Shows
PCB ChatTom Britton and Nataliia Matsiuk on an AI Solution for PCB ManufacturingTom Britton and Nataliia Matsiuk join Geoffrey Hazelett of FreedomCAD, Matt Leary of Newgrange Design and Mike Buetow of PCEA to share work on a Department of Energy program that pair scientists with real-world industry problems.
In particular, Britton and Matsiuk are focused on developing an AI solution for the PCB manufacturing industry. Among the topics discussed are roadblocks US companies face to develop a smart factory in which AI systems communicate with equipment, and how the public solution could involve an open AI model partnership.
Recorded live on the show floor at PCB East 2025.2025-05-2611 minPCB ChatRobert Byrne of AllspiceRobert Bryne, director of marketing at Allspice.io, joins Geoffrey Hazelett of FreedomCAD, Matt Leary of Newgrange Design and Mike Buetow of PCEA to talk about the five-year-old company's GIT hardware platform that helps hardware and electrical engineers streamline hardware design reviews.
We discuss the ECAD formats that Allspice engages with, the templates used, why GitHub matters for software teams, and the company's target markets.
Recorded live on the show floor at PCB East 2025.
2025-05-2609 minPCB ChatRM 167: Meet the Press: A Conversation with PCEA President Mike BuetowToday, we’re diving deep into the world of electronics manufacturing from a unique vantage point—that of the press.
Mike Konrad's guest is someone who has spent decades at the forefront of reporting on the electronics manufacturing industry. Mike Buetow, president of the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA), has covered everything from the latest technological advancements to the biggest challenges facing manufacturers today.
If there’s a major trend shaping the industry, you can bet Mike has written about it, analyzed it, and spoken with the experts behind it.
In this episode, we’ll exp...2025-04-2556 min
Reliability MattersEpisode 167: Meet the Press: A Conversation with Journalist and PCEA President, Mike BuetowToday, we’re diving deep into the world of electronics manufacturing from a unique vantage point—that of the press. My guest today is someone who has spent decades at the forefront of reporting on the electronics manufacturing industry. Mike Buetow, editor-in-chief of Circuits Assembly magazine, has covered everything from the latest technological advancements to the biggest challenges facing manufacturers today. If there’s a major trend shaping the industry, you can bet Mike has written about it, analyzed it, and spoken with the experts behind it. Mike is also the host of his own podcast, PCB chat...2025-04-2256 min
OnTrack: The PCB Design PodcastHow PCEA is Transforming Electronics EducationDiscover how the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) is revolutionizing electronics education through innovative training programs and university partnerships. In this episode of the OnTrack Podcast, Host Zach Peterson interviews PCEA President Mike Buetow shares insights on their mission to bridge the skills gap in PCB design, their partnership with Wayne State University, and the launch of the new PCB Detroit show.
Learn about PCEA's certified training curriculum, their vision for AI in PCB design, and how they're preparing the next generation of designers. This enlightening conversation reveals how PCEA is making PCB design knowledge mo...2025-04-1755 minPCB ChatThe Semiconductor/Packaging/PCB Technology StackThis is Part 2 of a new podcast in which guest Geoffrey Leeds of Leeds AI joins Matt Leary (Newgrange Design), Geoffrey Hazelett (FreedomCAD) and Mike Buetow (PCEA) to discuss the semiconductor/packaging/PCB technology stack and what over the next two to five years will have the biggest impact on the industry at the board level.
The conversation covers heterogeneous packaging, interposers, the density scale equation, silicon to systems, die desgregation, and photonics, among others.
Part 1 discusses the supply chain situation and how the industry can adapt.
2025-01-2817 minPCB ChatThe Electronics Supply Chain and How Companies Can AdaptSupply chain issues are rearing their ugly heads -- again -- with the latest blow the decision by Nippon Denkai to close and liquidate its copper foil manufacturing plant in Georgia, the last such factory in the United States.
In Part 1 of a two part podcast, Geoffrey Leeds of Leeds AI joins Matt Leary (Newgrange Design), Geoffrey Hazelett (FreedomCAD) and Mike Buetow (PCEA) to discuss the supply chain situation and how the industry can adapt.
Part 2 covers the semiconductor/packaging/PCB technology stack.
2025-01-2520 minPCB ChatRM 136: Environmentally Responsible/Sustainable Conformal CoatingReliability Matters covered the topic of ultrathin conformal coatings back in November. We covered various conformal coating materials from traditional acrylics and silicones to ultrathin parylene coatings. What other coating materials are available? Where do these types of coatings fit within specific applications? Where do health and safety, environmental concerns, and sustainability programs fit in with a coating process?
To answer these other questions, Dr. Cassandra Zentner, VP of Health and environment at Actnano, a manufacturer of coating materials, talks with Reliability Matters host Mike Konrad.
Dr. Zentner earned a BA from Oberlin College and...2024-01-231h 04PCB ChatPCB Chat 124: Wally Rhines on the Latest PCB Design Software Market DataPrinted circuit board and multichip module design software revenue soared 24% year-over-year to a record $426 million in the third quarter 2023, according to the ESD Alliance's latest Electronic Design Market Data (EDMD) report.
ESD Alliance spokesperson Wally Rhines joins Mike Buetow to explain the latest data trends.
2024-01-1215 minPCB ChatRM 135: Zach Peterson about Board Design Best PracticesIn today's increasingly connected and digital world, PCBs are the unsung heroes that power our devices, from smartphones to spacecraft. Yet, the art and science of designing these crucial components often go unnoticed. That’s where this episode comes in.
Today, we shine a spotlight on the critical role PCBs play in modern technology and explore the best practices that drive innovation and reliability.
In this episode, Mike Konrad tries to unravel the mysteries of PCB design, tackle complex challenges, and unlock the secrets to creating high-performance, efficient, and reliable circuit boards. Whether you're a seas...2024-01-091h 13PCB ChatRM 134 -- 2023 Podcast Season Wrap-UpEpisode 134 - 2023 Podcast Season Wrap-Up
On this episode, I have no guests as this is the final episode of the Reliability Matters Podcast for the 2023 season. Instead, let's review what happened on the podcast this year. A special thanks to my guests and listeners/viewers for making this podcast so successful.
Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Reliability Matters Podcast
00:00:12 - The Electronic Assembly Industry Techniques
00:00:26 - Review of the 2023 Season
00:00:43 - Liquid Metal in Electronic Circuits
00:00:56 - Instant Solidification of Liquid Metal
00:01:14 - Counterfeit C...2023-12-2608 minPCB ChatRM 133: Novel Wireless / Wearable ESD MonitoringWe are all aware of the damage electrostatic discharge can wreak on components and electronic products. We mitigate ESD damage through various forms of monitoring. We wear wrist and heel straps, stand on ESD-safe flooring, utilize ESD workstations, and more. We even have ESD testing locations that will test a human standing on a specialized testing station. But what happens the moment that person steps off the tester?
