Latest Articles

On Location at HKPCA: IPC’s Mitchell and Carmichael on Asia, the Global Industry Outlook, and Trump

While in Shenzhen, China recently, with the PCB industry’s biggest trade show as a backdrop, Publisher Barry Matties sat down once again to interview IPC President John Mitchell and IPC Asia President Phil Carmichael. This time they discussed trends they’re seeing in the Asia-Pacific region and what a Trump presidency means to the industry.

Breaking Down the Long, Complex Sales Cycle in the EMS Industry

The EMS industry is still considered a young industry, with roots based in the early contract manufacturing days of small harness and PCBA shops. This article discusses how the demand creation process has morphed since the EMS industry's birth around 30 or so years ago into what we might consider as typical in the contract electronics manufacturing industry today.

Successful Sales Strategies

At the recent NIDays 2016 event in Singapore, Matej Krajnc of National Instruments speaks with I-Connect007's Stephen Las Marias about the challenges for sales and marketing executives in the electronics manufacturing industry, effective sales strategies, and key attributes of a sales person. He also shares his outlook on some of the key technology trends for next year.

How to Build Up Trust in a Manufacturing Outsourcing Relationship

When you, as an OEM, entrust part or all of your manufacturing operation to an EMS provider, you want to know that this fundamental aspect of your business is in safe and capable hands. It takes time to establish trust. So how can you build it up into a strong and permanent structure? Read on.

Front Lines: Sales—a.k.a., Trench Warfare!

In his inaugural article for his column Front Lines, Craig Arcuri writes about sales—real sales—not pop sales ideas, not sales jargon of the day, not flavor of the month tactics. He talks about sales in the trenches, and provides simple steps to build a sales foundation that will help your company generate more sales.

Real Time With...HKPCA & IPC Show 2016: IPC Hand Soldering World Championship in China

IPC President John Mitchell speaks with Editor Stephen Las Marias about the highlights of this year’s IPC Hand Soldering World Championship, which was held in China for the first time. He discusses how IPC has managed to keep the event so popular and successful for such a long time.

The Hunt for the Best Pre-Owned SMT Equipment Supplier

There are many SMT equipment resellers out there, some with many years of experience and others that are merely intermediaries between a company that’s trying to sell their surplus equipment and you. With that in mind, think of what you can afford not only in terms of the cost of equipment, but also regarding installation, training and support.

How to Create the Perfect SMT Reflow Oven Profile

While EMS providers will have their own preference when it comes to machine type and brand, broadly speaking, the process steps they go through to produce PCBAs are the same. However, one step that can make all of the difference when it comes to quality and consistency is reflow. This article details how EMS companies can go about creating the perfect SMT reflow oven profile.

Sales and Marketing in a Digital Transformation Reality

While many of the common sales and marketing best practices apply to the PCB assembly industry, however, deep manufacturing and electronics design expertise is required to truly drive customer interactions from one-off transactions into long and sustaining relationships as the industry goes through rapid change such as the larger involvement of a younger generation in the workforce, and the move to digital transformation and smart manufacturing.

Meeting Current and Future Requirements of the Automotive Industry

Phil Kinner, technical director of Electrolube's Coatings Division, speaks with I-Connect007's Pete Starkey about the role of conformal coatings in various applications of the automotive industry. He talks about thermal shock testing, and provides updates on their collaboration with the National Physical Lab on condensation testing.

EMS Industry Sales and Marketing: Why Strategies Vary Widely

In this article, Susan Mucha of Powell-Mucha Consulting explains why sales and marketing strategies vary widely in the EMS industry. She provides a case study of four EMS firms and their approach to the sales and marketing process.

The Business of Doing Good

This is the time of year when many people look back to what they have done so far to get a handle on goals for the coming year. Businesses also engage in the same year-end assessment, this time with greater focus on the things they have been doing right and how to improve on aspects that need more work.

Disaster Recovery Planning: What to Look for in an EMS Partner

While you're unlikely to encounter a catastrophic event in your electronics manufacturing outsourcing venture, it's nevertheless prudent to ensure that you work with an EMS partner who has the capabilities to deal with such a scenario if it should occur. So what should you look for in an EMS provider's disaster recovery policy, to ensure you're covered?

Boundary Scan Meets Functional Test

This article discusses some fundamental aspects of the combination of boundary scan and functional test, as well as new technological solutions for embedded functional tests and their practical implementation.

Rework and Repair Standard Getting Updated

The IPC-7711/21 Rework of Electronic Assemblies/Repair and Modification of Printed Boards and Electronic Assemblies is being “upreved” from version “B” to version “C” and will soon be released to the industry. This article talks about a couple of notable changes that strengthened, modernized and brought together changes from the previous “B” version, which was approved in 2007.

