joe O’Neil’s background includes operating both printed circuit fabrication and printed circuit assembly companies. In this Q&A with Joe, he explains how, in his current role, he contributes to the strategic initiatives at IPC, including his involvement in developing advanced fabrication technologies demonstration facilities in the U.S.

Holiday Greetings From the Staff at I-Connect007

The staff at I-Connect007 wishes you and your loved ones a happy holiday season. Today is Christmas Day, and we wish all those celebrating this holiday a merry and carefree time.

IPC Chief Economist’s Industry Forecast for 2024

To better understand the current economic situation for electronics manufacturing, we brought in Shawn DuBravac, IPC chief economist, to provide an update with a high level global economic outlook. As you might expect, the seas have been a bit turbulent in the aftermath of the pandemic. Shawn breaks down the headwinds and the tailwinds of an economy in flux, and what it means for you.

I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week—Holiday Movie Edition

Every year, my friends on social media have a discussion about Christmas movies. It starts with someone asking whether “Die Hard” qualifies as a Christmas movie. Then everyone speculates about which Christmas movies are the best or worst of all time. Here are the top five highest-grossing Christmas movies of all time.

Economic Outlook: Overcoming the Growth Bottleneck

Charlie Capers is the previous VP and general manager at Zentech Dallas, has managed several award-winning electronics companies, and is currently working within the global quote group. He discusses the economic outlook for industry companies, cash vs. credit for capital expansion, and what companies need to do to expand and grow amidst the challenges.

What’s Happening With Financing Solutions?

Amy Pine and Brian Carey are principles of Innovative Capital Resources, a financing resource for electronics manufacturing with a 20-plus year history. They briefed the I-Connect007 Editorial Team on what they’re seeing in the financing side of the industry, how it compares to the past, and a bit of what they see over the horizon in 2024. Hint: There’s some good news for investors.

Economic Outlook: Cascade Systems Technology—The Confluence of Assembly and Advocacy

Shantanu Gupta is president and CEO of Oregon-based Cascade Systems Technology, a contract manufacturer specializing in volume assembly, box build, and testing services. Shantanu was part of Oregon’s Semiconductor Task Force and testified on numerous occasions with the Oregon Legislature to help maximize Oregon’s benefit from CHIPS Act funding.

Economic Outlook: Lightspeed Manufacturing Sees Company Growth in Industry Consolidation

Lightspeed Manufacturing is a Massachusetts-based contract manufacturer specializing in production, prototyping and repair services. Rich Breault, Lightspeed chief executive officer, shared his outlook from the northeast United States.

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

Ever notice how the end of the calendar year creates a “tennis spectator” effect in our thinking? Let me explain. We’ve all seen the video of people watching a tennis match, with their gazes moving back and forth, left to right, as the ball moves between the contestants; that lazy head-shake led by the gaze of the eyes, right? Well, as we reach the end of a year, we seem to take stock in what’s happened behind us (reflectively gaze to the left), and what is coming in the future (expectantly gaze to the right.) Our thoughts bounce back and forth as if time were the tennis ball. In this week’s must-reads, however, we keep our gaze firmly affixed to the right, as it were, considering the future. If you only read five pieces of industry news this week, here are my suggestions.

Ringing in Some Holiday Cheer at SMTA Silicon Valley

It was a pleasure to attend SMTA Silicon Valley on Thursday, Dec. 7 at the Flex campus. The show hosted just over 60 exhibitors, which meant the narrow aisles remained full of attendees throughout the day. As festive music was piped through the sound system, and board members like Michelle Ogihara kept the energy high for all involved, old friends and colleagues caught up and made deals. The Flex facility in Milpitas was indeed a great choice for this event.

ASC and Sunstone: The Art of the Zipper Merge

We’ve all been there when two traffic lanes need to merge into one: Chaos ensues. It’s most often because some folks simply choose not to cooperate with fellow drivers. But when the so-called zipper merge works correctly, traffic flows smoothly. The same can happen when bringing two separate companies together; for some pairings, it’s a battle, while for others, the merging is as smooth as a zipper. American Standard Circuits and Sunstone Circuits have been integrating their business merger for about six months, and we checked in with Anaya Vardya and Matt Stevenson to see how the integration is proceeding. There are simple lessons to be learned from hearing their stories and applying them to your own situation.