My guests today are Dr. Daan Stevenson and Dr. Jonathan Tapson of IONA Tech, a manufacturer of a novel wearable ESD monitoring device that provides constant real-time ESD monitoring.2023-12-121h 05PCB ChatPCB Chat 123: US PCB Legislation Update with David Schild of PCBAADavid Schild is executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America. PCBAA was founded in 2021 to advance US domestic production of PCBs and base materials.
We discuss major investment announcements by US PCB companies, industry funding from the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, the need for intense engagement at every level of government, and the latest on the Protecting Printed Circuit Boards and Substrates Act of 2023.
2023-12-0630 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 122: Robert Feranec on PCB DesignRobert Feranec is a hardware designer with over 20 years’ experience in the electronics industry, and specializes in PCB design, signal integrity and high-speed digital design. In addition, he is also a self-described passionate content creator on YouTube, where he has developed a large series of help-guides for PCB design and electronics engineering. His company, FEDEVEL Academy, also provides courses on electronics design.
We talk about autorouting, simulation tools and teaching board design concepts on this edition of PCB Chat.
2023-12-0525 minPCB ChatRM 132: HZO’s Lisa Rizzo on Ultra-Thin Conformal CoatingToday we’ll dive deep into the world of conformal coating. More and more assemblies are being subjected to conformal coating to protect the assembly from harsh environments. What’s leading the drive to conformal coat electronics assemblies? What types of conformal coating options are available? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type?
For circuit assemblies, the protective embrace of conformal coatings ensures reliability, longevity, and performance. As technologies advance, so does the demand for innovative solutions to safeguard our electronic products.
Whether you're a seasoned industry professional, a curious tech enthusiast, or jus...2023-11-291h 00PCB ChatRM 131: Industry Icon Bob WillisWe are all aware of the supply chain issues our industry has faced. Beginning with electronic components, it has spread to so many other types of parts are industry relies on. Fortunately, it looks like we are beginning to come out the other end of the supply chain shortage. But the supply chain problems have further spread to the labor market. If you are in a position to hire people for your company, you know firsthand how difficult that process can be today.
Adding to the level of labor acquisition difficulties is the great “Silver Tsunami,” otherwise know...2023-11-211h 09PCB ChatPCB Chat 121: Wally Rhines on the Latest Electronics Design Software Market DataPrinted circuit board and multichip module design software revenue increased 6.3% in the second quarter to total $369 million, according to the ESD Alliance's latest Electronic Design Market Data (EDMD) report. The four-quarter moving average for PCB and MCM, which compares the most recent four quarters to the prior four, rose 11.7%.
As a whole, ESD industry revenue increased 5.3% to $3.96 billion in the second quarter from $3.76 billion in the second quarter of 2022. The four-quarter moving average rose 9.5%.
Wally Rhines joins Mike Buetow to explain the latest data trends.
2023-11-0317 minPCB ChatRM 130: Human-Centered Approaches to Innovation with Dr. Alexis AbramsonBaby Boomers are entering retirement in greater numbers. From now until 2030, 10,000 Boomers each day will hit retirement age. Millions will begin to officially retire. This is creating a terrific opportunity for young college graduates to enter our industry.
Several years ago, I was a speaker at the SMTA, Pan Pacific Strategic Electronics Symposium in Hawaii. I shared my breakfast table with a longtime colleague, Dr. Ron Lasky, a professor at Dartmouth College. Over the course of breakfast, he asked me how I got into this industry and, more specifically, how I started my company. Dr. Lasky is...2023-10-261h 03PCB ChatRM 129: Network Reliability - Avoiding Cyber-Security ThreatsThe Reliability Matters podcast is almost exclusively about reliability. Specifically, reliability of circuit assemblies. We discuss production best practices, design for manufacturing and reliability. Failure analysis, and more. We’ve reviewed the latest trends in industry 4.0, the connectivity of machine to machine and machine to management. We discussed big data and how to make all of our newly acquired data relevant and actionable. For all this to occur, our computers must function properly. They must perform the assigned tasks and communicate large sums of data.
What happens to our production line if the computers stop functioning? What wo...2023-10-111h 15PCB ChatPCB Chat 120: HDP’s Latest PCB and Solder ResearchHDP User Group is an industry consortium made up of more than 50 leading companies that collaborate on research in order to reduce cost and time to market.
Madan Jagernauth, marketing director and a project facilitator, discusses recently completed programs on low silver solder paste reliability, copper surface roughness models, the Pb-Free bare board materials project updates, and HDP's upcoming meeting in October with PCB Chat's Mike Buetow.
2023-09-1532 minPCB ChatRM 127: Phil Zarrow and Jim HallIn recent episodes, we’ve covered high-level issues, such as hiring best practices, novel, training, methods, design for manufacturing, highly accelerated, life, testing, and more. On this episode, we’re going to go back to the basics. What common problems are assemblers experiencing today? What are the basics of assembly best practices? Which problems seem to live in perpetuity?
To answer these and other questions, I’ve invited two of my favorite experts on to the show. If you’ve been in the electronics assembly industry for some amount of time, there’s little doubt you’ve heard of Phi...2023-09-1258 minPCB ChatRM 126: Moisture Mitigation Strategies with Dan Jenkins and Rob LoweryMoisture. The industrial world has been fighting moisture since the beginning of the industrial world. From a general point of view, moisture leads to issues such as
Mold and mildew
Rust
Wood rot
Damage to building materials
Microbial growth
And so much more.
In the electronics world, moisture creates a host of reliability problems including:
Popcorning
Delamination of conformal coating
Corrosion
Electrochemical migration
Adhesion degradation (such as on labels and glues)
And more.
We wanted to dive into moisture mitigation, so Mike Konrad invited two guests to discuss this very topic. Dan Jenkins is sales...2023-08-241h 00PCB ChatRM 125: DFM Best Practices with Pride Industries’ Engineering Manager Andrew WilliamsAs all of you are well aware, Reliability Matters is all about reliability, specifically reliability of circuit assemblies. One challenge that seems to be persistent within our space is design for manufacturability, or DfM. If you’re a contract manufacturer, no doubt you’ve had the experience of being asked to build a product that seems unbuildable. One example that rings true was the introduction of bottom terminated components or BTCs. BTC’s are marvelous components.
Because all the lead terminations are below the part, they permit highly dense component placement and highly miniaturized assemblies. They also presen...2023-08-081h 07PCB ChatRM 124: Dave Hillman’s Amazing 3,600 Mile Kayak Journey Down the Missouri RiverIndustry icon Dave Hillman completed a 3,600 mile solo kayak journey down the Missouri River. Mike Konrad spoke with Dave about the inspiration for the journey, insights gained over his four-month expedition, and how his experience as an engineer helped him prepare for this epic experience.
