I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
October 23, 2020 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
After a crazy year like this, we shouldn’t be surprised that this trade show season is unlike any other. Here’s one of the many “silver linings” of 2020: We actually dodged a bullet earlier this year when COVID-19 hit after most of our industry’s big events had taken place.
Now, it’s October. The first completely virtual show season is underway, and everyone involved in show management is getting on-the-job training. And overall, despite a few glitches here and there, these events have been about as good as a virtual show can be. We can’t be together in person, but we can watch classes online and chat with other attendees.
If you’re one of these unsung heroes who have helped make a virtual show a reality, hats off to you. Putting a virtual show together—one that can be viewed on every possible OS and device around the globe—is a monumental task. But our industry is nothing if not creative.
In this week’s top five, we have an assortment of trade show and conference news items, plus a few examples of technological trends and innovation. Next week, Nolan Johnson will bring you his top five picks.
EIPC Technical Snapshot: Automotive Technology
Published October 19
Pete Starkey has been covering EIPC events in person for years, but this year, he has quickly morphed into our most prolific virtual event journalist. He recently reviewed an EIPC webinar that focused on automotive technology, with sessions by Lenora Clark of ESI Automotive and EIPC President Alun Morgan, covering everything from HDI design tips to the latest in thermal management.
Koh Young Joins IPC-DPMX Consortium to Further Enable Smart Factory Automation
Published October 21
There has been a lot of activity in the standards arena lately. IPC combined the IPC-DPMX design data transfer standard with its Connected Factory Exchange (CFX) manufacturing standard, which is designed to offer data exchange from design through assembly. Koh Young joined the IPC-DPMX Consortium, and the company plans to continue implementing Industry 4.0 processes.
Sign up for Mentor’s North American User2User Event November 10
Published October 22
User groups must go on. And Mentor, a Siemens Business, is holding its annual User2User conference in North America on November 10 and in Europe on December 1. For their virtual U2U events, Mentor has developed quite an agenda, with eight tracks for each show. If this proves to be a solid format, I imagine that some of these user group meetings may continue on as virtual events after 2020.
Insulectro Opens Shop With All-New Printed Electronics E-Commerce Site
Published October 20
Printed electronics has been the “next big thing” for years, but it has been slow in gaining ground. Well, the times are a-changing. Insulectro launched an e-commerce site dedicated solely to printed electronics. Customers can order conductive inks and pastes, as well as advanced substrates and films. Is 2021 the year for printed electronics?
Real Time with… AltiumLive 2020: Early Communication Key to Success of OSV Project
Published October 21
In this video interview, I spoke with Rob Cooke, director of engineering at Calumet Electronics, about his panel at AltiumLive that focused on the Open Source Ventilator (OSV) Project. He described how he worked with Dugan Karnazes of Velocity Research and Chris Denney of Worthington Assembly to field ventilator PCBs in a matter of weeks. He also explained how other engineers could achieve similar results with time-sensitive projects in the future.
Suggested Items
Book Excerpt: The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to... Factory Analytics
04/24/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamIn our fast-changing, deeply competitive, and margin-tight industry, factory analytics can be the key to unlocking untapped improvements to guarantee a thriving business. On top of that, electronics manufacturers are facing a tremendous burden to do more with less. If you don't already have a copy of this book, what follows is an excerpt from the introduction chapter of 'The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to... Factory Analytics: Unlocking Efficiency Through Data Insights' to whet your appetite.
Listen Up! The Intricacies of PCB Drilling Detailed in New Podcast Episode
04/25/2024 | I-Connect007In episode 5 of the podcast series, On the Line With: Designing for Reality, Nolan Johnson and Matt Stevenson continue down the manufacturing process, this time focusing on the post-lamination drilling process for PCBs. Matt and Nolan delve into the intricacies of the PCB drilling process, highlighting the importance of hole quality, drill parameters, and design optimization to ensure smooth manufacturing. The conversation covers topics such as drill bit sizes, aspect ratios, vias, challenges in drilling, and ways to enhance efficiency in the drilling department.
Elevating PCB Design Engineering With IPC Programs
04/24/2024 | Cory Blaylock, IPCIn a monumental stride for the electronics manufacturing industry, IPC has successfully championed the recognition of the PCB Design Engineer as an official occupation by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This pivotal achievement not only underscores the critical role of PCB design engineers within the technology landscape, but also marks the beginning of a transformative journey toward nurturing a robust, skilled workforce ready to propel our industry into the future.
Winner of The Science Show Rakett 69 Receives Incap Scholarship
04/24/2024 | IncapThe winner of the Rakett 69 science show, Andri Türkson, who stood out as an electronics enthusiast, received a scholarship from Incap Estonia, along with an internship opportunity in Saaremaa.
Alternative Manufacturing Inc. Awarded QML Requalification to IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610
04/24/2024 | IPCIPC's Validation Services Program has awarded an IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 Qualified Manufacturers Listing (QML) requalification to Alternative Manufacturing Inc (AMI).