-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueBox Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
Boost Your Sales
Every part of your business can be evaluated as a process, including your sales funnel. Optimizing your selling process requires a coordinated effort between marketing and sales. In this issue, industry experts in marketing and sales offer their best advice on how to boost your sales efforts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Printed Circuit Boards: Past the Lobby and Onto the Floor
August 8, 2022 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
Editor’s note: This interview was conducted on July 6, 2022. At the time of our discussion with U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah), House Resolution 7677 (HR 7677) had been introduced to Congress, comprised of an investment program and a tax credit for purchasers of printed circuit boards. In our interview, we discussed details about both key sections. On July 7, an amendment to HR 7677 was published, in which the tax credit portion of the bill had been removed. This interview has been edited to remove the tax credit-specific sections of the conversation.
There has not been a time in recent memory when the U.S. legislative body is putting as much focus on the microelectronics industries. One bill, the CHIPS Act, was signed into law last year. A new bill introduced this year seeks to allocate funding for printed circuit board fabrication. In this exclusive interview, our team spoke with Travis Kelly, CEO of Isola Group and president of the Printed Circuit Board Association, and U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah), who has co-sponsored the bill now before the House. Travis and Blake both express optimism about onshoring domestic production, but the realities of the legislative calendar may pose some risks.
If you would like your voice to be heard, reach out to your U.S. legislators, or visit one of the associations mentioned in this interview: PCBAA, IPC, or USPAE. Each is lobbying on your behalf.
Nolan Johnson: Thank you, Travis and Rep. Moore, for joining this conversation regarding the Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards (SAPCB) Act of 2022. Our readership is the electronics manufacturing sector that designs, manufactures, and assembles those printed circuit boards, so this legislation is near and dear to their hearts and wallets. We’re delighted to have you here. Would you provide some background on the genesis of this proposed legislation?
Travis Kelly: As you know, the printed circuit board industry in the United States has gone from roughly 2,000 companies down to 145, which is very draconian in terms of the overall resiliency of that domestic supply base. We are constantly looking at the different levels of competition within the industry; ultimately, we need to level the playing field. In some cases, the U.S. printed circuit board fabricators and assemblers are actually competing against countries, not companies. This means competing against foreign subsidies in terms of some of the competition that arises. We want to level the playing field so that the U.S. domestic industry, as it relates to microelectronics, is not only resilient and sustainable but also secure. HR 7677, supporting American-made PCBs, is important to the overall health of the domestic industry.
Rep. Blake Moore: As I work throughout my district, I haven’t seen anything more consistent. In my role, I’ll interact with leaders from car dealerships to manufacturing operations. I was just at a meeting this morning where the topic was the dire need for chips. They told me they’re having to pay more than what they had built their cost models on, and they are desperately in need of product. I’ve never seen something so ubiquitous across our economy that needs this big family of semiconductor capability. We need to shore up our supply chain; it’s tied directly to national security and my distrust of Chinese-made products. I believe legislation like this will help onshore production and will address the supply chain issues regarding national security.
Passing this legislation will show industries that we know they’re working hard but it’s virtually impossible to do the job that they need to do at scale. I’m in contact with a company right now that manufactures sensors for weather-related issues and builds predictive models for numerous government agencies. They can’t do their job because they can’t even get access to this material. This is where we can step in and help. We shape the legislation, as Travis mentioned.
Johnson: Is it fair to say that the primary objective of this legislation is to both level the playing field and increase availability in the supply chain?
Moore: For me, the primary objective is about what’s important long term. We know we have ceded so much of our manufacturing capability to adversarial nations. Looking at the big picture means pulling that back and using those opportunities of scale to build back that network in the U.S. better. I want to bolster domestic printed circuit board production, while strengthening supply chains. We must complement semiconductor incentives by encouraging domestic PCB manufacturing and addressing the acute need to reduce supply chain disruptions.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the August 2022 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Looking Back, Looking Forward With IEC
04/19/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOIEC came to the RTW booth and discussed both the legacy of IEC's past and the vision for its future. Industry veteran Bruno Ferri highlighted his quarter-century tenure in the industry and with IEC since its founding. He still exhibits boundless enthusiasm for the industry. Brando Stone, a young professional and a future face of IEC, talked about IEC's plans going forward and his experience at this year's IPC APEX EXPO.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
04/19/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineFor my must-read picks of the week, I’m highlighting Parker Capers, a young professional seeking employment, solid counsel from Dan Beaulieu on what your post-show plan should look like, more information and insight on “chiplets” and the need for secure data transfer standards from columnist Preeya Kuray, as well as Matt Stevenson’s design for reality wisdom. It’s a reminder to download one of our newest books (there are several) you don't want to miss if you are an assembler.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Exploring IPC's PCB Design Courses with Kris Moyer
04/18/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOGuest Editor Kelly Dack and IPC instructor Kris Moyer discuss IPC's PCB design training and education offerings. They delve into course topics such as design fundamentals, mil/aero, rigid-flex, RF design, and advanced design concepts. They also highlight material selection for high-speed design, thermal management, and dissipation techniques. The interview wraps up with details about how to access these courses online.
IPC Bestows Posthumous Hall of Fame Award to Industry Icon Michael Ford
04/18/2024 | IPCIPC honored the late Michael Ford, Aegis Software, for his extraordinary contributions to the global electronics manufacturing industry with the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Award at IPC APEX EXPO 2024. IPC’s most prestigious honor, the Hall of Fame Award is given to individuals who have provided exceptional service and advancement to IPC and the electronics industry. Ford, an industry leader and valued IPC volunteer, died suddenly in January 2024.
Two Industry Rising Stars Recognized at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
04/17/2024 | IPCTwo of the industry’s best and brightest were presented with an IPC Rising Star Award at IPC APEX EXPO 2024 in recognition of their leadership roles and support of IPC standards, education, advocacy, and solutions to industry challenges. Award recipients were Naim Kapadia and Michael Schleicher.