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Meet Tibi Baranyi: He’s an Expert in Engineering, Standards, and Fishing

IPC committee members come from all over the world and have a variety of educational backgrounds and life experiences. Fortunately, they bring that knowledge and diversity to the development of IPC standards. In this interview, Tiberiu (Tibi) Baranyi, technology group manager at Flextronics Romania in Timisoara, discusses Flex, fishing, and figuring out the best way to participate in IPC standards development.

Real Time with... SMTAI 2023: Robotic Automation in Final Inspection—A Different Kind of Pivot

ViTrox Sr. General Manager, Richard Osborne, discusses talent shortages, the trend for EMS companies to include box build, and automating final inspection. Osborne outlines how ViTrox is helping solve this challenge with creative hardware.

Real Time with... SMTAI 2023: Adjusting to the Supply Chain

Mark Ogen, ASMPT SMT Solutions' marketing manager for the Americas, discusses the unique challenges facing a build up of capacity in electronics manufacturing under these current supply chain conditions. Where is ASMPT putting their development attention for their customers? Find out here.

Closing the Inspection Gap: Enhancing Electronics Manufacturing Quality With Reflow Process Inspection

In the world of electronics manufacturing, inspection, and quality control are paramount. Manufacturing engineers, process engineers, and managers in the electronics industry are constantly seeking innovative ways to improve the reliability and performance of SMT lines, and OEM auditors want assurances of complete process control and traceability of production for their product builds. Real-time, inline inspection steps are necessary to maintain consistent quality and ensure the highest level of process control and traceability. This article sheds light on the critical role of reflow process inspection (RPI) ensuring the quality and reliability of PCBAs during reflow soldering, and briefly touches on exciting new sensing technology developed by KIC, one of the industry leaders.

Real Time with... SMTAI 2023: Underfilm: The New 20-Year-Old Assembly Solution

Underfilm is an alternative for underfill. Alltemated holds a patent for this technology which they've been perfecting for 20 years. Rachael Temple, sales and marketing, explains how it works, when to use it, and why you should.

Real Time with... SMTAI 2023: Adjusting to the Supply Chain

Mark Ogden, ASMPT SMT Solutions' marketing manager for the Americas, discusses the unique challenges facing a build up of capacity in electronics manufacturing under these current supply chain conditions. Where is ASMPT putting their development attention for their customers? Find out here.

Real Time with... SMTAI 2023: Getting Smarter About Inspection

Joel Scutchfield, General Manager and Director of Sales at Koh Young America, shares his thoughts on why Koh Young is working on development of automation, machine learning, and advanced software tools.

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

In this week’s Top 5, we start with a conversation with Mike Soble, who explains why SEL and Chemcut have such a great partnership. We have a review of SMTA International, which took place this week in Minneapolis. We also have a conversation with the design team at Monsoon Solutions; they explain how they geared their documentation process to the requirements of IPC standards. Mike Morando explains how to qualify your rigid-flex manufacturer. And we have an announcement about the IPC Checklist, a very useful document that I-Connect007 recently published.

Real Time with... SMTAI 2023: The Human Effect in Repair

Finetech Sales Engineer, Tony Haynes, shares what he hears customers asking for most often. He also shares his perspective on where people are the most important in the test, inspection and rework cycle.

Real Time with... SMTAI 2023: Cleaning Up Your Process Controls

Tom Forsythe of KYZEN discusses how cleaning is evermore integral to not only producing a high-quality product, but also in maintaining, and even expanding, process windows on the production line.


SMTA International 2023 Kicks Off In Minneapolis

My morning in Minneapolis may have started early, with construction workers directly outside my hotel window at 7 a.m., but to me the hustle and bustle was simply a reflection of the activity at SMTA International. The exposition continues its cohabitation this week with MDM&A for one final year, and there was a definite hum in the hall on Tuesday. Eyeballing the attendance, it seems that SMTAI continues its rapid year-on-year recovery from the pandemic effect. 

‘Testing’ a Strategy

To get a front-line perspective on test and inspection, we spoke with Raj Vora, manufacturing engineer, and Darren Carlson, operations manager at San Diego-based VAS Engineering, a company that has been paying careful attention to operational efficiencies. “All roads lead to Rome,” they say; it seems any operational efficiency work ultimately leads back to data and analysis. In this conversation, Raj and Darren share how test and inspection equipment is vital to the efficiency of the entire manufacturing structure.