This episode features many photographs taken by Dave Hillman on his journey. The video version showing the photographs is accessible here: https://youtu.be/7bThR5FQwHI
2023-08-021h 20PCB ChatPCB Chat 119: David Schild on US Government Investment and Policy for PCB ManufacturingDavid Schild, executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA), discusses the latest government policy and legislation for printed circuit board manufacturing in the US, the roadmap for government investment, the trade group's recent annual meeting in Washington, and "exposing the flaw" in the US Defense Department's procurement process.
PCBAA was founded in 2021 to advance US domestic production of PCBs and base materials. The organization is made up of corporate members of all sizes, and includes fabricators, assemblers and suppliers.
This episode of PCB Chat is sponsored by PCB West, The Largest...2023-07-2726 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 118: Claire Wemp, Ph.D., on Thermal Interface MaterialsThermal interface materials are used for heat transfer in a variety of electronics applications.
On this episode of PCB Chat, Claire Wemp, Ph.D, a thermal applications engineer at DuPont, discusses TIM1 materials (and explains the difference between TIM1 and TIM2), when and where they are used, who specifies them, and how they work.
Wemp is also a member of the Society Women in Electronics, and in the second half of the podcast we talk about her experience in SWE, which dates to college, DuPont's role in recruiting, and how to bend the curve in...2023-07-2130 minPCB ChatRM 123: Introduction to Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) with Dr. Christopher JacksonWe all strive to build products that are reliable. If you’re listening to this podcast, chances are you are concerned about or at least interested in reliability. Where does reliability start? Who is responsible for reliability? What types of reliability testing can be performed? Mike Konrad's guest on this episode will help answer these and other reliability-based questions.
Dr. Christopher Jackson is a leader, engineer and logistic specialist who has helped many organizations work toward realizing business goals through improving the reliability of their products and processes. He is cofounder of online training company IS4, founder of...2023-07-131h 05PCB ChatPCB Chat 117: July 2023 EDA Software Market UpdateThe PCB/MCM design software market grew in the first quarter 2023, the ninth straight quarter of growth, according to the latest data from the ESD Alliance.
Mike Buetow speaks with Wally Rhines, ESD Alliance spokesperson, and Merlyn Bruncken, market intelligence director with Siemens Digital Industries, about the record quarter, booming employment in the sector, and why the recovery in Japan be lagging the rest of the world.
2023-07-1013 minPCB ChatRM 122: The Integration of AI into Inspection SystemsWhen it comes to circuit assemblies, defects result in one of two situations. The preferred result of a defect is to capture it on your factory floor and repair it before it ships to the customer. The second scenario is referred to as an escape. That’s when the board ships to the customer and fails in the field. This is a scenario, all assemblers dread and strive to prevent. One way to prevent escapes is through the use of automated inspection or AOI systems.
Mike Konrad's guests are Arif Virani, chief operating officer and cofounder of Da...2023-06-281h 09PCB ChatPCB Chat 116: John Watson on PCB Designer TrainingIt goes without saying finding talent is a big deal in electronics design and manufacturing.
John Watson is customer success manager at Altium, with more than 20 years' experience as a senior PCB designer. Watson also teaches classes on printed circuit design at Palomar Community College in San Marcos, CA.
We discuss the Printed Circuit Board Design and Advanced Printed Circuit Board Design curricula, other related courses offered at Palomar, and why he emphasizes hand routing over autorouting.
Palomar's website is palomar.edu.
Watson may be reached at jwatson@palomar.edu or 619...2023-06-1345 minPCB ChatRM 120: Making Reliability Training Entertaining and EffectiveCan reliability training be both entertaining and effective? The Manufacturing Game's Michelle Ledet Henley has a different approach to traditional training methods.
Henley has worked with The Manufacturing Game since 1998 as a developer of new simulations and training material. She has traveled worldwide in her capacity as a facilitator and trainer for The Manufacturing Game and other simulations developed by Ledet Enterprises. Henley has been instrumental in developing simulations with a focus on reliability, project management and distribution.
She began her career with KPMG Peat Marwick in San Francisco, and then worked for a real...2023-06-0159 minPCB ChatRM 119: Quantum Mechanics ExplainedMike Konrad's guest is Dr. James Whitfield. Dr. Whitfield is an associate professor of physics at Dartmouth. He earned a bachelor's of science and chemistry and mathematics from Morehouse University and a Ph.D. in chemical physics from Harvard University. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University in New York, Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology in Vienna and Gant University and Belgium, and he is currently an Amazon visiting academic.
2023-05-1158 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 115: Wally Rhines on the Latest ECAD Market DataWally Rhines, the former chairman of Mentor Graphics and now spokesperson for the ESD Alliance, updates us on the latest PCB design software and semiconductor market trends (spoiler alert: sales were up again), and addresses why ECAD companies are hiring even in the face of layoffs among Big Tech.
He is joined by Merlyn Brunken, director of marketing strategic planning at Siemens Digital Industries Software to provide the quarterly report, which showed gains across a number of sectors and geographies.
2023-05-1018 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 114: Matthias Wagner and Kerry Chayka of FluxFlux says every step of the electronic design process is slow, expensive, and error-prone. The startup company’s engineers think they have a solution: a browser-based PCB design platform and programmable simulator.
Matthias Wagner, CEO and cofounder, and Kerry Chayka, product expert, both veterans of PCB design with companies like Facebook and Apple, discuss the problems that led them to develop an all-encompassing tool that includes a programmable SPICE simulator for testing circuits with real parts and environments.
2023-04-2850 minPCB ChatRM 118: Making ’Big Data’ Useful with Intraratio’s Ryan GambleThe subjects of Industry 4.0 and Big Data have been widely discussed on this podcast. What is Industry 4.0? What data is our industry collecting? And, perhaps more importantly, how can we sift through all of that data to make it useful and actionable?
To help answer these and other data-related questions, Mike Konrad interviews Ryan Gamble, CEO and Founder of Intraratio. Intraratio is a company that provides on-premise and cloud hybrid software with platforms to track, manage, control, and automate the manufacture of advanced electronics. Intraratio serves the semiconductor, SMT, space/military, medical device and EV markets. Ryan...2023-04-261h 19PCB ChatRM 117: When Residues Cause Circuit Assemblies to FailEric Camden (lead investigator with Foresite) and Mike Konrad discuss electrochemical migration (ECM) and other failure modes caused by residues on circuit assemblies.
2023-04-1229 minPCB ChatRM 116: Supply Chain Musings with Mark Godwin of VentecOn this episode, Mike Konrad speaks with Mark Goodwin, COO of Ventec Europe, a supplier of copper-clad laminates and prepreg bonding materials for the circuit board fabrication industry, about supply chain challenges.
