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Oregon Plays Host to Popular SMTA Expo

Overseas production in Asia and technical topics highlighted SMTA’s recent Oregon Expo & Tech Forum, which featured over 20 exhibitors and a robust audience for the exhibits and classes. The event took place in Wilsonville, Oregon, home to several tech companies, including Siemens, Xerox, Rockwell Collins, and FLIR.

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

It’s always interesting to see what themes emerge from reader interest in our news coverage over the past seven days. This week, there are two: making plans and Southeast Asia. Our curated list of must-read content includes planning for the following items: new courses from IPC, a new listing on the NYSE, a new manufacturing facility for materials in Southeast Asia, brand-new inspection equipment solutions for SEMICON West, and new air traffic management systems in Indonesia.

Siemens Experts Introduce New Sustainability Podcast

In I-Connect007’s inaugural ‘On the Line with…’ podcast, we spoke with six experts in sustainability and electronics manufacturing from Siemens Digital Industries Software. After recording the episodes, we gathered to discuss the series: the content, challenges, potential solutions, and the impact on our industry. Excerpts from that roundtable conversation are transcribed here.

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

It’s summertime, but the industry is staying pretty busy. This week, we have news about our industry putting pressure on our elected officials to provide funding for U.S. companies under the CHIPS Act, and a counterfeit parts symposium presented by SMTA in Maryland next month. We also bring you articles about ultra HDI design and material selection, and our most recent On the Line with… podcast with Zac Elliott of Siemens.

The Mindset Behind the Customer Experience

Brian Wallace, CEO/consultant with HR Strategies Now in Houston, Texas, shares a couple of thoughts on the importance of understanding the connection between customer experience and the employees’ mindset.

Slash Sheets: Don’t Fall Into the Trap

Slash sheets can be confusing, and this is a big topic, so let’s start big and drill down from there. Here’s the big picture regarding slash sheet references: They were designed to provide handy groupings of PCB materials (laminates, polyimides, etc.) that go into a stackup. These groupings are designed around mechanical characteristics to provide insight for PCB fabricators to identify similar laminates with similar properties.

Why Does Sustainability Matter?

In a recent conversation with Kelly Scanlon, IPC lead sustainability strategist, we dove deep into the topic of sustainability, asking what it is and how we achieve it. Because this is such a broad topic, we’ve excerpted just a portion of the conversation here, but what is clear is that we’ve only scratched the surface on sustainability; there is so much that is not yet fully defined.

Sustainably Clean

As the definition of sustainably evolves in the industry, one thing is clear: Process control plays a large role in any definition. Creating a stable process reduces the potential overuse of cleaning materials and increases yields, thereby reducing scrap, and helping the sustainability effort. I recently talked with Tom Forsythe, executive vice president of KYZEN, about the cleaning process and automated bath control.

Carol Handwerker Appointed to NIST Advisory Committee

We often hear words and phrases that naturally go together: Salt and pepper, touch and go, trace and space. When it comes to the work of IPC member Carol Handwerker, however, the collocations are much more nuanced, deeper, and have greater significance. You’re more likely to think of phrases such as standards and technology, lead-free and solder, or advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration. These are just some examples of Carol’s lifelong work in materials engineering, involvement with governing bodies, and a forward-thinking approach to electronics manufacturing that has spanned more than three decades.

Sustainability in Logistics Discussion Continues

Episode 5 of I-Connect007’s podcast, On the Line with… features an interview with Zac Elliot, Siemens technical marketing engineer, who discusses sustainability in logistics internal to the factory. Listeners will hear how ineffective logistics create wasted effort in the form of ineffective materials transfers, or increasing line down-time when materials are not flowing to the line properly.

The Most Important Thing About Customer Service

In this short interview, Barry Matties speaks with Marge Laney, founder and CEO of Alert Tech SMT, about the importance of this one simple tool in effective customer service: communication.

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

This week has been both speedy and newsy. Of course, those two characteristics often seem to travel as a pair, don’t they? A four-day week here in the United States, accompanied by a wave of high-impact news from a wide variety of sources, would suggest that readers could be expected to spread out all over the news map. Not so much, judging from readership numbers; folks all found their highest value in the same type of news coverage. This week's list of must-reads is dominated by market reports as a result of that focused readership. On our list, we have PCB fabrication and EMS book-to-bill reports, a 10-year market forecast report, and a supply chain sentiment report. In addition, readers flocked to the EWPTE show coverage. Finally, we saw significant reader interest in the most recent podcast on sustainability in our logistical operations.

