Reliability Assessment of No-clean and Water-soluble Solder Pastes, Part II

Twenty-five years ago, solder paste residues had to be cleaned after reflow due to their corrosive nature: two ways of cleaning were available, either with solvent or by using water, with or without detergent. Now, the assembly world is mainly no-clean: paste formulation is safer in terms of chemical reliability and process costs are reduced without cleaning.

A Conversation (and Day) with Joe Fjelstad, Part 2

In Part 2 of this multi-part interview series, Verdant Electronics Founder and CEO Joe Fjelstad, and I-Connect007 Publisher Barry Matties discuss the future of what’s to come for the electronics industry, which, according to Fjelstad, has a lot to do with where we’ve just been in our quest for lead-free manufacturing. He also offers his view on the natural order of the evolution of personal political persuasions.

A Conversation (and Day) with Joe Fjelstad, Part 1

I-Connect007 Publisher Barry Matties and industry veteran Joe Fjelstad, CEO and founder of Verdant Electronics, met recently to spend a day together enjoying the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum (home of the Spruce Goose), located in the Oregon community of McMinnville. Their conversation ebbed and flowed between a wide variety of topics, from the electronics industry, to political shenanigans and the “war against failure.” In Part 1 of this multi-part series, Fjelstad introduces his “war against failure” idea, and what went terribly wrong in the advent of lead-free manufacturing.

Zentech: Expanding EMS Solutions and Supporting Innovation

Zentech CEO and President Matt Turpin sat down with I-Connect007 Publisher Barry Matties recently for a wide-ranging discussion of the state of both domestic and global manufacturing, and Zentech’s recent acquisition that will significantly expand the company’s capabilities. They also focused on supply chain issues, automation, regulations, and the importance of STEM education in the U.S.

Zentech’s John Vaughan on the Mil/Aero Sector: “It’s Headed Up”

I-Connect007 Publisher Barry Matties and Zentech’s John Vaughan had a chance to discuss industry concerns within the mil/aero segment at IPC APEX EXPO 2015. The two also shared thoughts on the space industry, and Vaughan detailed Zentech’s involvement with National Manufacturing Day, a nationwide effort focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) that simultaneously brought high school students together with 1,600 manufacturing companies from around the U.S.

UTC Aerospace Systems’ Lead PCB Designer Presents at Designer Day

I-Connect007 Guest Editor Kelly Dack sat down with Stephen V. Chavez, lead electrical designer for UTC Aerospace Systems, at IPC APEX EXPO Designer Day, to discuss Chavez’s presentation at the event. Chavez, who provides leadership to a global team of PCB designers, spoke on the importance of workplace communication with international teams.

Insitu: Moving Mountains in a Mountain Community

Nearly 800 employees build and support Insitu’s UAS line of ScanEagles, Integrators and ground stations. Boeing’s cameras captured the first images inside of Insitu’s new production facility, Eagle Point. Watch the video for a peek inside and learn more about where high-tech meets mountain height.

IPC's 2015 Technology Roadmap for the Electronics Industry

The 2015 edition of IPC's International Technology Roadmap for Electronic Interconnections is newly launched. Jack Fisher and Marc Carter explain what goes into putting it together, and how engineers and managers can use it to give an operational perspective on trends and developments in the next 2-5 years.

Multek CTO Excited About the Challenges of the Fast-Moving Wearables Market

I-Connect007 Publisher Barry Matties and recently-appointed Multek CTO Dr. Joan Vrtis sat down at IPC APEX EXPO to discuss the rapidly evolving wearables market, especially for medical, and the myriad questions that must be addressed. Other topics include Multek’s contribution to the wearables industry and what it sees as the main challenges to putting their circuits into various applications.

Quality Assurance Through Testing

The PCB Magazine columnist Todd Kolmodin of Gardien Services discusses the challenges related to the electrical testing of high-density PCBs, and what is required to meet IPC and military specifications.

Japan’s Thermosetting Plastics Association Represents at IPC APEX EXPO 2015

At the International Reception, held opening night of IPC APEX EXPO 2015, I-Connect Technical Editor Pete Starkey made the rounds and found some visitors from Japan, namely, Kazutaka Masaoka, from Thermosetting Plastics Association (JTPIA). In this brief interview conducted amongst the reception attendees, Masaoka-san and Starkey discuss Japanese vs. North American circuit board quality and business trends.