2023-04-0716 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 113: David Schild of the Printed Circuit Board Association of AmericaThe Printed Circuit Board Association of America, or PCBAA, was founded in 2021 to advance US domestic production of PCBs and base materials. The organization is made up of corporate members of all sizes, and includes fabricators, assemblers and suppliers.
My guest today is David Schild, executive director of the PCBAA. We discuss government investment in printed circuit board manufacturing in the US, the just announced allocation for PCBs as part of the Defense Production Act, and how innovation can't stop at design.
This episode of PCB Chat is sponsored by PCB East, the E...2023-03-3129 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 112: Vivek Bansal on VVDN’s Vertical Integration ModelVVDN Technologies is perhaps best known as a provider of end-to-end engineering and manufacturing of hardware, mechanical and electronic assemblies, and embedded software, among others. Founded in 2007, it now has 11 product engineering centers worldwide, plus seven manufacturing plants across India where its capabilities include SMT, injection molding, tooling, die casting, and metal stamping, among others.
The company in February announced plans to invest $100 million over the next five years in a new 100-acre factory in Tamil Nadu. That plant will add PCB fabrication capability, rounding out the firm's vertical integration strategy.
Vivek Bansal, co-founder and...2023-03-2317 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 111: Metallic Resources on Reclaiming Electronics SolderMetallic Resources is a developer of high purity solder for electronics applications, making paste, bar, and cored wire products, among others.
Metallic Resources’ slogan is “not your typical solder,” and one big reason for that is the high purity solder it supplies. This is credited to the company’s electrolytic refining process.
David Bao, Ph,D., director of New Product Development, Erik Ozan, senior manager and head of the recycling division, and Jeff Giles sales manager of Metallic Resources talk about that refining, reclaiming, the pros and cons of risk aversion, and why some companies are wast...2023-03-1727 minPCB ChatRM 115: Making Sense of ’Big Data’You don't have to be in the tech industry you understand importance and value of data. Industries have always collected various sets of data, first manually and, in modern times, automatically. The volume of data has historically been limited to the ability to capture and store it. Recent advances in technology have vastly increased the ability to capture and store data. The industry 4.0 movement has fueled both of desire and requirement to capture data.
We have created a "be careful what you ask for" scenario as we now are capturing data at an unprecedented rate but frequently...2023-03-1423 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 110: Steve Robinson of APCTAPCT in February completed the acquisition of Advanced Circuits, a printed circuit board fabricator located in Aurora, Colorado. The acquisition nearly doubles APCT’s annual revenue, to $200 million, which immediately thrust it to the number 2 spot among PCB fabricators in North America, behind TTM.
Steve Robinson, president and CEO of APCT, discusses the acquisition, the pending integration, and APCT's new responsibilities as one of the largest North American PCB fabricators with Mike Buetow.
This episode of PCB Chat is sponsored by PCB East, the Electronics Industry’s East Coast Conference and Trade Show. Coming...2023-03-1419 minPCB ChatRM 114: The Remarkable Return of the Post-Reflow Cleaning ProcessOn this show, we’ve discussed many aspects of the electronics assembly process. We talked about reflow, thermal management, printing, soldering materials, additives, and so much more. What do all these topics have in common? When done correctly, they all contribute to the reliability of circuit assemblies.
Today, we’re going to dive into the subject of cleaning circuit assemblies after reflow. For many assemblers, the cleaning process was replaced by the use of no clean flux technology. Time and technology have eroded the concept of allowing all residues to remain on the assembly. Today, residue caused fail...2023-03-081h 12PCB ChatRM 113: Counterfeit Component Detection with Dr. Eyal WeissWe are all aware of the “oldest profession in the world.” Perhaps the second-oldest is counterfeiting. Whenever a product is introduced, a counterfeit version soon follows. While the electronics industry has experienced counterfeit components from its inception, recent events such as the pandemic and supply chain shortages have fueled the counterfeit industry.
Statistics by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reveal that the counterfeiting of electronic parts in the US alone cost the chip industry more than $7.5 billion in revenue annually. According to new data from the ERAI, a global information board for counterfeiting, reports of counterfeit electronic prod...2023-02-091h 15PCB ChatBusiness Challenges with STI Electronics’ President David RabyThis episode was recorded live at the SMTA Pan Pacific Microelectronics Symposium in Hawaii.
David Raby is president of Madison Alabama-based STI Electronics, a contract manufacturer for the EMS industry. David worked at the family business since he was a child and eventually took over the family business when his father (and company founder) Jim Raby retired.
The electronics industry moves at the speed of light and any business within the EMS industry must learn to stay ahead of technology and trends. David shares some of his experiences in taking over the family business and...2023-02-0227 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 109: Wally Rhines on the PCB Design Software MarketOn this episode of PCB Chat we discuss the third quarter 2022 printed circuit design software market data from the ESD Alliance, which were released Jan. 23, 2023.
Our guests are Wally Rhines, who spent more than 45 years in in semiconductor and PCB design as an executive with Mentor Graphics and before that, TI; and Merlyn Brunken, whose is the longtime market intelligence director with Siemens Digital Industries, formerly Mentor.
This podcast is brought to you by PCB East, the original conference for the #electronics #design, #manufacturing and #assembly industry on the East Coast. Coming to Boxboro...2023-01-3109 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 108: Travis Kelly on Government Support of the US PCB IndustryTravis Kelly, president and chief executive of Isola and chairman of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America, joins PCB Chat host Mike Buetow to discuss the latest policy plans in support of the US printed circuit industry, and the new president of the trade group.
Kelly gives updates on HR 7677, the bill introduced last year in support of the US PCB industry, and weighs the impact of the Chips Act on similar legislation for circuit boards.
2023-01-2732 minPCB ChatRM 112: ESD Mitigation with ESD Expert Christopher AlmerasElectricity is the life blood for all circuit assemblies. It can also afflict significant damage via electrostatic discharge. Today, Christopher Almeras of Raytheon reviews the various ESD mitigation strategies as well as some ESD horror stories!
Almeras began his career in process engineering for a small electronics manufacturer in the late 1990s. There he became responsible for the sites ESD compliance verification. His next career move took him to a high-volume manufacturer where he added ESD Coordinator to his process duties. He eventually made the jump into the Military/Aerospace side of electronics manufacturing (with Raytheon) in 2010...2023-01-261h 14PCB ChatRM 111: Liquid Metal’s Potential Future in ElectronicsHistorically, circuit assemblies are rigid devices. IoT (Internet of Things) has opened up the opportunity to embed electronics into a near limitless array of form factors. Some of these form factors require the electronic assembly to be flexible such as in wearable and medical applications.