Training for New Hires

Since training is such a key component in converting an inexperienced new hire into a valued contributor on the manufacturing floor, we asked Brenda Clunie, vice president of sales and operations at EPTAC, exactly how their certification programs deliver on this promise for new hires.

Sustainability in Logistics: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

Episode 4 of I-Connect007’s new podcast, On the Line with… features an interview with Christian Wendt, marketing and communications department head at Siemens Digital Logistics. Wendt discusses the most obvious area of concern for logistics sustainability: reduction of the carbon footprint.

EWPTE 2023: A Review by Happy Holden

While IPC was hosting its annual SummerCom mid-year standards event, WHMA was hosting its own “wire show,” co-located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. During IPC SummerCom 2023 more than 90 meetings from May 13–18 were conducted, ranging from very small to very large groups. Some meetings only lasted an hour, while others were four to eight hours. WHMA is a much smaller technical association than IPC, but it provides the connectivity between our boards, assemblies, and the myriad sensors and actuators used in modern electrical and electronic systems. Wire is the principal conduit, but the variety and complexity of these configurations seem endless.

Memorial Day: A Time for Remembrance

Today is the Memorial Day federal holiday in the United States. Observed on the last Monday in May, the day is set aside to honor and mourn U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. The holiday’s roots trace back to remembrance of the soldiers on both sides of the U.S. Civil War.

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

It’s been a busy week here at I-Connect007, an even busier week for PCB designers and manufacturers. This week, we published a variety of articles and news items. In this week’s wrap-up, we have an interview with Rex Rozario that is basically a historical look at the birth of commercial PCB manufacturing, and his involvement with the Rolling Stones in their early days. Then we bring you a look at trends in freight costs, which are—fortunately—heading southward right now.

Knowledge: At the Heart of Great Customer Service

David Thomas, master IPC trainer at EPTAC, says that the more you understand the work and technology that go into your processes and products, the better you can serve your customers. That includes knowing the basics.

Stop Over-specifying Your Materials

Columnist Kelly Dack has had a pretty wide range of experiences. As a PCB designer, he has sat behind the desk at an NPI company, an OEM, a fabricator, and now an EMS provider. We asked him to share a few thoughts on the materials selection process and how it could be improved.

Akrometrix: Masters of Metrology

At the Atlanta SMTA Expo and Tech Forum, I met Neil Hubble, president of the metrology systems provider Akrometrix. If you’re not sure exactly what metrology entails, you’re in luck. In this interview, Neil explains why metrology is becoming a critical part of PCB manufacturing. We also discuss the company’s capital equipment, testing services, and why Akrometrix counts many of the top PCB and semiconductor manufacturing companies in the world as their customers.

Eye on the Ion

During the recent SMTA Houston Expo & Tech Forum, I had the good fortune to meet and interview Joey Sanchez, senior director of ecosystems at The Ion, a 300,000-square-foot space in the renovated historical Sears building in the city’s Midtown section. Opened in 2021, The Ion is part of the 16-acre (12 city blocks) Ion Innovation District, which is currently under development. The facility is owned and managed by Rice University.

Mark Laing Talks ‘Sustainability in Manufacturing’

Now available on Spotify, Episode 3 of I-Connect007’s new podcast, On the Line with… features an interview with Mark Laing, business development manager for digital industries software at Siemens. Laing discusses the role of electronics in achieving sustainability. Not only does the electronics industry have a primary role to play here, but it also contributes by creating products which enable other industries to monitor and optimize their sustainability practices.

Shopping for a Soldering Robot

During factory visits, I've witnessed what’s happened to our workforce after the pandemic. Sometimes it looks like operator separation for social distancing, working extra shifts to cover for lost or missing employees due to illness, workers who now work from home, or they have simply found working no longer suits them. One possible solution when you can’t hire skilled technicians is to look at automation, particularly automation for soldering. For many it was a “feature piece” for the obligatory factory tour just to demonstrate to potential customers they are forward thinking. Now it’s a reality to solve a true workforce shortage issue. But why use a robotic soldering system?

Watch ‘Smarter Manufacturing Through Inspection,’ Final Episode of Smarter Manufacturing Micro Webinar Series

Episode 12, “Smarter Manufacturing through Inspection,” from Koh Young’s new micro webinar series ‘Smarter Manufacturing Enabled with Inspection Data’ is available now.

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

This week, our must-reads include reporting on the new PCB support legislation, now submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives; financial results from two Tier 1 manufacturers, which readers read quite thoroughly; ESG in Asia Pacific; new features from Altium; global sourcing; and a “How I got here” interview with an up and coming industry expert.

