iNEMI Managing Director: New, Disruptive Technology on the Horizon
Dr. Haley Fu, managing director of Asia Pacific for iNEMI, and Publisher Barry Matties spoke recently. Fu gave her overview of the last eight years with iNEMI along with her opinion of what the most significant changes have been, globally and for the Asia market in particular. She predicts that in the future, the PCB will probably adopt optical architectures instead of copper, because using copper for the trace means that the land space and the property will not satisfy the future high-speed data transport rate.
A Look at Saki’s Approach to 2D, 3D and X-ray Technology
At NEPCON 2015, I-Connect007 Publisher Barry Matties sat down with Nori Koike, COO of Saki Japan, to discuss the latest demands for 3D and their approach to inspection. With more than 20 years of experience, they have built a line-up of tools that covers the inspection spectrum. Koike also stresses the importance of using inspection data as a tool to improve and automate the process.
A Conversation (and Day) with Joe Fjelstad Part 3
In Part 3 of this interview series, Fjelstad divulges his interesting entry into the electronics manufacturing industry, including a brief diversion as a restaurateur. In this portion of the interview, the pair was touring the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum (home of the Spruce Goose) where Fjelstad spoke frankly about his experience in Vietnam and how it has shaped his view about war, which he shares. Finally, the importance of education was discussed, as well as India, and why the rest of the manufacturing world should be paying attention to them.
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.
NEPCON China Showcases Latest Manufacturing Tech in Asia
Considered Asia's biggest, most influential SMT and electronics manufacturing event, NEPCON China 2015 attracted over 450 leading brands from 22 countries, who are showcasing this week the latest electronics manufacturing technologies and products across an exhibition area of 25,000 sqm. I-Connect007 is on hand again this year covering this event with exclusive interviews and photos from the show floor.
High-Density Packaging User Group Update
Jack Fisher tells Guest Editor Steve Williams all about the high density packaging (HDP) user group. An active consortia, with members from all parts of the supply chain, the group has 25-30 active projects with 10 completed per year. Jack further elaborates on their optical interconnect project, as phase 1 nears completion.
Atotech’s Uwe Hauf’s View of the Global Electronics Manufacturing Market
Uwe Hauf, VP of electronics for Atotech, and I-Connect007 Publisher Barry Matties sat down at CPCA 2015 for an illuminating discussion of the global market—what’s happening now, what is going to happen tomorrow, and a few things that won’t happen for at least 10 years, according to Hauf.
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.
Unemployment Rate Slightly Changed at 5.7% in January
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 257,000 in January, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 5.7%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in retail trade, construction, health care, financial activities, and manufacturing.
NOTE's 2014 Sales Up 6% Despite Weaker Sales in Q4
"In 2014, we advanced against the competition on a fairly stable European market. We regard our sales performance in Q4 as a temporary decrease, our strong order backlog at year-end indicates a positive volume performance in 2015," says NOTE President and CEO Peter Laveson.
Optomec Partners with Ceradrop MGI Group
“Ceradrop has both leading-edge technology and global expertise in printed electronics and smart 3D printing, which make it an ideal partner for Optomec,” said Mike Kardos, Director of International Sales at Optomec. “We are looking forward to working with Ceradrop to expand our European marketing network for Aerosol Jet.”
N.A. PCB Business Growth Flat in 2014
"PCB business in North America was virtually flat in 2014 compared to the previous year," said IPC's Sharon Starr. "Sales ended the year less than one percentage point below 2013, while orders finished the year just 0.6% above 2013. Strong orders in the fourth quarter have kept the book-to-bill ratio solidly in positive territory, which bodes well for sales growth in 2015."
Sanmina: Automation in Production Lines
With so much discussion about the increasing amount of automation in the world of electronics assembly Editor Richard Ayes asked Gelston Howell, senior VP at Sanmina, to provide perspective on the state of manufacturing automation. Howell discusses the current state of automated electronics assembly systems, the inherent risks and challenges, and the future of robotics in manufacturing.
NAMM 2014: A Report from Dan Feinberg
Columnist Dan Feinberg writes, "I keep two goals in mind when visiting NAMM, and one of them is, of course, looking to see how technology influences the music industry. After all, those of us who have spent our lives in the tech industry are always interested in looking back at where we've been and looking forward to where we're going."
Automotive Electronics Take Center Stage at CES 2014
One would normally expect the likes of Intel, Sharp, Samsung, and Huawei to take the spotlight at the world's largest consumer electronics show or perhaps some new company bringing a creative invention to the market, but it seems today the car was front and center, providing innovation, connectivity, and real solutions that offer real improvement to the user experience.