To complicate matters, the metal conductors on the assembly are rigid, not flexible or malleable. That may change with the adoption of liquid metals.
We were exposed to the concept of liquid metal in the 1991 film "Terminator 2." Will science fiction become reality?
Mike Konrad's guest is Dr. Michael...2023-01-101h 14PCB ChatRM 109: A Decade of Industry 4.0 - What it Was - What it Wasn’tIndustry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution. Beyond the buzzwords, what does this mean?
David Graham is chief technology officer of 4IR.UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Internet of Things-focused British Systems. 4IR.UK specializes in creating monitoring, control and automation solutions, often based on the MultiPlug Edge Computing Platform, for manufacturing environments. They also provide consultancy and development for other Industry 4.0 platforms.
Host Mike Konrad was intrigued by a webinar presented by David titled “A Decade of Industry 4.0 – What it Wasn’t, What it Was,” and they speak about his thoughts, experiences, and opinions of Industry...2022-12-191h 09PCB ChatPCB Chat 107: Valentina Ratner and Kyle Dumont of AllSpiceAllspice has developed a software platform that supports users of CAD tools for collaboration, design and schematic reviews and commenting, and tracking various hardware-specific attributes such as order status, manufacturing, and connection to the PLM.
Allspice CEO Valentina Ratner and CTO Kyle Dumont have extensive experience in electronics hardware and software, both with startups and some of the largest companies in the industry.
They share the origins of the company, and how their personal experience drove development of the AllSpice platform, which seeks to wean the supply chain off PDFs as a product development tool.2022-12-0728 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 106: Madan Jagernauth on the Latest HDP ProjectsHDP User Group is an industry consortium made up of more than 50 leading companies that collaborate on research in order to reduce cost and time to market.
Madan Jagernauth, marketing director and a project facilitator, discusses the latest programs, including ones on Pb-free manufacturing, with PCB Chat's Mike Buetow.
2022-12-0524 minPCB ChatRM 108: SMTA Pan Pacific Microelectronics Symposium PreviewSMTA is well known for producing high-quality relevant technical conferences and symposiums. This includes, among others, the technical conference held at SMTAI, the High Reliability Cleaning and Coating Conference, the Symposium on Counterfeit Parts and Materials, the Advanced Electronics Assembly Conference, the Wafer-Level Packaging Symposium, the Electronics in Harsh Environments conference, and the Pan Pacific Microelectronics Symposium, often referred to as Pan Pac.
Pan Pac is unique in many ways, beginning with its venue. Pan Pac is held annually at one of the Hawaian islands. This fact alone makes this symposium stand out. But there are many...2022-11-2848 minPCB ChatRM 107: IPC Validation Services & the Trusted Supplier ProgramLike most manufacturers, the electronics manufacturing industry relies on countless suppliers to fulfill its manufacturing needs. I'm quite certain there is no one within the EMS space who fabricates their own boards using materials produced in house, operates their own semiconductor foundries, designs and manufacturers their own components, and produces soldering materials for their reflow process.
Our industry relies on a vast network of manufacturers throughout the world to build even the simplest electronic assembly. Intellectual property security, cybersecurity, national security, are all hot topics today. No one wants their hard-earned intellectual property stolen. This is...2022-11-0854 minPCB ChatRM 106: A Conversation about Production AutomationIt's been said on this show that one key factor to international competitiveness is automation. While labor rates vary widely across the world, automation helps to level the field.
Michael McHale is CEO of Production Systems Automation, otherwise known as PSA. He graduated from Drexel University with a BS degree in mechanical engineering.
PSA is a privately owned engineering and custom manufacturing firm founded in 1985, with three locations in Pennsylvania. They are experienced as a turnkey systems integrator, providing solutions for capital projects including, but not limited to; flexible robotic solutions, custom automated machinery, drives...2022-10-2553 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 105: Low-Heat Solders with Ian Tevis of SAFI-Tech and Andy Mackie of IndiumLast July, Indium Corporation announced a partnership with SAFI-Tech, an Iowa-based startup that is creating no-heat and low-heat solder and metallic joining products.
They call these supercooled molten metal products, and they have direct application to electronics soldering.
Dr. Ian Tevis, SAFI-Tech’s president and co-founder, and Dr. Andy Mackie of Indium Corporation, discuss this supercooling platform and what’s next toward bringing it to market with PCEA president Mike Buetow.
2022-10-1834 minPCB ChatRM 105: Conformal Coating Material Selection Best PracticesToday we’re diving into conformal coating best practices. With the explosion of IoT, the electrification of vehicles, and the miniaturization of circuit assemblies and associated components, many of which are operating in harsh environments, the need for conformal coating has never been greater.
Coating your assemblies? Where does one start? What material should one choose? Should it be applied in-house or through a contract-coating house? What are the best practices in materials selection, application, inspection, and thickness? So many questions!
To answer these and other questions, Mike Konrad invited a conformal coating expert to sh...2022-10-181h 07PCB ChatPCB Chat 104: Wang Lu of Jove EnterprisesWang Lu is cofounder of Jove Enterprises, a China-based printed circuit fabricator with five facilities in mainland China and one pending in Thailand. She discusses the company's technical strengths and markets, and reasons for branding out to Thailand, with PCEA president Mike Buetow.
2022-09-2708 minPCB ChatRM 104: Thomas Ricciardelli on ESD FlooringModern electronics assembly has seen so many changes over the years. In today’s era of IoT, the electrification of vehicles, the explosion in the use of bottom terminated components, the increasing implementation of electronics into harsh environments have all contributed to the increasing complexity and difficulty of building electronics. While so much has changed, there are some things that have remained the same.
One such thing is the need for ESD control. There always was and continues to be the challenge of protecting components from the dangers of static electricity. My guest today is Thomas Ricciardelli, found...2022-09-2057 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 103: Stephen Chavez on Design AutomationStephen Chavez spent the past 12 years as a principal engineer and global subject matter expert of PCB design for Collins Aerospace and Raytheon. This year, he joined Siemens as a senior product marketing manager, where he focuses on methodologies for adopting a strategy for resilience and integrating the Design-to-Source Intelligence insights from Supplyframe.
He speaks with PCEA president Mike Buetow about automation in design, from autorouting to integrating component data in a timely fashion, to reduce design time.
2022-09-1328 minPCB ChatRM 103: SMT Assembly Equipment for Low-Volume ApplicationsToday, Mike Konrad talks about low-volume electronic assembly. We all know who the “big players” are when it comes to solder paste printers, pick-and-place machines, reflow ovens and other assembly equipment. But what choices does one have if they need to produce low volumes of electronic assemblies such as prototypes and other low-volume applications?