Workforce Development and a Networking Mindset

Is effective networking a skill or a mindset? I can remember the anxiety I felt around my first few networking events in the electronics industry when my skills weren’t as honed as they are now. I wondered, “How will I remember everyone’s names? Will I be nervous to approach strangers and start a conversation? What will we talk about?” It was always a highly stressful situation for me, and I bet many of you can relate to this.

Blackfox Shares Tips for Successful Skills Training

Successful skills training is a crucial part of the onboarding process and can take experienced staff members away from their primary jobs on the manufacturing floor. Effective training to onboard new employees can not only speed up the ramp-up times, but can also be customized to a company’s specific needs. We posed these four questions about new hire training to Sharon Montana-Beard, vice president of sales and operations at Blackfox.

Guru & Geezer: A Celebration of the Life of Martin Cotton

This last weekend, industry guru and dear friend to many, Martin Cotton passed away. He was one of the first people I worked with in the electronics industry when I joined Toptec Design to learn to layout PCBs. He was a bit of a rock star to many PCB designers, myself included. He was known to be among the best in his field, if not the best, and went on to be one of the most influential and innovative people in the industry over a long and distinguished career. He will be hugely missed by his family and by his numerous friends in and out of the electronics industry.

Sustainability Podcast: Episode 2 'Sustainability Through Cloud Applications' Now Available

Now available on Spotify, Episode 2 of I-Connect007’s new podcast, On the Line with… features an interview with Susan Kayesar of Siemens. Kayesar addresses cloud applications and sustainability, as well as some key, new best practices that emerge from using a cloud-based platform for business operations software systems.

Watch Now: ‘Secure Data Exchange between IPC-2581 (DPMX) and IPC-2591 (CFX),’ Episode 11 of ‘Smarter Manufacturing Enabled with Inspection Data’

In this episode, Koh Young topic expert Ivan Aduna discusses two industry standards, IPC-2581 (DPMX) and IPC-2591 (CFX), and the importance of secure communication between these systems to ensure data protection and information security, especially in manufacturing automation applications. Viewers can watch Episode 11 in just under 5 minutes!

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

This week’s must-reads contains a veritable potpourri of information from around the industry. We have a Pete Starkey review of the latest EIPC webinar on ultra HDI and thin film resistors, an interview with the founder of an electronics trade school in Texas, and an update from PCBAA about their lobbying efforts in Washington. We also have news about our brand-new podcast, or “pod,” as the kids say, and a column about the wisdom of Don Draper that just might serve technologists and managers well. Read on, folks!

NextFlex Calls for 3D Imaging Technology Proposals

Nolan Johnson talks with Scott Miller about a special call for proposals which NextFlex currently has open to explore methods to dewarp 3D scans of physical boards to enable multi-image scans to be stitched together. There is the possibility of funding for viable proposals. Deadline is May 15, 2023.

Texas Trade School Links Students With Employers

Elvia Quintanilla heads the Texas Technical Trade School, a state-funded training and work program that is a win-win-win for everyone—students, area employers, and the industry. It’s tax-funded, meaning it’s free for all those involved. Elvia enjoys going to work every day, and she wants to spread the news about how she’s giving students the same opportunities she had.

The American Manufacturing Mission of Michele Nash-Hoff

I recently spoke with Michele Nash-Hoff, president of ElectroFab Sales and author of four books, about her relentless drive to bring manufacturing back to America. The COVID pandemic raised awareness of supply chain vulnerabilities, and now more people are paying attention. She shares her growing concerns along with some possible solutions.

Watch Now: ‘Business Cases Leveraging the IPC CFX-QPL,’ Episode 10 of ‘Smarter Manufacturing Enabled with Inspection Data’

In this episode, Koh Young topic expert Ivan Aduna covers the most essential topics, messages, and sections used for inspection in the IPC CFX-QPL and how they can help you stay ahead of the curve in digital transformation. Join Ivan as he explores business cases that demonstrate the capability of the IPC CFX-QPL.

Custom Is Never a Commodity

American Standard Circuits provides more services than strictly bare board fabrication. During a recent visit to the ASC facility in West Chicago, Illinois, Nolan Johnson spoke with Bob Duke, president of ASC’s Global Sourcing division, about the dynamics of helping a customer source custom commodity subassemblies.

OSI Systems Receives $9 Million Order for Airport Security Screening Solutions

OSI Systems, Inc. announced that its Security division received an order for approximately $9 million from an international aviation customer to supply a range of inspection equipment platforms.