How to Avoid a PCB Supply Shortage During Chinese New Year

The post-Christmas blues are bad enough, but getting caught out by a PCB supply shortage due to the week-long Chinese New Year is likely to cause both you and your EMS partner significant pain. By assessing both your current and future demand, and then working closely with your PCB suppliers, EMS provider and end users, you can take a number of steps to minimize the risk to your business.

Digi ConnectCore 6UL Creates a Big Buzz at electronica

Guy Volckaerts, director for EMEA embedded sales at Digi, speaks with I-Connect007's Judy Warner about Digi’s star-of-the-show at the recent electronica event in Germany—the Digi ConnectCore 6UL—a quick, simple, feature-rich, yet very flexible system-on-module solution for OEMS and developers.

Editor's Note: Selling Success in the PCBA Industry

I am neither a salesperson nor a marketing person, but over the course of my editorial work, and through speaking to technology and systems providers in the electronics manufacturing industry, I have learned a few things when it comes to sales and marketing, namely, the importance of collaboration, positive relationships, and technical knowledge. For example, sales and marketing teams must work together to make sure deals get closed and contracts are awarded.

LA/Orange County SMTA Tech Expo a Success

On November 3, I had the pleasure of attending the LA/OC SMTA Tech Expo in Long Beach, California, and meet with chapter President Kathy Palumbo and Vice President Scott Penin, to learn more about this annual event and the chapter’s ongoing activities.

Real Time with...HKPCA & IPC Show 2016 Slideshow - Day 2

The 2016 IPC Hand Soldering World Championship was held concurrently for the first time at the International Printed Circuit & APEX South China Fair (HKPCA and IPC Show 2016) in Shenzhen, China. View the slideshow here.

My Product is Too Large and Complex to Outsource to an EMS Provider

A number of projects that struggle to get off the ground over concerns relating to size, shape or complexity can easily be outsourced – providing the project is approached in the right way. This article explains how.

Tin Whisker Mitigation Methodologies Report from SMART Group, Part 2

Since the introduction of the RoHS legislation in 2006, the threat of tin-whisker-related short circuit failure from pure tin finished components has remained a major concern within the high-reliability electronics manufacturing industry. In the second part of this two-part article series, Editor Pete Starkey concludes his review of the SMART Group's recent seminar, which is focused on tin whisker mitigation methodologies and strategies.

Solder Voiding, Autonomous Autos, and Statistics—So Much to Learn from Dr. Ron

While at the 2016 SMTA International conference and show, I had the lucky opportunity to talk with Indium Corporation’s Dr. Ron Lasky. He gave a great synopsis of the extensive testing done by Indium Corporation’s Chris Nash on solder voids, outlined in a paper co-authored by the two, which was being presented by Ron at the conference.

SMTA Tech Expo Panel Session: It Takes a Village to Discuss Proper Cleaning Solutions

An expert in cleaning processes, Barbara Kanegsberg is known as “The Cleaning Lady.” She moderated the technical session “Ask the Experts: Meeting the Challenges of Effective Cleaning, Defluxing in Southern California.” Here Barbara discusses the myriad of challenges regarding cleaning PCBs (particularly in heavily regulated California) and what transpired during the open forum technical session.

HKPCA & IPC Bring Hand-Soldering Competition World Championships to China

Helen Guo, member services director at IPC Greater China, discusses with I-Connect007's Edy Yu IPC’s activities and initiatives in China. She also discusses the upcoming International Printed Circuit and APEX South China Fair 2016, which will feature the hand-soldering competition world championship for the first time in China.

Tin Whisker Mitigation Methodologies: Report from SMART Group, Part 1

Since the introduction of the RoHS legislation in 2006, the threat of tin-whisker-related short circuit failure from pure tin finished components has remained a major concern within the high-reliability electronics manufacturing industry. In this article, Editor Pete Starkey reviews a recent seminar by the SMART Group to discuss tin whisker mitigation methodologies and strategies.

3 Reasons Why Outsourcing to an EMS Provider Can Go Wrong

A true outsourcing partnership should deliver benefits to both the OEM and the EMS provider. However, there are always risks, and sometimes outsourcing can go wrong. This article highlights three reasons why the OEM/EMS provider partnership might turn sour.

Leadership in Your Company: Something to Worry About?

Leadership is an ingredient that most feel is important, even though many find it is hard to define. Some say that you will know good leadership when you see it. In this article, Tom Borkes of The Jefferson Project discusses the role of leadership, and how it can be taught in the academia.

The Fine Art of Providing a Single Source for Fab, Assembly

Jay Rupani, president of Precision Technologies, speaks with I-Connect007's Patty Goldman about what exactly his company does, what differentiates them and why. He also talks about why having a single source for bare board manufacturing and assembly saves customers time, money and much angst.