Let’s face it, most assemblers can’t justify a multi-million-dollar production line for low-volume production. One solution may be to outsource the production to a contract manufacturer but there are specific circumstances which may prevent that. In today’s episode, we’ll revie...2022-09-1355 minPCB ChatRM 102: Contract Manufacturer Selection Process Best PracticesToday, we're going to talk about contract manufacturing. Do you have a circuit assembly that needs to be built? Don’t have the equipment in-house or enough bandwidth or specialized expertise to build it? You may be best served by utilizing the services of a contract manufacturer.
Contract manufacturers come in all shapes, sizes and capabilities. Should I seek out a Tier 1 manufacturer? How about Tier 2, 3, 4? What does tier stand for anyway? should I have my assemblies built overseas or in-country? What about issues such as ITAR? Who will be providing the components? What if I need mo...2022-08-231h 11PCB ChatRM 101: The Future of US Manufacturing with IPC’s Matt KellyIt seems today, the entire world is experiencing supply chain challenges in nearly all product categories. In the electronics assembly industry, the focus has been within the semiconductor market, especially in North America. Why is this? How did the US allow this to occur? Was it shortsightedness, greed, an overreliance on foreign suppliers, other factors, or a combination of all these factors? What would it take to finally address this issue and are we doing anything about it?
My guest today is Matt Kelly, chief technologist at IPC. IPC recently published a report on the c...2022-08-0959 minPCB ChatRM 100: A 100th Episode Special (Recorded Live)This is the 100th episode of the Reliability Matters podcast! Hear clips from past episodes and messages from past guests on their views about reliability.
Mike Konrad gives a special thanks to the 117 guests he has had the privilege to learn from. Also, thank you to listeners and viewers of this podcast.
Here is a list of guests (subject matter experts in their fields) that had been on RM:
Jen Fijalkowski - Keith Bryant - Dr. David Bernard - David Kruidhof - Robert Boguski - Phil Zarrow - Jim Hall - Dr. Ron...2022-08-091h 14PCB ChatPCB Chat 102: Dr. Matthew Dyson on the Factory of the FutureReshoring has been a buzzword for a few years now. But when supply chains are undergoing dramatic disruption and inflation is raging worldwide, what is the reality?
To answer those questions and more, we are turning to Dr. Matthew Dyson, senior technology analyst at ID Tech Ex. Dr. Dyson just coauthored a white paper titled "Factory of the Future." He discusses what that looks like, explaining the key trends in industrial manufacturing -- sensors, additive manufacturing, automation and flexibility -- and the timeline for adoption with PCEA president Mike Buetow.
2022-07-2128 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 101: Brian Morrison on Smart ManufacturingIs there a broad consensus on what "smart manufacturing" is, and more specifically, its application in electronics assembly?
Brian Morrison, vice president of engineering for Vexos, a mid-tier multinational EMS with manufacturing facilities in the US, Canada, China and Vietnam and more than 900 employees worldwide, gives his take on smart manufacturing and its relationship to AI and Lean to PCEA chief content officer Chelsey Drysdale.
2022-07-1912 minPCB ChatRM 99: Graham Naisbitt on IPC Cleanliness Standard ComplianceIn late 2018, IPC shocked the electronics assembly community by introducing an amendment to section 8 of the J-STD-001G. This amendment radically changed the way industry determines cleanliness. Now, assemblers must prove their assemblies are clean enough not to experience electrochemical migration events which would cause the assembly to fail.
This new process of obtaining objective evidence has been met with a considerable degree of confusion. To help clear up the confusion, Mike Konrad speaks with Graham Naisbitt, vice chair of the IPC 5-30 Cleaning and Coating Subcommittee that oversees 15 IPC Standards Development Committees and recipient of 14 IPC S...2022-07-121h 03PCB ChatPCB Chat 100: John Burkhert Jr. on Engineering Soft SkillsJohn Burkhert Jr., senior PCB layout engineer and author of Designer’s Notebook, the monthly column on PCB design engineering, talks about the so-called soft side of engineering: people skills.
He recently posted a 1250-word piece titled There May Come a Time When PCB Design Requires People Management Skills. It struck a chord with more than a few designers and engineers, who shared similar anecdotes. He shares the story and some lessons learned over his three decades in electronics design.
This special 100th episode of PCB Chat is sponsored by PCB West, the lea...2022-07-0621 minPCB ChatRM 98: Jen Fijalkowski on Advances in Solder PastesJen Fijalkowski works for Aim Solder. Jen obtained her B.S. from the University of Rhode Island in chemical engineering and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Prior to her role as a technical marketing engineer, she interned as a SMT Process Engineer, where she analyzed various reports regarding solder paste printing and coauthored "Comparison of Aperture Designs, Solder Pastes, Nanocoatings and Print/Inspection Systems," published in PCD&F/Circuits Assembly. Jen also produces a video blog titled “Line Down” where she discusses common questions about solder paste best practices and how to avoid solder paste induced line...2022-06-3048 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 99: RIT PCB Design CurriculumThe Rochester Institute of Technology in January launched its first course on printed circuit board design.
Instruction was performed by Dr. Kirsch Mackey, an electrical engineer and head of hardware training at HaSofu.
On this episode of PCB Chat, we speak with Dr. Mackey and Dr. James Lee, acting chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology department at RIT, about the new course, what was taught, the students’ response, and the next steps for the program.
2022-06-2116 minPCB ChatRM 97: Best Practices for Purchasing X-Ray EquipmentMike Konrad speaks with four experts, not about brands or models of x-ray equipment, rather about best practices for purchasing x-ray equipment.
There are numerous manufacturers of x-ray equipment, each with multiple models with varying capabilities. Which type of x-ray equipment is right for your application (2D, 2.5D, 3D, etc)? What are the price ranges? What are the capabilities? What questions should I ask when speaking with manufacturers of x-ray equipment? How do I define my needs? How do I avoid buying too little or too much?
These and other questions are answered by our...2022-06-161h 12PCB ChatRM 96: Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall on Their New BookA couple episodes ago, Reliability Matters host Mike Konrad spoke with Dr. Ron Lasky about a couple of books he wrote. He also recommended one he didn't write: "Troubleshooting Electronic Assembly: Wisdom from the BoardTalk Crypt" by industry gurus Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall, available on Amazon (both were prior guests on this show). This episode, we’ll have a conversation with Zarrow and Hall about their book.
If you’ve been in the electronic assembly industry for some time, there’s little doubt that you have heard of Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall. Zarrow has been involv...2022-05-271h 03PCB ChatPCB Chat 98: The Cadence Allegro/ Dassault Systèmes 3DExperience IntegrationCadence and Dassault Systèmes in late February announced the combining of the former's Allegro platform with the latter's 3DExperience platform in a joint solution that enables customers to perform multidiscipline modeling, simulation and optimization of complex, connected electronic systems. The firms say this new multidisciplinary approach can accelerate customers’ end-to-end system development process while optimizing their design for performance, reliability, manufacturability, supply resilience, compliance and cost.
