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

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We’re driving headlong into 2022, and there’s a lot going on in the world of PCB design, fabrication, and assembly. It’s trade show season now. IPC APEX EXPO starts in less than two weeks, and we’re all getting ready for what is, for many, the first trade show in years. Do you know where you put your business cards after your last show in 2020? I keep half a box of biz cards in my glove compartment; I’m not going to make that mistake again.

Trade shows are well represented in this week’s Top Five, along with news about a new Isola eBook on advanced materials and an article on the Factory of the Future. I imagine you’ll find more information about high-performance materials and the Smart Factory at IPC APEX EXPO.

I hope to see you all in San Diego, but if you can’t make it, check in with I-Connect007 throughout the week for the latest show updates.

New Book From Isola Highlights Importance of Material Selection
Published January 13

The latest I-007eBook, The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... High Performance Materials, authored by Isola’s Michael Gay, provides PCB designers and design engineers with guidelines for selecting the proper advanced material for each application. This free eBook can help you weave your way through the maze of available high-performance materials available now.

CES 2022: Half Virtual, Still Valuable, and Here’s Why
Published January 13

Consumer Editor Dan Feinberg has been covering the changing technology at CES for over a decade. But this year, Dan is covering the show virtually, and apparently, about half of the usual attendees also decided to log into the show instead of traveling to Las Vegas. Still, as Dan explains in this post-show review, there was plenty of innovation on display at this year’s CES.

AltiumLive 2022 CONNECT Announces European Summit Dates
Published January 13

Altium has announced the dates for its European AltiumLive event, February 2-4, 2022. Taking place one week after its U.S. counterpart, the European Summit will also be a virtual affair, with tracks including Design Principles and Practices; Simulation, Test & Measurement; Supply Chain; Manufacturing, and classes devoted to Altium tools. Registration for the European AltiumLive is open now.

Making the Most of a Smart Factory Initiative
Published January 11

In this conversation from the January issue of SMT007 Magazine, Editor Nolan Johnson speaks with Koh Young’s Joel Scutchfield about the company’s focus on the Smart Factory Initiative. They also discuss trends in the global market, including artificial intelligence, predictive maintenance, and data analytics. 

Happy Holden’s Five Must-Reads of 2021
Published January 10

As we entered 2022, we asked Happy Holden to review the articles that we published last year and pick his Top Five. Always up for a challenge, Happy went through our 2021 offerings and named his five favorites, along with his criteria for selecting them. We hope you enjoy this insight into the kind of articles that Happy finds interesting.

03/23/2023 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007

On the Wednesday of IPC APEX EXPO week, IPC President and CEO Dr. John W. Mitchell stylishly delivered his keynote address, “Fire Your Hiring Habits!” to a packed ballroom full of round tables all immaculately laid for a sit-down lunch. Announced by IPC Hall-of-Famer Joe O’Neil with a Rolling Stones track in the background, Mitchell’s presentation, subtitled “Finding and keeping the best talent is fundamental to building electronics better,” offered relevant and valuable guidance on understanding human nature and how this knowledge can help you find and keep the right individuals for your organisation.

03/22/2023 | John W. Mitchell, IPC

What goes down must also come up. This is not the idiom we’re used to hearing, but I’d like to apply it to IPC APEX EXPO 2023. After a few years of lower attendance numbers due to the COVID pandemic, 2023 ushered in a re-invigorated group of attendees, exhibitors, speakers, event contractors, and staff to the show floor and meeting rooms. IPC APEX EXPO 2023 was fueled by the possibilities of new advances in electronics manufacturing.

03/21/2023 | Christopher Bonsell, Chemcut

This year, I had the great opportunity to come to IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego as a contributing member in Chemcut’s booth. Being an exhibitor is always interesting because you never know what you will learn or who you will meet. Truly, it seems that every IPC APEX EXPO is an eye-opening experience. This was the second show I attended, and last year I was amazed to see how in-depth and interconnected the electronics industry is. Seeing how many different companies contribute to manufacturing today’s core technology never fails to impress me.