I-Connect007 Launches 'On the Line with...' Podcast with Series on Sustainability

Expanding its avenues of content delivery, I-Connect007 is excited to announce the launch of our latest educational product, On the Line with.., available on Spotify, Apple and all the major podcast platforms. In this podcast, we speak with industry experts to get the latest insights and perspectives on the most relevant topics in the electronics industry today.

Onboarding 101 With Mike Hoyt

You’ve decided to revamp your process for onboarding new hires, but where do you start? How do you create a thorough onboarding system that allows each new hire to become a happy, long-term employee? I asked Mike Hoyt, IPC’s training advisor, to discuss the organization’s onboarding program, the hiring issues facing companies in the PCB space, and the best way to get aboard a new onboarding process.

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

This week, I’m identifying key news about EVs, orbital payloads, environmental sustainability, the state of the economy, and new executive leadership. I’d say it’s a well-rounded selection of what’s happening in the industry. I can’t help but continue to be impressed by the pervasiveness of space commercialization. Satellites have a long history of being commissioned and operated by private business, but as commercial launch vehicles become more available, it seems that satellite launches are accelerating. Read on!

Catching a Cool Vibe in Del Mar

The Del Mar Electronics & Manufacturing Show in late April attracted a strong crowd, and for good reason. This show, which started in 1995 and attracts approximately 400 exhibitors, takes a refreshing approach: It’s at the local fairgrounds, so the vibe is cool, relaxed and easier on the pocketbook. Attendance hasn’t yet reached the highest pre-COVID levels, but show organizer Doug Bodenstab said registrations improved over last year.

Keep Your Foot on the Gas

Digi-Key’s Mike Slater is vice president of global business development and responsible for supplier and customer business development around the world. After his presentation at the EMS Leadership Summit at IPC APEX EXPO 2023, Nolan Johnson reached out for additional market perspective. Here, Mike talks about the current component supply chain and what to expect in the upcoming years. He provides insight for assemblers and OEM design teams alike.

The Solder Tip

During the recent SMTA Boise Expo & Tech Forum, I spoke about hand soldering with Craig Morris, an area sales manager at JBC Tools, a company that has served the global electronics industry for decades. In this interview, Craig shares some of the latest developments in his company’s soldering tool, which allows the technician to use time, technique, and temperature to improve the finished product.

Advice to the Learner

Barry Matties chats with both Dale Lee and Alexander Noggle, a college student attending SMTA Houston Expo & Tech Forum, about the need to listen to the past but keep an eye on the future, especially when it comes to understanding technology. For now, Dale says, get out and gain as much industry experience as possible.

The Benefits of Vapor Phase Reflow Soldering

JB Byers, vice president of technical support services at A-Tek Systems in Longmont, Colorado, recently gave a presentation on vapor phase reflow soldering at the SMTA Boise Expo & Tech Forum. After his presentation, I-Connect007 briefly talked with him about how the process can help reduce voids and lower operating cost.

Got Six Minutes? Watch ‘Leveraging the IPC CFX-QPL to Integrate Equipment for a Small Factory’

Episode 9, “Leveraging the IPC CFX-QPL to Integrate Equipment for a Smart Factory,” from Koh Young’s new micro webinar series ‘Smarter Manufacturing Enabled with Inspection Data’ is available now.

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

In this week’s must-reads, we have coverage of NAMM 2023 and SMTA Atlanta, plus some tips for traditional PCB designers who are entering the RF design space, where designers have to master ideas like antenna tuning. We also have some news about March PCB sales, as well as a great conversation with Ventec’s Frank Lorentz, who explains how to set up an onboarding process that converts new hires into happy, long-term employees.

SMTA Atlanta: No Rain Delay For This Event

The SMTA Atlanta Expo & Tech Forum couldn’t stop the rain, but the chilly, rainy weather didn’t deter the technologists who came out for this annual event yesterday. Held at the Atlanta Tech Park small business incubator in Norcross, Georgia, the show drew a crowd primarily from the SMT segment, along with a number of designers and fabricators.

Why the EMS Leadership Summit Matters

When I first entered the electronic manufacturing services (EMS) industry in 1989, I had some engineering experience, but zero knowledge as to how to manufacture anything. At that point, I didn’t realize how little I understood about the real, yet alone subtle, differences between an EMS company and OEMs. A colleague of mine suggested I contact IPC to see what resources they had available. The recommendation: Join an upcoming meeting of senior EMS industry leaders, known as the EMS Management Council. I attended my first EMS management meeting that year and started participating on the EMS Council Steering Committee shortly after. That initial experience has drawn me back yearly for over three decades.