Today’s guests are Stéphane Declée, CEO of the Dassault Systèmes ENOVIA brand, and Michael Jackson, corporate vice president of R&D at Cadence's System, Package, Board Group....2022-05-1830 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 97: Travis Kelly on the Printed Circuit Board Association of AmericaIn early May the Printed Circuit Board Association of America held its first annual meeting, at which they shared progress on their overarching goal, which is to advance US domestic production of PCBs and base materials.
Coinciding with that meeting came an announcement from a pair of US legislators that they had introduced a bill to incentivize purchases of domestically produced PCBs as well as industry investments in factories, equipment, workforce training, and research and development.
The bill, known as the Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards Act of 2022, is aimed at helping to level the...2022-05-1117 minPCB ChatRM 95: SMTA SMT Certification Course Authors Dr. Ron Lasky and Jim HallMike Konrad speaks with Dr. Ron Lasky and Jim Hall, authors of the SMTA SMT Certification Courses (along with Phil Zarrow) about the content of these courses. He also speaks with course students, Claire Hotvedt of Indium Corp. and Tom Watson of Kimball Electronics about their experience taking the courses and the value they received.
SMTA offers two certification courses:
• SMT Processes
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
Each SMTA Certification program is a three-day offering consisting of a 1.5-day workshop on topics in SMT Processes or Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. The progr...2022-05-0947 minPCB ChatRM 94: Dr. Ron Lasky on His Many BooksDr. Ron Lasky talks about the many books he has authored on SMT processes and production efficiencies.
Dr. Ron Lasky is a Senior Technologist at Indium Corporation, as well as a Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth College, where I have twice had the privilege of speaking on the Dartmouth campus to his students. If you're like some people who view the next generation of young adults skeptically and pessimistically, I can assure you your view would quickly change after spending time with his students. Dr. Lasky has more than 30 years of experience in electronics and optoelectronics packaging a...2022-04-281h 20PCB ChatRM 93: Dr. Kunal Shah on Ni-Less ENIGKunal Shah, Ph.D., is president and chief scientist at Lilotree, a manufacturer of novel surface finishes for circuit boards. He explains the advantages of surface finishes utilizing the thinnest thickness of gold as well as Ni-Less ENIG surface finishes to Mike Konrad.
2022-04-201h 09PCB ChatPCB Chat 96: The Latest HDP Initiatives with Jack Fisher and Madan JagernauthJack Fisher is project facilitator of the High Density Packaging User Group, also known as HDP, and Madan Jagernauth is marketing director and project facilitator.
They discuss HDP's new technology direction initiative, which focuses on projects to support enabling technologies, and share details of some of those new programs.
They also invite nonmembers to their first face-to-face meeting in two years, taking place May 18-19 in Austin, TX. Nonmembers may attend the May 18 session and the facilities tour of Novacentrix.
2022-04-1222 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 95: Latest PCB ECAD Market Data with Wally RhinesOn this episode of PCB Chat we discuss the fourth quarter 2021 market numbers from the ESD Alliance, which were released the week of April 4, 2022.
Our guests are Wally Rhines, who spent more than 45 years in in semiconductor and PCB design as an executive with Mentor Graphics and before that, TI; and Merlyn Brunken, whose is the longtime market intelligence director with Siemens Digital Industries, formerly Mentor.
This podcast is brought to you by PCB East, the original conference for the #electronics #design, #manufacturing and #assembly industry on the East Coast. Coming to Marlboro, MA...2022-04-0414 minPCB ChatRM 92: IPC Apex Expo Conversations: Reflow Thermal Control / Automated Device ProgrammingRecorded at IPC Apex Expo in San Diego, Mike Konrad has conversations with two guests.
Marco Sanchez from SMT North America talks about thermal control of reflow ovens. marco.sanchez@smtna.com
Colin Harper of BPM talks about automatic device programming.
colin_harper@bpmmicro.com
2022-03-2325 minPCB ChatRM 91: Conversations from IPC APEX Expo - Inspection Systems - Contract Assembly - and Pirates!Mike Konrad talks with four guests:
Jesper Lykke from Viscom talks about inspection systems.
jesper.lykke@viscomusa.com
Greg Papandrew from Direct PCB talks about PCB buying and his new book "PCB Basics for Buyers": greg@boardbuying.com
Kevin Huo from EM Solutions talks about fast-turn contract assembly.
kevinh@emsolutionstech.com
And Michelle Ogihara from Seika USA talks about the advantages of joining trade associations.
michelle@seikausa.com
2022-03-1740 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 94: Michael Kirschner on Sustainability StandardsMichael Kirschner is president of Design Chain Associates, where he helps manufacturers understand and ensure that their products comply with health and environmental regulatory, customer and market requirements.
He has broad expertise in areas including semiconductor quality and reliability, software design and development, hardware design, development, and manufacturing as well as manufacturing processes and supplier/supply base management.
The background enables him to help manufacturers assess and improve supply chain risk, readiness and performance, and achieve (and go beyond) compliance with product-related health, environmental and social regulations like REACH, RoHS, Circular Economy and EcoDesign, WEEE...2022-03-1030 minPCB ChatRM 90: Mike Adamson on Component StorageWhile it may seem like an untimely topic given the current supply chain shortages, storage systems for electronic components are an important part of the electronic assembly industry. While we are still in the midst of a supply chain crisis, sooner or later this will be solved and the question of where to put all of our components will be waiting for us to answer. It's often said we don't have time to work on the important because we're so busy working on the urgent.
Mike Konrad's guest is Mike Adamson, product manager for Inovaxe, a provider...2022-02-2447 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 93: Mack Technologies on EMS Manufacturing in MexicoMack Technologies is one of the largest privately held US-based EMS companies. It recently moved into a 164,000 sq. ft. facility in Juarez, effectively doubling its footprint there.
President Will Kendall and VP of operations, Juarez Oscar Gonzalez speak with PCB Chat host Mike Buetow on the demand behind the expansion, the local employment situation, and moving product over the US-Mexico border.
2022-02-1432 min
P.C.E.A Kiukenda PodcastAVAILABLE FOR THE SERVICE OF GOD || 2ND Service || PCEA KIUKENDA CHURCHAVAILABLE FOR THE SERVICE OF GOD || 2ND Service || PCEA KIUKENDA CHURCH by The Very Rev. Mwamba2022-02-1436 minP.C.E.A Kiukenda PodcastAVAILABLE FOR THE SERVICE OF GOD || 1st Service || PCEA KIUKENDA CHURCHAVAILABLE FOR THE SERVICE OF GOD || 1st Service || PCEA KIUKENDA CHURCH by the Very Rev. Mwamba2022-02-1340 minPCB ChatRM 89: Tombstoning Mitigation with Tony LentzTombstoning is a reflow issue causing components to stand up, creating opens. FCT Solder's Tony Lentz discusses the causes and mitigation techniques to illuminate tombstoning.