Real Time with... SMTAI 2023: Leo Lambert: EPTAC on the Move

Leo Lambert, vice president and technical advisor at EPTAC, shares with Nolan Johnson the current trends and emerging needs in certification training. Like so many things in our industry at the moment, training is changing. Not only is the curriculum changing, but how we teach it is evolving rapidly. Lambert discusses how EPTAC is meeting these new needs.

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

This week, our must-read picks include the PCB industry monthly report, IPC’s Alison James’ statement to the EU regarding the vitality of our industry, an overview of test and inspection, greenfield fabrication facility design, and the future of advanced packaging and solder.

­PCB West: Coating Services at HZO

John Sandilands, director of sales at HZO, explains his company’s approach to the coating process, and how it stands out for companies wanting to protect their electronics products from harsh conditions. The secret is in the process itself, John says.

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

This week’s must-reads cover a little bit of everything: advanced packaging substrates, rigid-flex design, the potential loss of tribal knowledge, ultra HDI processing, and the need for fabricators to begin utilizing Smart systems. In a few weeks, we’ll be attending SMTA International in Minneapolis, and then productronica in Munich. We hope to see you on the road!

The End of Solder?

The practical question around CHIPS Act development and electronics assembly is, “Will this change how we do business?” Indium Corporation’s Dr. Andy Mackie sat down with Nolan Johnson to share what he sees as emerging answers to that question from his perspective as an expert in electronics assembly and packaging, and as a participant in standards development through IPC, JEDEC, and SEMI.

A Catalyst for Advanced Packaging and Substrates

Despite being a leader in R&D investment in semiconductors and packaging with greater than $50 billion per year, the U.S. has seen its market share decrease to less than 3% in areas like advanced packaging and advanced substrates. The cause for this market share erosion was a laser focus in Asian countries to attract semiconductors and advanced packaging investment through ecosystem development and incentives. If the U.S. is serious about changing the momentum to onshore advanced packaging and advanced substrates, an ecosystem approach to innovation and manufacturing incentives must be employed. It is not enough to have the most innovative technology if the supply chain and manufacturing economics do not deliver competitive commercial opportunities.

Unlocking Synergies

The U.S. Chips Act Propels Collaboration Between Semiconductor Manufacturers and Equipment Suppliers In today's rapidly evolving world, the semiconductor industry stands as a driving force across economies and industries, propelling progress through technological advancements. The U.S. Chips Act emerges as a game-changing legislation aimed at redefining America's semiconductor manufacturing prowess. The Act sets forth a clear mission: bolster domestic chip production, reinforce national security, and stimulate economic growth.

Towards a Silicon to Systems Industrial Strategy

"Electronics systems are at the heart of almost all modern technology. The performance and functionality of these systems have increased at breathtaking speed, chiefly as a result of advancements in semiconductor technology. Semiconductors do not function in isolation," writes Alison James, IPC senior director of government relations, in a 2023 report for the European Commission’s Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship. "These electronics systems feature prominently in key sectors like defence, aerospace, space, automotive, medical, and high-performance computing, but electronics are vital to every industry and are central to a variety of EU priorities, including the twin digital and green transitions and Europe’s technological sovereignty."


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

This week has been chock full of news about upcoming trade shows and conferences. Clearly, the season is upon us. This week, I-Connect007 reported on PCB West in Santa Clara (often referred to as the show which kicks off trade show season) and the topic of artificial intelligence was everywhere. By the looks of it, not just at the conference, either. For months now, the mainstream media has been gobbling up all sorts of news about generative AI engines, painting the picture that we’ll all lose our jobs to these tools, while also reporting on situations where the results from AI have gotten progressively worse over time.

CHIPS Act Priorities

As expected, the U.S. Department of Commerce is actively administering to the $53 billion of funding in the CHIPS Act. A key committee in this process is the CHIPS Act Industrial Advisory Committee (IAC). Recently IPC vice president and chief technology officer Matt Kelly offered a printed circuit board and system-wide perspective to the IAC, part of the ongoing advocacy efforts being undertaken by IPC and other organizations, and later answered some questions about what he presented and how it was received.

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

We’ve had a hot week in this industry. In my picks for this week, we introduce a new SMT007 columnist, and we have a look at the CHIPS Act one year later. We have a great article about sourcing diversification, and a look at the latest electronics news coming out of India. And columnist Vern Solberg explains DFM best practices for flexible circuits.

Meet Aidan Salvi of Amitron, SMT007 Columnist

Meet Aidan Salvi, our newest SMT007 and Mil-Aero columnist. Aidan’s columns will focus on Factory 5.0, the transition of robots to cobots centering on cooperation between robots and humans, as well as state-of-the-art technologies in electronics manufacturing and printed circuit board design and production. Aidan is the Chief Transformation Officer at Amitron, a leading U.S.-based manufacturers of printed circuit boards and provider of electronic manufacturing services.