KIC Shows Solutions to Voiding Problems via Optimized Reflow Profiling

At the recent SMTAI event, MB (Marybeth) Allen of KIC speaks with I-Connect007's Patty Goldman about her company, and discusses some of the details of her presentation titled "Optimized Reflow Profiling to Minimize Voiding".

The Hidden Costs when Outsourcing your Electronics Manufacturing

There's a lot of truth in the saying, "You get what you pay for" – so it's important not to skimp on price when selecting a partner. Equally, you need to remain competitive. So, when you're comparing quotes from EMS suppliers, how do you find the right fit for you? This article tells you how.

An EMS with a Nimble Global Footprint Makes a Big Splash at electronica

At the recent electronica trade show in Munich, Alwyn Rea, director of business development for non-automotive products at ALL CIRCUITS, a French-based EMS company, speaks with I-Connect007's Judy Warner about his company, their capabilities, and what makes them different from their competitors.

Living Up to Their Name at Alpha Assembly Solutions

At SMTAI in October, I-Connect007's Judy Warner spent some quality time with Alpha Assembly Solutions' Jason Fullerton, to discuss Alpha's innovative new products. Fullerton also discussed a paper he was presenting, which compares two lead-free, silver-free alloys in a selective soldering application.

electronica 2016 Impressions

Germany’s third-largest city, and capital of the southeastern state of Bavaria, Munich was once more host to electronica, which can justifiably claim to be the world’s leading trade fair for electronic components, systems and applications.

The Impact of Vias on PCB Assembly

Via technology has been one of the solutions to address the miniaturization and component density challenges in current electronic assemblies. However, vias are not without their own set of challenges. As per our recent survey, these include impedance matching, routing, placement of vias, minimum size limitations, aspect ratio, and the limitations for the PCB manufacturer.

Why an SLA is Central to Meeting Customer Demand

How do EMS providers overcome supply chain challenges in order to successfully meet the challenge of consistently delivering product to fluctuating customer demand? Through service level agreements (SLAs). This article explains why.

To Bake or Not to Bake: Examining the Impact of Waiving PCB Pre-Baking Prior to Assembly

Moisture plays a critical role in lead-free PCB assembly—and one process that aims to drive moisture out of the PCB is baking. In this article, Yash Sutariya explains the results of his study on the impact of waiving PCB pre-baking prior to assembly. His study includes via integrity, via life impact, via failure, and overall reliability failures.

Electrolube on Addressing Thermal Management Issues in LEDs

At the recent electronica 2016 trade show in Munich, Germany, Jade Bridges, global technical support manager of Electrolube, speaks with I-Connect007’s Pete Starkey about how they are helping customers address the thermal management challenges in electronics assemblies, including LEDs and LED assemblies.

Electrolube’s Alistair Little on Thermal Management in Automotive Electronics

At electronica 2016, Alistair Little, technical director of Electrolube’s Resins Division, sits down with Editor Pete Starkey to discuss thermal management challenges in the automotive industry, and how their resin solutions are helping customers address those high-temperature requirements.

Chintan Sutaria: CalcuQuote Aims to Disrupt EMS Quoting Status Quo

Chintan Sutaria of CalcuQuote speaks with I-Connect007's Judy Warner about what inspired him to develop CalcuQuote. He also explains how CalcuQuote supports capturing customers' requirements to coming up with labor and material costs, allocating overhead, markups, and following up with the customer.

Why Takt Time is Important, and How to Calculate It

A common misconception is that takt time relates to the overall build time, i.e., the number of man-hours put in to building a product. It doesn't; it relates to the time span required to build a product from start to finish to ensure the continual flow of finished products needed to satisfy customer demand.

How to Improve PCB Reliability

Component failure rates have steadily declined over the years to the point where non-component failure sources have become the dominant cause of failures for a PCB. If the reliability of the components is becoming a non-issue, then the only way to improve electronics further—for this article, automotive electronics—is to look at the non-component aspects of the electronics, and a significant one is the PCB.

The Taken-for-granted Via

Vias are so simple, yet they can be so complex at the same time. Designed properly, they complete a circuit. However, a poorly designed via can be a reliability nightmare. The bottom line is that, in many ways, they are the unsung hero to a circuit board, much like an offensive line is to a football team.

A Long-term Career Prospect

The next millennial in this series is Alex Johnson, an associate engineer at Saline Lectronics and who has been with the company for over two years. Even though Alex received a lot of negative information about manufacturing throughout his lifetime, his work experience in engineering has directly challenged those preconceived notions.