Real Time with... productronica 2023: The Latest Advancements in Reliability Testing with Gen3

GEN3's Andrew Naisbitt discusses the next generation of process ionic contamination tester which has updated infrastructure, new traceability software, multi-board tracing, updated hardware and more.

Real Time with... productronica 2023: ViTrox's Robotic Final Inspection Solution Offers User Flexibility

Fahmi Helmi of ViTrox highlights their advanced robotic vision solution, V9i. Its multi-angle views, with both rule-based and self-learned algorithms, makes it ideal for various inspection needs.

Here and Abroad, Governments Investing in Industry

I recently spoke with IPC’s Chris Mitchell, VP of global government relations, and Rich Cappetto, senior director for North American government relations. Rich joined IPC this summer after serving as chief customer officer of the U.S. House of Representatives; he holds a master’s degree in defense and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College.

Real Time with... productronica 2023: Adaptsys Offers Customers More Efficient Solutions

Duncan Milroy shows Pete Starkey how the updated Re-flex II carrier tape system can benefit customers with time savings and better accuracy.

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

Every year, companies in the consumer electronics segment look forward to the Christmas season. Some of these companies make almost half of their revenue in November and December. What are the hottest electronics gadgets this year? According to the Consumer Reviews Guide, these are the top sellers in the electronic gadget market this holiday season. Do any of these gadgets strike your fancy, as my grandmother used to say? Check them out.

Matric and Koh Young: Collaboration Leads to Efficiencies, Growth

Faced with ever-increasing sales and production complexities, Matric Group responded by challenging themselves to increase efficiencies and yields on their manufacturing line. Achieving their goals included working closely with Koh Young to bring inspection up to cutting-edge capability. In this roundtable discussion, Nolan Johnson gets the whole story from Matric’s Patrick Stimpert and Doug Bevier, and Koh Young’s Ivan Aduna.

Real Time with... productronica 2023: Alltemated's Patented Adhesive Improves Solder Joint Reliability

Randy Temple of Alltemated explains how his company’s Place-n-bond™ underfilm is applied at pick and place. The product is made of thermoplastic which means it is 100% reworkable.

Real Time with... productronica 2023: Rehm—Automation, Digitalization, Sustainability Are Key

Michael Hanke shares key features of Rehm’s latest energy-efficient reflow soldering equipment with Pete Starkey. They also discuss the company’s complete line of integrated solutions.

Real Time with... productronica 2023: BTU's Bob Bouchard Discusses Latest Reflow Soldering Technology

In this interview, Pete Starkey meets with Bob Bouchard from BTU. With its ability to handle high volume, BTU's Aurora reflow soldering system helps reduce downtime, saves energy, has improved accessibility, and more.

IPC Day Mexico Highlights Aeronautics Industry

About 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Mexico City lies Queretaro, an area rich in history, with stone streets and public squares, and which twice has been the country’s capital. But it’s also quickly becoming a global capital of electronics manufacturing, especially aeronautics, and was the location for the first IPC Day Mexico this past June.

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

This week’s news items taught me a few things I didn’t know. For instance, there’s news about the new equipment for THT work, governmental support for advanced packaging technologies, an upcoming webinar from iNEMI on counterfeits, an interview with U.S. Rep. Blake Moore, one of the sponsors of the bipartisan Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act, and columnist Tim Haag, using Star Trek to illustrate why simplicity is, ahem, paramount.

Real Time with... productronica 2023: Faster Component Placement With Mycronic’s New A40

Mycronic’s Kevin Clue discusses the new MyPro A40, a pick and place machine that is 48% faster than its predecessor. The A40 maintains the flexibility desired by high-mix, low-volume manufacturers while offering a wider component range, better accuracy and repeatability.

Real Time with... productronica 2023: The Synergy of Partnership

Cogiscan, iTAC and DUALIS offer customized digital solutions from connectivity and material management to analytics and traceability. François Monette talks about factory solutions that can stand alone or be fully integrated.

Real Time with... productronica 2023: KYZEN Responds to Technology Demand

Tighter tolerances and complex technology demand better process control. Tom Forsythe discusses KYZEN's solutions.

Real Time with... productronica 2023: Koh Young Discusses Semiconductor and Advanced Packaging Inspection

Koh Young’s Harald Eppinger talks about the company’s technology for the semiconductor and advanced packaging market and how they address the challenges introduced by reflective components and micro solder deposits.