Women’s Leadership Program at SMTA International 2023

The Women’s Leadership Program is a popular, annually recurring event hosted during SMTA International. This year’s event is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 9, at the Minneapolis Convention Center and is free for all participants at SMTA International. The theme for this year’s program is “Personal Branding: Creating an Authentic and Sustainable Perception.”

Sourcing Diversification – Empowering Your Supply Chain for Success

In today's interconnected and rapidly evolving business landscape, sourcing diversification has emerged as a crucial strategy for organizations aiming to stay competitive and thrive in a dynamic marketplace. The traditional approach of relying on a single source for procurement is being replaced by a more sophisticated and strategic mindset that emphasizes the advantages of exploring multiple procurement channels. This approach not only opens doors to a whole different network of suppliers, but also offers numerous benefits, such as navigating sales increases, ensuring smoother deliveries, and promoting innovation within the organization.

Book Excerpt: ‘The Printed Circuit Assembler's Guide to... Process Control,’ Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of 'The Printed Circuit Assembler's Guide to... Process Control' takes a look at the deficiencies between PICT and ROSE test methods. In addition, the two commonly encountered equipment arrangements of SEC, identified as closed loop and open loop, are discussed.

CHIPS Act, One Year On

Fresh off his annual meeting with the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA), Travis Kelly, CEO at Isola Group and chairman of the PCBAA, gave us an update on government legislation in the United States that directly and indirectly affects the printed circuit board industry. Travis was candid in his remarks about funding from the CHIPS Act, what the PCB industry needs to do, and how a bill reintroduced into Congress this year might be just the ticket we need.

SMTA International 2023 Conference Program Highlights

The program for the SMTA International Technical Conference is finalized with 90 great papers presented across 30+ sessions. Each session features two to four presentations on a related topic and is organized into the following tracks. Check it out!

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

As I looked over the news and stories of the week, I noticed "firsts" from Insulectro and Lockheed Martin, plus a historic transition in leadership at Foxconn. There’s also financial health from KLA, and upbeat market data from IPC. With the start of a new school year, and often a fiscal year, September brings a sense of newness and change for many of us.


SMTAI Conference Schedule at a Glance

SMTA International provides your best chance to reconnect with the global electronics manufacturing community and to stay competitive, identify challenges, innovate and exceed expectations. We invite you to attend this year's SMTA International Conference and Exhibition, Oct. 9–12, at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minnesota. We are proud of our legacy of providing outstanding networking and learning experiences and this year will be no different. The conference and exhibition are a unique opportunity for us to connect, discover, and learn from each other and industry experts.

An Invitation from SMTA President Martin Anselm

As the current president of SMTA, I’d like to extend an invitation to everyone in the electronics manufacturing industry to join us Oct. 9–12, 2023 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in in Minnesota for our flagship event—SMTA International Conference and Exposition. This event is once again co-located with MD&M Minneapolis, providing an intriguing mix of related manufacturing technology cross-over among the respective shows.

PCBs Garnering Legislative Support

In an op-ed published in San Jose’s Mercury News, U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) speaks to the importance of the electronics manufacturing ecosystems in the United States. Eshoo’s constituency is California’s 16th district, based in Silicon Valley. Along with Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT), Eshoo introduced HR 3249, the Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act, a bill supporting the U.S. printed circuit board manufacturing industry.

A Labor Day Holiday Notice

Today is a national holiday in both the United States and Canada (though the Canadians spell it Labour Day). The U.S. Labor Day has been federal holiday since 1894, and honors both the American labor movement and the contributions of laborers in the creation of the United States. Labor Day falls on the first Monday of September and is often considered the last day of summer in American culture. This is likely because the American school schedules resume around the beginning of September.

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

As we head into the Labor Day weekend, we have a variety of articles for this week’s editor’s picks. Hannah Nelson discusses the onboarding process she went through when she started a new job. Gaurab Majumdar explains why tech companies should consider hiring workers from India. Happy Holden details the importance of great sensor technology and why sensors are a critical ingredient in Smart manufacturing processes. Mike Brask discusses the new IPS ENIG line installed at the SEL facility in Idaho, and Chris DeMartino explains how Modelithics works to provide simulation models, primarily for the RF/microwave community.

IPC Day Comes to Romania

When IPC staff wanted to showcase the latest industry developments to a European audience, they made an obvious choice: Timisoara, Romania. The dramatic economic expansion here over the past 30 years has resulted in a large concentration of manufacturing and technology businesses. Long-term planning by authorities positioned the city as a business-friendly and diverse cultural hub on the western border, providing easy access to Central Europe.