Today's EMS Companies Headed for Generational Revolution

Marge Laney, founder and CEO of Alert Tech SMT, a Houston-based EMS company, shares her thoughts on bringing young people into manufacturing—a sector she’s convinced may be headed toward big growth. At the SMTA Houston Expo & Tech Forum, Marge invited a group of young students from a local technology school into her facility for a tour.

A Complex and Contradictory Economic Outlook

At this year’s EMS Summit held at IPC APEX EXPO, I shared IPC’s economic outlook for 2023 and 2024. The electronics industry overcame significant hurdles and headwinds in 2022, thanks in large part to strong underlying demand. While many of those hurdles and headwinds have subsided, the industry faces new challenges in the year ahead. At the EMS Summit, I shared three key themes defining the year ahead.

Taking Charge of ESD

At the recent SMTA Boise Expo & Tech Forum, Barry Matties spoke with Doug Holtz, national sales manager of Conductive Containers, about challenges related to ESD and where manufacturers are most vulnerable. It’s a growing concern, Doug says, and there are important lessons to be learned. Doug also reviews his presentation, and he points out how reducing touchpoints in the supply chain can make a world of difference for both customers and manufacturers.

Trends in Supply Chain Dynamics

Editor’s note: CalcuQuote CEO Chintan Sutaria used his presentation at the EMS Leadership Summit to share market insights that could be concluded from usage data within the CalcuQuote environment. This article, authored by David Sharp, vice president of products, summarizes and updates the information shared at the summit.

Watch Now: ‘Advanced Process Control & Inspection,’ Episode 8 of ‘Smarter Manufacturing Enabled with Inspection Data’

In this episode, Koh Young topic expert Ivan Aduna examines how closed-loop communication can make all the difference when it comes to inspection and achieving zero defects in your production line. Ivan also explores the importance of equipment suppliers working together to create M2M connections that allow for real-time exchange of SPI and AOI measurement data between machines—all in under four minutes.

NAMM 2023: It’s All About That Bass

The use of AI in the music industry seems only natural. For example, if you’re trying to create a specific sound, rhythm, mix of instruments, or volume level, you’d typically be in front of a series of mixers and controls, making tweaks and adjustments. If you’re trying to create a piece of music that is similar to one you already have, AI can do that for you. Just give it some basic instructions and let it go to work.

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

SpaceX is back in the news and in a big, powerful, let’s-blow-up-a-rocket-because-we-can kind of way. The company had scheduled a test launch on Monday, April 17 for the SpaceX Starship, only to scrub that launch until this past Thursday. Well, the results from the launch were less than desirable—or were they? While Starship ultimately exploded just prior to stage separation, simply clearing the launchpad was considered a major milestone by SpaceX.

Plug into the Ecosystem and Network

Barry Matties met Wade Pinder during the Cup of Joey event at the Ion in Houston, Texas. Wade is a successful product manager and Houston-area college lecturer who likes to tell young students and industry stalwarts alike to reach out and learn from each other. He shares his thoughts on finding and hiring the right talent.

Bob Wettermann: Making the ‘Best’ of His Career

Bob Wetterman started his career in the semiconductor industry, but after a series of industry and economic changes, he tapped into that entrepreneurial spirit. For more than 20 years, he has been leading and developing BEST, Inc., a shop customizing in PCB rework and repair. In this interview, Bob reflects on his long career, and we meet Nash Bell, who will be leading BEST through its next phase.

Panel Discussion: CMMC and Cybersecurity

The electronics manufacturing sector faces unique challenges when it comes to cybersecurity, given the highly sensitive nature of the information that it handles. With the introduction of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) framework, businesses will soon be required to meet specific, more stringent cybersecurity standards to bid on Department of Defense contracts. This has made cybersecurity hygiene and CMMC compliance more important than ever for businesses in the sector, as non-compliance can result in lost revenue and reputational damage.

Finding Stability in the Supply Chain

MacroFab is clearly on the grow, so what’s on their minds these days? CEO Misha Govshteyn, speaking from the company’s Guadalajara, Mexico, facility, shares that the company recently closed a second round of funding, bringing the total investment pool to just north of $80 million. Second round investors include Foundry and BMW i Ventures as well as existing investors Edison Partners and ATX Venture Partners. They also just opened a 48,000 square foot plant in Houston, Texas.
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