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

I learned to cook late in life, and Allrecipes.com is my go-to recipe source. Their recipes are peer-reviewed, you might say, and they’re always dead-on. So, this week, I present my top five recipes for traditional Thanksgiving dishes; these will also work well for Christmas dinner, or any big family gathering. Enjoy!

The Finer Points: World Champions of the IPC Hand-Soldering Finals

Productronica 2023 played host to the IPC World Hand Soldering Competition, bringing talented regional solder champions from all over the globe to compete for the title of World Champion. Each competitor was given sixty minutes to assemble a complex printed circuit board with their performance judged in accordance with IPC-A-610 Class 3 criteria. Each competitor’s efforts were rated on the merits of the results achieved, scored on the quality of the assembly process, the electrical functionality of the assembly and the speed at which the assembly was produced.

Check Out Our Real Time with... productronica 2023 Interviews

Last week in Munich, 42,000 visitors descended on productronica’s 88,000 square meters of show space over eight sprawling halls to see some of the 1,400 exhibitors, representing 45 countries worldwide and all parts of the PCB/SMT supply chain. If you weren’t able to make it to productronica this year, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. 

A Rousing Success: IPC India Hosts IEMI 2023

The second annual Electronics Manufacturing & Interconnection (IEMI) trade show, held in Chennai and Pune, India, welcomed more than 1,000 participants, including 30 international delegates from more than 10 countries, for two days of skills challenges, business-to-business meetings, panel discussions, special addresses from subject matter experts, and a keynote speech from IPC President and CEO John W. Mitchell. Awards ceremonies were held, and two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) were signed.

Citing Our Sources: Report from Deloitte

A Deloitte article, “Competing for talent: Recasting perceptions of manufacturing,” published in March 2022, could easily serve as a comprehensive handbook for understanding how to connect with Gen Z career candidates. Right out of the gate, authors Wellener, Reyes, Moutray, and Hardin write, “There is good news to report... compared to our 2017 study, significantly more respondents believe that manufacturing jobs are innovative, and respondents are likely to encourage their child to pursue a career in the industry.”

Real Time with... productronica 2023: KIC Introduces Proprietary New Technology

KIC’s proprietary new embedded barometer enables real-time detection of temperature change, board jams, and more. Miles Moreau details features that lead to reduced changeover time and improved manufacturing efficiency.

Building a Company Legacy Through Internship

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) has managed internship programs effectively since the company’s inception. In this interview, we talk with Marisa Hemingway, university relations manager, and EMa Freiburger, who started her career as an intern at SEL and now directly manages the intern program. They are both involved with internships and are very committed to the success of the program.

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

On a global scale, productronica has been dominating the news this week, mostly with announcements and show preliminaries. It’s been a long and full week for those who have exhibited and attended the trade show (despite the November rain), and I encourage you to review our productronica coverage from this week. In the coming days, we’ll be showcasing more photos, videos, and interviews, so please stay tuned.

Productronica 2023: It’s a Wrap!

It’s the last day of productronica 2023, the doors are closed, and will not reopen until November 2025. The show was a success, however, there is still talk about uncertainty in the economy. Of course, those that service the defense industry are busy, while other industries lag behind. As exhibitors finished up their last conversations, the halls began to empty out, final sales were made, and IPC wrapped up its World Hand Soldering Championship. Even the rain let up for a bit.

Progress in Europe: An IPC Report

For far too long, electronics manufacturing has been overlooked in European policy circles, but exciting developments are taking place in Brussels. This year, IPC released a new, unprecedented SWOT analysis of the European EMS and PCB industries produced in collaboration with major stakeholders, including electronics manufacturers, OEMs, trade associations, and trade unions.

ECD Introduces 20-Channel M.O.L.E. EV20 Touchscreen Thermal Profiler

ECD has developed a new 20-channel M.O.L.E. touchscreen thermal profiler for high-value, high-reliability electronic assemblies that require multiple thermal measurements. The M.O.L.E. EV20 is the second product in ECD’s EV-series thermal profilers, built on the market’s only profiling platform with full-color touchscreen control. M.O.L.E. EV20 replaces the company’s MEGAM.O.L.E. 20 and delivers significant ease-of-use and technological enhancements.

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

This week's edition focuses almost entirely on young people. This in itself is quite a feat as not long ago, there were no young people coming into this industry. Now, we have a small but steady stream of young folks entering the industry, and we’re focusing on providing them with the latest training and education. Our industry, for a variety of reasons, is now attractive to people born in this millennium. Didn’t see that coming!

