-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueLevel Up Your Design Skills
This month, our contributors discuss the PCB design classes available at IPC APEX EXPO 2024. As they explain, these courses cover everything from the basics of design through avoiding over-constraining high-speed boards, and so much more!
Opportunities and Challenges
In this issue, our expert contributors discuss the many opportunities and challenges in the PCB design community, and what can be done to grow the numbers of PCB designers—and design instructors.
Embedded Design Techniques
Our expert contributors provide the knowledge this month that designers need to be aware of to make intelligent, educated decisions about embedded design. Many design and manufacturing hurdles can trip up designers who are new to this technology.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
Trilogy Circuits: Mil/Aero Demands Technological, Regulatory Expertise
August 7, 2017 | Andy Shaughnessy, PCBDesign007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
In the 16 years since its founding, Trilogy Circuits has become one of the go-to companies for mil/aero PCB design and manufacturing. I spoke with Charlie Capers, president and founder of the Richardson, Texas firm, about how he keeps ahead of the game. As he explains, succeeding with mil/aero PCB work requires not only mastery of the technological side, but of the regulations and certifications as well.
Andy Shaughnessy: Charlie, why don’t you start out with a little background on Trilogy Circuits. How much of your business today is military and aerospace?
Charlie Capers: Trilogy started as a PCB design service bureau in 2001 and then expanded into a full-service EMS company in 2004, specializing in military and government applications. Roughly 60–75% of our business is some type of government project.
Shaughnessy: I understand that your circuit boards end up in some pretty interesting military applications.
Capers: True. Some of our customers provide very vague descriptions of what a certain product does, while others will share more details. It helps us develop a more robust product if we have some idea about the operating conditions and environment the product will be used in. We design and manufacture some interesting systems for major players in the military and aerospace sector.
Shaughnessy: In our recent mil/aero survey, some people said that keeping up with changing regulations is one of the toughest parts of the job. What are we up to now? ITAR, NIST, AS9100…and a new AS9100 rev is coming.
Capers: This is one of the most complex areas when dealing with government contractors. ITAR registration with the State Department is a given these days and requires a lot of training and awareness when dealing with sensitive information. Compliance to a new cybersecurity mandate will be required by the end of 2017, which includes DFARS 252.204-7012 and NIST SP 800-171. These impose heightened security safeguards and mandatory reporting requirements and subcontractor flow-downs on DoD contractors handling Covered Defense Information (CDI). AS9100 Rev D is here, and any audits conducted after June 15, 2017 will have to be to the revision D standard. Revision D takes this registration to a whole new complexity level. Transition audits must be completed by September 15, 2018. Revision C certificates will become invalid after that date.
To read this entire interview, which appeared in the July 2017 issue of The PCB Design Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
Cicor Records Solid Growth in Q1
04/16/2024 | CicorThe Cicor Group continued to grow in the first three months of the year. Quarterly sales increased by 11.8% to CHF 107.3 million compared to the first quarter of the previous year (Q1/2023: CHF 96.0 million).
TT Electronics Awarded Contract with Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace
04/11/2024 | TT ElectronicsTT Electronics, a leading provider of global manufacturing solutions and engineered technologies, announced today that its Fairford UK business has been awarded a new contract with long-standing customer Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace (Kongsberg) for the production of complex cable harness solutions.
Cicor Successfully Completes Acquisition of TT Electronics IoT Solutions Ltd.
04/03/2024 | CicorThe Cicor Group has successfully completed the acquisition of TT Electronics IoT Solutions Ltd. with three production sites in the UK and China.
Absolute EMS Successfully Recertifies ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100 Standards
03/26/2024 | Absolute EMS, Inc.Absolute EMS, Inc., an award-winning EMS provider of turnkey contract manufacturing services, is proud to announce the successful recertification of its ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100 Rev D SAE International Aerospace Standards.
Arlon EMC Receives IPC-4101 QPL Recertification
03/20/2024 | Arlon Electronic MaterialsArlon Electronic Materials has successfully completed an intensive two-day recertification audit by IPC Validation Services that examined Arlon’s manufacturing processes and testing procedures to assure that they are in conformance to the requirements of IPC-4101E-WAM1, the Specification for Base Materials for Rigid and Multilayer Printed Boards.