Marcy’s Musings: The ‘Magic’ of Additive Processes
It’s Only Common Sense: More Great Business Ideas from ‘Breaking Bad’
Material Insight: The Dielectric Constant of PCB MaterialsUSPAE to Springboard U.S. Technology Forward
April 30, 2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
The U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE) was launched as a nonprofit subsidiary of IPC in 2020 specifically to manage the DoD relationship and access to funding and to develop a cooperative facility to develop ultra HDI capabilities in the U.S., not only for the defense sector but for the whole of the U.S. electronics industry.
Though a multifaceted initiative, its primary objective is to bring very high-tech manufacturing capability to the U.S. to lessen reliance on foreign sources for critical parts of our supply chain. It carries a great hope that we will never allow ourselves to fall behind technologically as we have over the past three decades and, moreover, that we will, once again, become global technology leaders in this space.
Marcy LaRont: Joe, would you explain the Printed Circuit Board Market Catalyst (PCBMC)?
Joe O’Neil: Formerly referred to as NewCo, the proposed Printed Circuit Board Market Catalyst is a unique public-private partnership (PPP) that will be designed to deliver five core benefits to the U.S. industry and government.
The first core benefit is to quickly bring ultra high density interconnect (UHDI) capability to any U.S. PCB manufacturer as a subcontracted service. Second, PCBMC will catalyze commercial and government demand for domestic UHDI PCBs. Third, this PPP will transfer all the knowledge and expertise to operate a UHDI manufacturing facility to any U.S. PCB domestic manufacturer. The fourth core benefit provides education and workforce development. The PCBMC will be growing and upskilling the current workforce while attracting new workers into the industry. Finally, we will be delivering leapfrog technologies through R&D efforts to help U.S. PCB manufacturers become and stay more competitive globally.
LaRont: That is a big initiative with important goals. How did this project come about?
O’Neil: This project has been developed by industry, for industry. USPAE began holding industry workshops with government input in late 2022 and early 2023 to better understand the challenges and start devising a solution. In the fall of 2023, the Department of Defense provided funding to USPAE to conduct qualitative and quantitative research documenting those needs and formally propose solutions for the PCBMC. We've got a great team.
LaRont: Using the PPP business model, how will this facility bring UHDI capabilities to PCB manufacturers?
O’Neil: With a mix of both government and private funding, our vision has been that the proposed manufacturing facility will be rapidly stood up utilizing modified semi-additive process (mSAP) technology. Once the facility is operational, the PCBMC will begin providing UHDI subcontracting services to the U.S. PCB fabrication base.
To read the rest of this article, which appeared in the April 2024 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Advocacy: There’s No Time to Waste
05/21/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineIn the late 1990s, I worked for a PCB company ardently working to build manufacturing presences in Malaysia, Taiwan, and eventually China’s mainland. For some of us who had the resources, we followed our OEM customers offshore as they began demanding increasingly greater price concessions from their stateside suppliers. The government was not coming to the rescue of the PCB manufacturer, so we rode the changing economic tide as it turned unwaveringly toward globalism and cheaper labor.
TPCA Releases Guide to Help PCB Industry Achieve Low-Carbon Transformation
05/21/2024 | TPCAThe introduction of EU carbon tariffs, international brands committing to carbon neutrality, and the upcoming carbon fee in Taiwan means that carbon reduction is no longer just a slogan. Domestic and international pressures have turned carbon reduction into the golden grail of corporate sustainability.
American Standard Circuits/ASC Sunstone Circuits Showcase Cutting-edge Technology at PCB East 2024
05/21/2024 | American Standard CircuitsAmerican Standard Circuits (ASC) and ASC Sunstone Circuits are excited to announce their participation in PCB East 2024, a premier event for the printed circuit board and electronics design industry. The event will take place from June 4-6, 2024, at the Boxboro Regency Hotel and Conference Center in Boxborough, MA.
Marcy’s Musings: The ‘Magic’ of Additive Processes
05/21/2024 | Marcy LaRont -- Column: Marcy's MusingsThough modern semi-additive and fully additive technologies are still emerging for PCB manufacturing, additive technology itself is not new. Many PCB fabricators find themselves at a crossroads when deciding whether to change their current processes and go additive or stay the course until something significant compels a change. But change is on the horizon, and it seems to be driven by significant technological advancements in chips and advanced packaging, offering PCB fabricators some additive manufacturing solutions to explore.
Additive Manufacturing: PCB007 Magazine May 2024 Issue
05/20/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamThough modern semi-additive and fully additive technologies are still emerging for PCB manufacturing, additive technology itself is not new. In this month’s issue, we explore additive manufacturing technology for the PCB fabricator: where it stands today, the true benefits, and where it seems to be headed.