It All Starts With Sensors

Sensor technology is at the heart of any manufacturing data collection, especially for the digital stream—it all starts with sensors—but there is so much more. Sensors need connections to instruments, and some actions need predictions, the process is sensing, connection, and predicting. Sensing assumes sensors. Connecting can be any intelligent device that provides a program or signal conditioning and then makes that data available to the rest of the organization. Predicting is the difficult step.

An Industry-ready Workforce in India

When young technicians and engineers join a company, they need time to thoroughly understand the production and quality processes. IPC is dedicated to making it easier for new employees to learn these needed skills. An office was set up in India in 2010 and has been instrumental in providing more than 13,000 certifications while connecting with more than 500 electronics manufacturing companies there. This has led to an initiative to train college students through IPC’s workforce development courses.

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

This week’s editor’s picks come from the top end of reader interest, so I don’t think it’s just me who’s sensing this kind of momentum. For example, we bring you a site visit to one of the newest PCB fabs in North America, and a captive facility at that. Nokia is now manufacturing sophisticated telecom optical components in the United States, and iNEMI publishes a roadmap assisting in specifying the right low-loss material for your particular application, among other topics. To wrap it up, we get NASA news that reminds us that we need not be a big corporation to participate in space programs.

A Pilot Program Soars in Mexico

With plants in Tijuana and Guadalajara, Mexico, that staff more than 3,000 employees, Benchmark Electronics has a continual need for training and certification to stay competitive. Through a unique partnership with IPC, the company was able to train nearly 100 operators and engineers through a pilot program that saved them money and elevated the knowledge base of their workforce. In this interview, Elizabeth Magana, a regional human resources director for Benchmark, Lorena Villanueva, IPC director of Mexico, and Carlos Plaza, IPC senior director of education development, detail the pilot program and how it serves as an example of training success in electronics manufacturing


The Vision: Virtual to Support Real Operations

It’s time to make the ideal of digital transformation a reality. Everyone seems to agree that is the path to manufacturing business success. Yet, not everyone knows how to proceed toward this digital future right now. Hint: Combine the new Industry 4.0 technologies such as digital twin and augmented reality (AR) with up-to-date versions of proven software systems, particularly manufacturing execution systems (MES). Or better yet, find systems that inherently do that for you. Then create ways to ensure these digital and virtual systems reflect and fully support your physical and real operations.

Book Excerpt: 'The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to... Process Control,' Chapter 2

Firstly, and most importantly, work by the standards; they make it easier for you. They have been created for your benefit by a group of respected experts. If you are considering SIR testing, whether using a test house or setting up an in-house facility, then the following complementary documents are essential reading.

Manufacturing Isn’t Linear; Stop Planning That Way

In the last couple of years, exacerbated by the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, the uncomfortable reality is that many manufacturers are not well prepared to properly deal with and respond to last minute changes in the supply chain, worker availability, or major swings in customer demand. Many of you likely have a painful story or two about scrambling to address unexpected changes in the production plan and schedule over the last few years.

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

This week, we have an article about flex-hybrid electronics, which the military and aerospace folks are following closely. We have an article about the digital twin and what it is—and what it’s not. We have 10 outside-the-box ideas for closing the deal—be sure to forward this to your sales team. John Perry brings us an interview with a father/son team of IPC volunteers. (Would you want your children to work in this industry?) Finally, John Watson discusses AI, simulation and SPICE, and what they have to offer for PCB designers.

Drilling Down on Digital Twin

In this interview with I-Connect007, Phil Voglewede, director of the Omron Advanced Automation Lab at Marquette University, shares his thoughts on the evolution of digital twin concepts for manufacturing processes and how that related to his lab’s research.

From Father to Son: A Story of Generational Volunteerism

As an IPC technical staff liaison to numerous IPC standards development committees, I’m sometimes asked to extoll the virtues of what it means to be a volunteer within one of them. The question mostly comes from someone interested in joining an IPC committee for the first time. The answer usually includes phrases not uncommon to other kinds of volunteer efforts in our lives.

SummerCom 2023

Energized. Engaged. Exhausted. These are just a few of the words that come to mind when looking back on IPC SummerCom 2023 in May. We did a lot of work, had a little fun, and recognized the hard work and hours that go into standards development.

