-
-
News
News Highlights
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueLearning to Speak ‘Fab’
Our expert contributors clear up many of the miscommunication problems between PCB designers and their fab and assembly stakeholders. As you will see, a little extra planning early in the design cycle can go a long way toward maintaining open lines of communication with the fab and assembly folks.
Training New Designers
Where will we find the next generation of PCB designers and design engineers? Once we locate them, how will we train and educate them? What will PCB designers of the future need to master to deal with tomorrow’s technology?
The Designer of the Future
Our expert contributors peer into their crystal balls and offer their thoughts on the designers and design engineers of tomorrow, and what their jobs will look like.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
February 14, 2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 2 minutes

Show season is upon us. Recently, Marcy LaRont and I attended DesignCon’s 30th anniversary show, and the expo floor was packed for almost the entire time. Show managers went all out, hosting a welcome party that included a rocking DJ. Much of the event revolved around AI and how to implement it. Is your company utilizing AI now?
Some of the engineers I met with have attended every DesignCon over the past 30 years, which is a great testimonial to the show’s longevity. Coming soon, we are headed to IPC APEX EXPO (the 25th anniversary of that event) and PCB East. You can look here for the industry’s best show coverage.
I’m featuring an abundance of articles from the past week, covering everything from DesignCon presentations to the benefits of volunteering for an IPC committee. If you’ve ever thought about joining a relevant committee, IPC is always looking for “new blood.”
See you again in a few weeks!
Here’s Looking at You, Kid
Published February 13
We’re in the middle of a PCB designer shortage, and it’s likely to get worse before it gets better. We need thousands of young PCB designers and design engineers. Where are we going to find them, and how are we going to train them when we do find them? We asked design instructors Kris Moyer and John Watson to weigh in, and, as usual, they had plenty of great ideas.
Facing the Future: The Evolution of the North American PCB Industry
Published February 12
Prashant Patel, the founder of Alpha Circuit, is one of our newest columnists. He brings us a great overview of the evolution of the North American PCB industry. As he points out, despite the shrinking number of board shops here, this region has quite a few positive things going for it, with resilience and reinvention topping the list.
Happy Holden: How I Became an Engineer
Published February 11
Somehow, I always thought that Happy Holden came from a family of scientists. But as Happy explains in this interview with Marcy LaRont, his father was a dairy farmer, and his mother was a chemist on the Manhattan Project. He’s always an interesting interview. Check it out.
Managing Energy Flow with Proper Stackup Design
Published February 13
Managing a PCB’s energy flow can be a delicate dance, and the stackup can play a big role here. In this interview, Dan Beeker recaps his DesignCon presentation, explaining how thoughtful stackup design can help designers conduct energy where they want it to go, and away from where they don’t want it.
The Secret Value of Committee Work
Published February 12
If you’ve always wondered what happens in IPC committees, you won’t want to miss this interview with Teresa Rowe, the head of standards and practices at IPC. Teresa explains the “secret value” of volunteering to work on these committees; as she says, “standards committee work is not for everyone,” but it might be just what you’re looking for.
Suggested Items
Calling All Designers: The Latest Design Technology and AI
03/20/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineAdvanced design technology and AI were in the spotlight at the annual Design Town Hall, held March 19 during IPC APEX EXPO 2025. Speakers included IPC’s Peter Tranitz, Matt Kelly, Devan Iyer, as well as a panel on the use of AI in PCB design moderated by Susan Kayesar of Siemens.
Phil Zarrow Scheduled to Host SMT Bootcamp at BEST Inc. on May 19-20
03/17/2025 | BEST Inc.BEST Inc., a leader in electronic component services, training, and products is pleased to announce it will host a two-day SMT Bootcamp course taught by industry veteran Phil Zarrow.
Zhen Ding Reported Its Operating Results for the Full Year of 2024, Expecting AI Applications to Drive Growth in 2025
03/17/2025 | Zhen Ding TechnologyZhen Ding Technology Holding Limited, a global leading PCB manufacturer, hosted an investor conference and announced its consolidated financial results for the full year of 2024.
Technica USA and CBT Introducing TiTAN Hybrid at IPC APEX EXPO 2025
03/18/2025 | Technica USAThe wait is over! Technica and CBT are proud to unveil TiTAN Hybrid, a groundbreaking innovation set to redefine the PCB industry. Designed for unmatched performance, efficiency, and adaptability, this cutting-edge laser imaging technology brings the future to you—today.
Punching Out: Fewer Than 150 PCB Shops Remain in North America
03/20/2025 | Tom Kastner -- Column: Punching Out!According to GP Ventures’ database, the number of printed circuit board manufacturing companies in North America (including Canada), is now below 150. In 2020, it was around 200, and in 2022, it was 170. These figures do not include companies that only import or assemble boards. Please note that we are counting PCB companies and not facilities, so TTM Technologies counts as one, Summit as one, AdvancedPCB as one, etc. The total number of facilities is probably higher by around 30.