Ready to Hire! Blackfox Provides IPC Class 3 Training to Veterans

I-Connect007 Publisher Barry Matties caught up with Al Dill, president and CEO of Blackfox Training Institute, for an in-depth discussion on Blackfox's expansion plans for North America (Tempe, Arizona and Guadalajara, Mexico) and Malaysia (Penang). Dill also describes the highly successful veteran’s training program, which is being spearheaded at the Blackfox headquarters in Longmont, Colorado.

Ingredients for Success at All Flex

Dave Becker from All Flex talks with guest editor Kelly Dack about the five Keys for success in PCB manufacturing, It’s not just the technology! You have to spend time on corporate culture. The five key ingredients are…

Drive a Car? You Can Fly a Typhoon!

The EIPC conference delegates see Eurofighter assembly at Airbus Defence and Space. The major attraction was the opportunity to see the final assembly line for Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft destined for the German Air Force. Editor Pete Starkey has a post-show review.

Enhancing Thermal Performance in Embedded Computing for Ruggedized Military and Avionics Applications

Embedded computing systems used in many military and avionics applications are trending toward higher heat fluxes, and as a result performance is being hindered by thermal limitations. This article outlines a series of passive thermal improvements that are easily integrated into legacy systems and can provide a 3-4x increase in dissipated power.

Rockwell Collins’ New RSR Transforms Customer Devices for Military

Rockwell Collins’ new Remote Secure Receiver, which was recently ordered by the Battlefield Airmen Office of the Air Force Special Operations Command, is the first of its kind and features the world’s smallest, lowest power, protected, secure and trusted military Selected Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) GPS solution.

GD Digital Modular Quadruples Navy Network Comm Capacity

Built using open architecture standards, the DMR radios will continue to provide improved functionality and interoperability while accommodating next-generation communications waveforms like MUOS, the Integrated Waveform and future advanced network communications waveforms.

CES 2015: Preview and Predictions

Looking back over the last five years of CES and analyzing predictions and items featured by the large exhibitors, you'd likely assume the 2015 show would feature more advanced 3D TVs, as they were predicted to take over the market...wrong!

A Conversation with Canice Chung, TTM Technologies

We had the opportunity to sit down with Canice Chung, Executive Vice President of TTM Technologies, Inc. to discuss the current trends and challenges of PCB Manufacturing in China.

I-Connect007 Announces Exclusive Interview

"As you can imagine, we are quite excited about this opportunity. It's not every day you get a chance to speak with an American legend," said I-Connect007 Publisher Steve Gold. "We are honored that he accepted our invitation."

Blackfox Trains Veterans for Good Manufacturing Jobs

Blackfox Training Institute has been training manufacturing technologists for over 20 years. Based in Longmont, Colorado, Blackfox is now focused on helping veterans of our armed services transition into good jobs in the manufacturing sector. During IPC APEX EXPO 2020, Editor Nolan Johnson spoke with Blackfox CEO Al Dill about the company's veteran training programs, and how this effort is helping companies fill jobs that might otherwise go unfilled.

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

This week’s news gave off every indicator that we’ve started a new calendar year. The news channels were busy with changes in leadership—both corporate and governmental—and changes in ownership. Changes in representation, too. Honestly, it was hard to sort out the news to just five top items. Be that as it may, here are five things we think you ought to read, even if you read nothing else about the electronics manufacturing industry this week: tradeshow coverage, strategic acquisitions, market discussion, and governmental advocacy.

IPC APEX EXPO 2022 Show & Tell Magazine Available Now

Welcome to the 2022 edition of Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2022 Show & Tell Magazine! Inside the industry’s only publication dedicated to in-depth coverage of IPC APEX EXPO, readers will find compelling interviews with award winners, show notes from our technical staff, thoughts from emerging engineers, photos capturing the excitement of exhibitors and attendees to be back in person, and much more.

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

There is, increasingly, a sense of returning to “normal” daily life where I live. Of the state’s population, 35% have been immunized against coronavirus as of this week. Lockdowns are lifted, schools have partially reopened, and even some offices are staffing back up.

IPC APEX EXPO 2022: Focus on PCB Design

IPC APEX EXPO is just around the corner. I recently spoke with Patrick Crawford, manager of design standards and related industry programs for IPC, about the design events at the upcoming IPC APEX EXPO, including a PCB design competition. Patrick explains what PCB designers should expect by attending the show and points out the need for more young designers and engineers to volunteer with IPC Design.

Blackfox Adapts, Improves Through Pandemic

The pandemic disrupted businesses around the globe, but many have learned to adapt and even improve their existing processes. Andy Shaughnessy recently spoke with Jamie Noland of Blackfox Training Institute about some of the lessons learned from COVID-19 and how the company has adapted and developed new ways of training its students.