A Unique Engineering Space in Mankato

Rob Sleezer is associate professor of integrated engineering at Minnesota State, and lead for the Twin Cities Engineering (TCE), a two-year engineering professional school with a non-traditional approach to the curriculum. That new approach just might turn out more industry-savvy graduates than traditional programs.

SEL’s Intentional K-12 Outreach Paying Off

There are negative stereotypes and a general lack of awareness about manufacturing and viable career paths among today’s emerging workforce. To help change that perception and introduce young minds to modern manufacturing, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) hosts thousands of K-12 students to tour and experience its manufacturing facilities. The outreach goes beyond the students—this effort also raises awareness with educators. In this interview, John Cassleman, program manager for K-12 outreach, says this effort is working and providing hope for the future.

VIDEO: Advice From High School Students

At the annual NW Electronics Design and Manufacturing Expo (NEDME) on Oct. 18, hosted at Tektronix in Beaverton, Oregon, and sponsored by the Electronics Manufacturing Association and the Electronics Representatives Association, I met and interviewed students from one of the area’s FIRST Robotics teams. In this interview, team captain Rae Wetzel and her team member Logan King provide useful insight for anybody looking to hire the next generation. Please take a few minutes to watch this video and hear their particularly insightful advice about what skills are needed in the future workforce.

Movers and Shakers: Brian Chislea of Dow Making a Difference for FIRST Robotics

My passion for STEM, mentoring, and our electronics industry is both professional and personal. I’m a scientist and application engineer at Dow Chemical, as well as an IPC standards committee leader and a mentor for burgeoning engineers. Most importantly, my personal life revolves around helping kids become involved in STEM activities, so when I saw an opportunity to be a mentor for my son’s middle school robotics program, I couldn’t pass it up.

Inside the Minds of Gen Z

Gen Z employees definitely bring new skills and expectations to today’s workforce. Manufacturers, take note: You have a generation of employees who are curious about the world, love to keep busy and engaged, and just need a better understanding of why manufacturing is cool. In this roundtable discussion, recent high school graduate Dylan Nguyen and Paige Fiet, a recent university graduate, provide insight into what they’re looking for in a career. It’s an enlightening discussion.

Meet the New Workforce at IPS

I recently visited IPS in Cedar City, Utah, which has been manufacturing wet process equipment for printed circuit boards fabrication for more than 30 years. While there, I conducted candid one-on-one interviews with several of the team members. They shared their views on manufacturing, their roles and challenges, their burgeoning passion for what they do, and valuable advice for others looking at manufacturing as a career.

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

When I use our analytics to see what’s of most interest to our readers, what comes to the top of list are topics such as sustainability, materials, reshoring, upskilling, and high reliability. It makes sense, doesn’t it? In today’s business climate, we must be ever aware of the impact we’re having on the environment while maintaining a high-quality product that supports our national economic and security interests.

An Introverted Physicist in a Press-Fit World

As a physicist who has spent much time for my PhD utilizing various surface analysis techniques, plating conditions, and environmental exposures to investigate the underlying mechanisms behind metal whisker growth, many of my main projects for the automotive industry were focused on the development and testing of new surface finishes for whisker mitigation of compliant press-fit pins. Imagine my excitement when I saw IPC's Cold Joining Press-Fit Task Group.

Silicon Frogs and Smashing Asteroids: A Review of the IPC High Reliability Forum

In the electronics industry, we all agree about the expectation that items leaving Earth must work all the time, and we expect the same level of reliability from our communications systems and our cars. There may be differences in the hardware, but vigilance during design and build are integral to ensuring mission success. We kept this expectation in mind for nearly two years, as we planned and then executed the IPC High Reliability Forum, Oct. 17-18 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Using Test Strategies Simulation in Test and Inspection Workflow

In the past, test engineers tended to focus on one piece of the test and inspection workflow: AOI, boundary scan, ICT, flying probe, functional test, and the like. In their focus on one strategy, they generally ignored the other test and inspection tests, and had little idea of what was and was not covered by these other strategies. Essentially, applying the maximum coverage from their area of focus or assuming what pieces may be covered from other strategies is like taking a shot in the dark because you don’t really know the facts. The key to designing a good test and inspection process is to model that process before starting to produce test programs and then see the coverage results reflected. The concept is to build a digital twin of the test and inspection process to get the visibility that’s needed to make important decisions.
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