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

In 1971, David Bowie released his album “Hunky Dory.” One obscure track (at the time, at least) on that album, “Changes,” would slowly evolve into a Bowie signature piece, stutter and all. As time went on, his admonition for us all to “turn and face the strange” carried more and more weight in popular music and popular culture. Of course, a cover of “Changes” which was featured in the movie “Shrek 2” caused the song to peak again in 2004, 33 years after it was first released. Just a little reminder that change is a constant.

And Now, a Word About Sustainability With Colin Cupitt, BAE Systems

IPC Community spoke with several members of IPC’s Sustainability for Electronics Leadership Council on their company’s sustainability mission, reasons for joining IPC’s Council, and future Council leadership projects.

Book Excerpt: 'The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to...Process Control', Chapter 1

In the first chapter of 'The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to...Process Control' the authors address the question: How clean is clean? There is overlap and conflict with cleaning technologies, especially with the introduction of no-clean fluxes.


Lockheed Martin: Flying High With Digital Twin

While at a conference in Dallas, Barry Matties listened to a presentation on digital twins from Don Kinard, a senior fellow at Lockheed Martin. Later, we reached out to Don, who was happy to provide a deeper understanding of the role of the digital twin in the manufacturing space. What does digital twin mean when the product your manufacture is an eight- or nine-figure combat aircraft packed full of electronics?

The Challenge of Traceability Data: A Call for Action

Imagine the following scenario: You’re working in the electronics manufacturing industry as an operations manager in charge of overseeing the assembly of cutting-edge devices. One day, you receive news that one of the series of products you’ve shipped to market has experienced a major malfunction, causing an uproar among customers. You frantically try to pinpoint the root cause only to lose yourself in the labyrinth of incomplete traceability data. The frustration mounts, leaving you grappling with the consequences of an ineffective traceability system.

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

This week, we have news about APCT’s acquisition of San Diego PCB Design, and PCBAA’s continued push to impress upon Congress the need to support electronics manufacturing in the U.S. Steve Williams breaks down the details behind Lean manufacturing, TQM and Six Sigma. Columnist Tim Haag explains how he learned to design advanced and complex PCBs. And Nolan Johnson has a great interview with Daniel Barish of Celanese, who discusses some of the company’s latest low-temperature co-fired ceramics and their advantages.

SMTA Working to Get Students Involved

With the increased reshoring of electronics manufacturing, there is a growing need and demand for engineers with electronics manufacturing experience and education. This is particularly the case as the number of engineers who are retiring is increasing. As part of the SMTA’s Student & Young Professionals (SYPs) outreach efforts to encourage more students to enter the electronics manufacturing industry, SMTA Silicon Valley (San Jose) chapter officers and volunteers provided a presentation to about 45 students on Careers in Electronics Manufacturing.

Team Players: A New Industry Leadership Council Seeks Sustainability Solutions

The work on sustainability in electronics at IPC continues and a new leadership council is one result of those efforts. In March 2023, IPC convened a Sustainability for Electronics Leadership Council to offer peer review and direction to IPC. The council is a response to the industry’s requests for more attention on environmental, social, and corporate sustainability in IPC’s industry standards, education, and advocacy.

And Now, a Word About Sustainability With Stanley Merritt

IPC Community spoke with several members of IPC’s Sustainability for Electronics Leadership Council on their company’s sustainability mission, reasons for joining IPC’s Council, and future Council leadership projects.

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

Holy mackerel, dear readers, you’ve been reading the good stuff this past week. I won’t need to steer you toward any of the must-read (but sometimes overlooked) content because your collective reading habits (as measured by clicks and reads) gravitated to the same things as I did. This week’s picks include an interview from IPC Community magazine on sustainability, two pieces on space travel technology, a new partnership between two well-known companies in our industry, and the July market report from IPC. Keep reading to see what I’m talking about.

Exclusive: Special Show Coverage of EWPTE

Find out how more than 3,000 members of the electrical wire and cable industry came to the Wisconsin Center and left inspired with new technologies, solutions, and a stronger network. Produced by the Wiring Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA), IPC, and the Wisconsin Center, the event drew in 3,049 attendees, an 18% increase over 2022.

Book Excerpt: 'The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to...Process Control'

Introduction: The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to...Process Control, a new book from Gen3 Systems. An electronic assembly, by definition, has a circuit with current flowing. If by corrosion that circuit is changed, open circuit or short circuit, then the assembly will most likely be non-functional and will have failed. Dendrites are fragile metal filaments that can easily fuse when completing a circuit. Hence, an intermittent fault is observed.

And Now, a Word About Sustainability With Markus Otrin, Zollner

IPC Community spoke with several members of IPC’s Sustainability for Electronics Leadership Council on their company’s sustainability mission, reasons for joining IPC’s Council, and future Council leadership projects.


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