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

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Last week was IPC APEX EXPO 2024 in Anaheim, California. There were more than 400 exhibitors, many displaying impressive equipment, and five full days of committee meetings, personal development courses, technical presentations, and special technical sessions. For those of us still recovering, suffice it to say that it was a full week.

I had the privilege of doing over 20 Real Time With… IPC APEX EXPO 2024 video interviews and want to express gratitude to my interviewees, who were both interesting to talk to and patient with the process. Another highlight for me was talking to young engineers and other professionals at the show, some of whom took on the mantle of guest editor in our interview booth.

In case you missed the show this year or simply want to revisit some of the highlights, be sure to catch our Show & Tell 2024 issue coming soon.

For my must-read picks of the week, I’m highlighting Parker Capers, a young professional seeking employment, solid counsel from Dan Beaulieu on what your post-show plan should look like, more information and insight on “chiplets” and the need for secure data transfer standards from columnist Preeya Kuray, as well as Matt Stevenson’s design for reality wisdom. It’s a reminder to download one of our newest e-books (there are several) that you do not want to miss if you are an assembler.

It’s Only Common Sense: Here’s What To Do After IPC APEX EXPO 2024
Published April 15

Dan Beaulieu never disappoints in dispensing some valuable pearls for the business masses. In this column, he cautions us not to move on too quickly from IPC APEX EXPO upon returning home. The real work of the show is just beginning, and it all starts with following up (immediately). Of course, you are tracking the business you get that can be attributed back to the show for ROI, but Dan also reminds us to assess “true value” by accurately tracking our expenses and looking at the things that may not directly lead to a P.O. but that make our companies better. Take a moment to remind yourself of the post-show best practices and 2025 show planning we should all be doing.

Material Insight: The Importance of Standards for the Chip Packaging Industry
Published April 12

I seem to be mentioning “chips,” “chiplets,” and “packaging” a lot in my articles of late. On its face, it is PCB adjacent at best, but in reality, it informs everything we will be doing—including choosing whether to participate in next-gen technology. Preeya Kuray’s column covering her takeaways from the NIST CHIPS R&D Chiplets Technical Standards Workshop (a mouthful, as event titles go) is worth a few moments of your time. She discusses the benefits of system in package (SiP), which includes greater flexibility and faster time to market, and highlights that the most pressing issue that was covered was the need to create standards for safe data sharing.

Connect the Dots: Designing for Reality: Prioritizing Manufacturability
Published April 11

In my mind, this article is a great companion to the podcast of the same name. Matt Stevenson starts out by stating simple reality: “PCB manufacturing is the physical manifestation of a digital design, and to design manufacturable boards, it’s important to understand how they are produced.” He moves on to highlight the critical importance of automation and software to the PCB designer, choosing the right CAD tools, and anticipating the inevitable variation between the different PCB fabricators you will work with.

Seeking Employment: Meet Parker Capers
Published April 18

Having a college student son myself, I appreciate our Seeking Employment series. This week, we invite you to meet Charlie Capers. He recently graduated from DeVry with a degree in information technology and cybersecurity. An SMT legacy “kid,” having worked for his father’s company for many years prior to his graduation, Parker says he knows manufacturing and would love to take a cybersecurity position in a small- to medium-sized manufacturing company. “Every industry needs cybersecurity,” he says, and cites the human factor as every company’s weak link when it comes to falling prey to cybersecurity threats.

I-Connect007 Adds to Technical Library With Book on Factory Analytics by Cogiscan
Published April 3

Technically, this article is from the week before last, but I will use IPC APEX EXPO (for the last time) as an excuse. If you have not yet seen it, you owe it to yourself to check out our latest book, The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to Factory Analytics: Unlocking Efficiency Through Data Insights. This book by Julie Cliche-Dubois is a must-read for assemblers. In his recommendation of the book, Jason Sciberras, president of Saline Lectronics, said, “I would recommend that any data-driven engineers focused on taking their manufacturing operations to the next level read this book.” In short, don’t download it if you are not interested in taking your operations to the next level.