Increasing Reliability through Predictive Analysis

At SMTA International 2016, Joe Russeau of Precision Analytical Laboratory discusses with I-Connect007's Patty Goldman the paper he was presented, which was co-authored by Mark Northrup and Tim Estes. The paper presents early data comparing the results of two different analytical test methods to determine how well they correlate with each other as predictors of PC board cleanliness and reliability.

Is Your Manufacturing Facility Now the Weak Link?

If your manufacturing facility is the weakest link in your chain, all of the hard work put in beforehand—design, marketing, sales, purchasing—will have been wasted. This article looks at three signs your manufacturing facility could be dragging the rest of your company down, and highlights how outsourcing to an EMS provider can help.

Mentor Graphics’ PADS Platform Bridges Design and Manufacturing

At PCB West, Barry Matties spoke with Paul Musto about Mentor’s PADS environment and their introduction of scalable software tools to help design better boards, from the enterprise level down to the entry level and hobbyists. They also discussed the evolution of the design process infrastructure in North America vs. Asia, and what design engineers should focus on to increase their value.

Achieving the Smart Factory Vision

James Liu, director of Standardization and Electronics Manufacturing at the Smart Factory Institute of the China Science and Technology Automation Alliance, talks about helping small- and medium-sized companies transform their production into smart factories. He explains the challenges these companies face, and the need for a free, open interface to connect disparate electronics manufacturing equipment and systems on the factory floor.

Leadership Toward Greater Meaning

In the last decade, sustainability has moved up the priority agenda of business leaders tasked to shape their companies' goals. Strategies are now being set up to provide not only profitability and financial growth but, more importantly, ensure that the people that are involved, the communities that these companies serve, and the products that they build are actually entwined in making the world a better place.

Is Your Sales Growth Outstripping Your Current Manufacturing Capacity?

Picture the scene: you are an OEM enjoying healthy sales growth—business is booming as you win new customers and sell more to the ones you already have. However, there's just one problem – you don’t have the manufacturing capacity to accommodate your growth, whether because your factory is too small, you are lacking crucial equipment, or you simply don't have enough staff. Here's what you can do.

The Make-up of a Great Leader

Knoll Evangelista EMS Components Assembly Inc. speaks about leadership, motivation, and how great leaders navigate the challenges to bring their companies to success. He also shares his insights regarding best strategies in managing millennials.

Inspiring Others: The Key to Leadership

In an interview with SMT Magazine, Jean-Marc Peallat, vice president of global sales at Vi Technology, shares his thoughts on the role of a leader and how it differs from that of a manager. He also discusses how management has evolved over the past decade, and why inspiration is the key to leadership.

Recruiting and Maintaining a High-Quality Manufacturing Workforce

In almost all industries, the people are companies' biggest competitive advantage. This article looks at strategies to develop an effective way to recruit and retain high-quality team members in labor markets where experienced manufacturing talent is in short supply.

Industry 4.0 and the Circular Economy

There has been much written recently about Industry 4.0, and rightly so as it's a huge and far-reaching concept that will have an enormous impact on our design and manufacturing industries in the coming years. Even so, Industry 4.0 is just part of an idea that is much, much bigger; something known as the "circular economy".

Building Bridges with Cross-Cultural Teams

Understanding behavior patterns driven by the cultures of team members, having discussions about differences and similarities, and creating an environment where people are comfortable discussing their concerns can go a long way to eliminating cultural conflict and building stronger teams.

Do the High-Paid Managers in Your Organization Add Value?

The widening gap between industry need and academic preparation has an adverse effect on the ability of a company to compete in the global manufacturing marketplace—and all competitive roads in any capitalist free market business ultimately lead to a cost versus contribution analysis. This article discuss another important cost driver—the cost of management and leadership, what a company gets for that money.

New Column: Millennials in Manufacturing

New columnist Davina McDonnell will be writing on the challenges millennials face in the workplace, and the unique dynamic between millennials and the industry veterans who manage them.

Defining a Leader

One could define a leader as an individual leading a group of individuals towards a clearly defined goal. This article highlights some of the key leadership principles, such as self-evaluation, skills, knowing your employees, and setting standards by leading by example, that would help steer a company in this industry to success.

Koh Young Talks AOI Landscape and Trends

During the recent NEPCON South China tradeshow in Shenzhen, Thomas Lau, sales manager for Southeast Asia at Koh Young Technology Inc., speaks with I-Connect007's Stephen Las Marias about the challenges and developments happening in the AOI sector.

How to Successfully Manage the OEM/CEM Partnership

A successful outsourcing initiative is built on trust and communication and both partners—the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and a contract electronics manufacturer (CEM)—need to be clear on what their own roles are, in order to realize the innumerable benefits.
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