Tony Lentz has worked in the electronics industry since 1994. He entered the industry as a process engineer at a circuit board manufacturer and worked there for 5 years. Since 1999, Tony has worked for FCT Companies as a chemical laboratory manager, production facility manager, and most recently a field application engineer. Since 2013, Tony has focused on field application and R&D for FCT Assembly solder and stencil products.
Tony has extensive experience i...2022-02-0851 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 92: Dr. James Lee and Chris Banton on RIT’s PCB Design CurriculumIn January Rochester Institute of Technology launched a hands-on program focused on printed circuit board design. The first offering is one the first true PCB design classes available at a major university in the US to be taught by an experienced design engineer.
Dr. James Lee (pictured), acting chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology department at RIT, and Chris Banton, director of marketing at EMA Design Automation, join Mike Buetow to explain the new program.
2022-02-0321 minPCB ChatRM 88: Indium’s Brian O’Leary on Electric VehiclesOne of my favorite subjects is the electrification of automobiles, not just electric cars, which are with us now, but completely autonomous vehicles., says Mike Konrad. In the 1960s, we were promised flying cars by the year 2000. While that goal was not met, the real prospect of autonomous vehicles in our lifetime is extremely exciting, terrifying, and realistic.
Brian Leary and Mike Konrad discuss the future of the automobile industry and what's required for the electronics industry and the world.
2022-01-281h 05PCB ChatPCB Chat 91: Wally Rhines on the Latest ECAD Software TrendsWally Rhines, ex chairman of Mentor and spokesperson for the ESD Alliance, joins PCB Chat host Mike Buetow to discuss the latest data for the printed circuit board and semiconductor design software market. Led by big gains in analysis and physical design, PCB tools turned in another solid quarter. Rhines shares the data, along with observations on key end-markets and why electric vehicle designs are sometimes misunderstood.
2022-01-1914 minP.C.E.A Kiukenda Podcast2ND Service 16/1/2022 || Ev. Peter Wamae || PCEA KIUKENDA CHURCH2ND Service 16/1/2022 || Ev. Peter Wamae || PCEA KIUKENDA CHURCH:Sermon scriptures: Isaiah 50:4-9John 13:21-32Scripture Sentence : Haggai 1:52022-01-1642 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 90: Travis Kelly on the PCBAAIn July 2021, in response to two decades of a declining US market, a group of printed circuit board fabricators and suppliers established the Printed Circuit Board Association of America, or PCBAA.
The organization seeks market fairness and a level playing field on which US PCB manufacturers can compete against competitors subsidized by foreign governments.
Travis Kelly, president and chief executive of Isola, the materials developer, and chairman of the PCBAA, joins PCB Chat host Mike Buetow to discuss the new consortium's outlook and strategy.
2022-01-1322 minPCB ChatRM 84: Christopher Frederickson on Solder Paste InspectionToday, we discuss Fit for Use solder paste inspection. As we've repeated several times on this show, it is said most reliability problems begin at the printer. Our industry utilizes a lot of materials in order to produce a circuit assembly. If the materials, specifically the solder paste is out of spec, that can affect reliability. Unfortunately, in most cases, one cannot simply open a jar of solder paste and easily determine visually if the solder paste their applying to the stencil is fit for use, or if it has gone bad, or is out of spec.
...2021-12-1654 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 89: College Training Programs for ElectronicsLorain County Community College, located in northeast Ohio, about 30 miles west of Cleveland, became in 2018 the first community college to offer an applied bachelor’s in microelectronic manufacturing. And a year ago, it formed the Manufacturing Electronics & Rework Institute for Training, or MERIT, which the hands-on training lab. Last spring, the program graduated its first students.
Johnny Vanderford, the director of MERIT and an assistant professor of MEMS at LCCC, and Courtney Tenhover, program developer, Engineering, Business, and Information Technologies, join Mike Buetow to discuss how industry companies shape the program curriculum and its potential for adoption by...2021-12-1046 minPCB ChatPCB Chat 88: HDP Users Group UpdateLarry Marcanti, executive director of the High Density Packaging User Group (HDP), and Madan Jagernauth, marketing director and project facilitator, talk with Mike Buetow about the trade consortium's recent semiannual meeting and its recently finished projects, including one for SIR.
HDP (hdpusergroup.org) is a consortium of more than 50 global companies that conceives and runs projects on electronics packaging and reliability. It has completed more than 50 such projects over the course of its 25 years.
2021-12-0122 minPCB ChatC2C 12: Smart Splice Cofounder Larry WelkLarry Welk is co-owner of Smart Splice. Larry is a business owner with a history of working in the electrical and electronic manufacturing industry. Skilled in sales, business management, business development, business process improvement, and sales management, Larry says he obtained a Master's degree from the school of hard knocks. After getting knocked down, he says he always focused on learning and getting back up again, a valuable lesson we can all learn from!
Mike Konrad talks to Larry about his “up and down” journey and learn what knocked him down and, more importantly, what his inspiration and...2021-12-011h 07PCB ChatRM 83: Thermal Management Expert Miles MoreauMiles Moreau, KIC’s general manager, has been with KIC for nearly three decades. He draws his deep and rich expertise from managing multiple business units across four continents spanning operations, field service, and sales and marketing channels. His expertise is in thermal management and that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about today.
We’ve discussed how to profile a board on this show. Today, we’re going to talk about profiling an oven and a wave soldering machine, and how, when done correctly, may reduce the number of times one has to attach thermocoup...2021-11-2443 min
The African tour train TalesThe Presbyterian church of East Africa (PCEA)We are back in Kenya and Today’s focus is on the Presbyterian Church of East Africa PCEA for short, we are looking at how the movement started in Kenya. The Reverend Musa Gitau is a very well-known name in Kenya, especially in religious circles. He was among the first few African pastors to be ordained in 1926 under the Presbyterian Church. There are churches and schools named after him in Kikuyu and Dagoretti area. This church’s history begins with a business company who were setting up trade in East Africa and one of their members saw it fit to s...2021-09-1904 min
P.C.E.A Kiukenda PodcastEaster Message || Eld. Mbabu ||PCEA Kiukenda Church PodcastEaster Message || Eld. Mbabu ||PCEA Kiukenda Church Podcast2021-03-3119 min
P.C.E.A Kiukenda PodcastPCEA Kiukenda Podcast Intro V1.1PCEA Kiukenda Podcast Intro V1.12020-12-0600 min