Emerging Themes: Day 2 Coverage of productronica 2019

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Day two at productronica, and the themes emerge: 5G, high-speed, low-loss, and new formulations. These were the catchphrases of the materials suppliers. It is clear from all the conversations that designers and board specifiers need to learn all they can about the new materials emerging on the market.

The equipment makers are engaging in that same conversation with new capital equipment that either provides additional capabilities to support these new materials, or data collection and reporting via the Industry 4.0 protocols, or both. Wet process equipment continues to move toward the realization of the digital factory and the “lot size of one," with systems that adjust the parameters as needed, automatically.

CAM providers are chipping away at the work process walls that have traditionally existed between design and CAM, as well as knocking holes in the hand-off to fabrication to assembly. New software features and applications are aimed squarely at taking the drudgery out of the operation, finally letting the computers do what they do well.

Chemistry providers had news to share, as well. Atotech announced the addition-through-acquisition of the Via King graphite-based product to the portfolio. And not to be left out at all, solder mask and conformal coatings suppliers talked about environmental extreme protection, application accuracy, and efficiency.

It becomes very clear, after day two that the digitalization of the electronics manufacturing factory is the most effective path to increased profitability.

Enjoy the photos from Wednesday’s productronica show floor. We’ll continue to bring you quick coverage throughout the rest of the week from Messe München and the productronica exposition.

05/26/2023 | Barry Matties, I-Connect007

David Thomas, master IPC trainer at EPTAC, says that the more you understand the work and technology that go into your processes and products, the better you can serve your customers. That includes knowing the basics.

04/27/2023 | Chris Wall, technical director, Electra Polymers

Ever since liquid photoimageable solder masks (LPISMs) were introduced, their UV exposure speed has been a key factor in their performance. The LPISM is coated onto the PCB, dried, and then selectively exposed with UV light via a phototool, or more recently, via direct imaging using LED or lasers. The exposed areas polymerise and become insoluble in the developing solution. The polymerisation is initiated by one or more chemicals called photoinitiators, which are components of the LPISM.

03/16/2023 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007

Widely believed to be the traditional Centre of England, Meriden was a popular venue for a gathering of the UK printed circuit community this month. They braved the forecast of heavy snow for the Institute of Circuit Technology’s annual general meeting to learn about current developments and challenges in a thought-provoking technical seminar and to network with industry peers and contemporaries. Thankfully, the forecasted heavy snowfall did not reach Meriden until after the event; we only had a few flurries, although the weather caused considerable disruption elsewhere in the country.