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

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

We may be post-Labor Day, but it is still hot-hot-hot here in the great state of Arizona—much like our news cycles, which have continued to snap, crackle, and pop with eye-raising headlines over this past week.

In broader global tech news this week, AI and tariff-type restrictions continues to dominate with NVIDIA raising its voice against U.S. lawmakers pushing chip restrictions, ASML investing in a Dutch AI start-up company to the tune of $1.5 billion, and the UAE joining the ranks of the U.S. and China in embracing “open source” with their technology in hopes of accelerating their AI position. There’s also the 475 South Korean workers detained at a Hyundai plant in Georgia and Amazon’s big announcement raising eyebrows among Prime customers (and certainly indicating that no one is too big to avoid the pinch being felt in this challenging global business environment).

Closer to home this week, Dan Feinberg wrote a tribute to the late Walt Custer, who we lost just a couple of weeks ago—a lovely tribute to a wonderful man, colleague, and friend.  Summit Interconnect announced Leo LaCroix as its new COO. The September issue of SMT007 Magazine is focused on India as a global business region for electronics manufacturing with several excellent articles within its pages, but I especially enjoyed Nolan Johnson’s interview with David Bergman on the history of the Global Electronics Association in India.

Hitting on the areas of both sustainability and advanced manufacturing, Japanese additive manufacturing company Elephantech was chosen to participate in an important program for Japan around fostering green business. Finally, IEC’s Shawn Stone talks about closing the loop on PCB etchant, something I hope we will all be able to do in our shops at some point.

Have a great Friday and a great weekend!

Dan Feinberg on Walt Custer: Remembering an Extraordinary Business Associate and Friend
Published September 9

We were all saddened to hear of the passing of industry icon Walt Custer last week. It says something about a person when multiple individuals come forth with a personal tribute about that person. With Walt, this should be no surprise. Dan Feinberg penned this moving tribute to the great man, “Throughout his involvement in the electronics industry, Walt was known as a visionary, a walking database, a mentor to countless individuals, and a steadfast friend.” Yes, he certainly was. 

Summit Interconnect Announces Appointment of Leo LaCroix as Chief Operating Officer
Published September 9

Leo LaCroix has assumed the position of COO for Summit Interconnect, replacing Sean Patterson, who departed the U.S. printed circuit board company a few months ago. Having been with the company for a year, CEO Shane Whiteside said, “Leo has made a tremendous impact on Summit. His disciplined operational improvements and ability to drive alignment across functions have strengthened both our business performance and our culture.” Read on to learn more, and stay tuned for an exclusive interview with Leo.

Building Electronics Excellence in India
Published September 9

Be sure to check out the September issue of SMT007 Magazine, which focuses on the growth of the electronics industry in India. From first partnering with the India Printed Circuits Association (IPCA) in 2007, David Bergman led the growth of the Global Electronics Association’s journey in India. His own journey was one of getting to know and develop this dynamic and critical global business region for the electronics industry.

Elephantech Selected for NEDO’s Deep-Tech Startups Support Program in the Green Transformation field
Published September 9

With sustainability and advanced packaging on my mind, companies doing amazing things in that space are of great interest to me. Elephantech was in the news this week, having been selected for participation in Japan’s Demonstration Development of Mass Production (DMP) program toward green (sustainable) transformation. Their SustainaCircuits metal inkjet system is being heralded as a “low-carbon PCB solution,” as the company works to develop its equipment and copper nano-ink and primer into efficiencies appropriate for mass production.

Closing the Loop on PCB Etching Waste
Published September 9

I’m highlighting an article from the August issue of PCB007 Magazine on Schweitzer Engineering Labs. It is a little-known fact, but I started out early in my PCB career in environmental compliance in California when environmental regulations were coming out in droves. I even got a Hazardous Waste Management professional certification one summer from UC Davis, so “Closing the Loop on PCB Etching Waste” sounds great to me. It is certainly a critical area in our operations. Shawn Stone of IEC says, “As the PCB industry continues its push toward greener, more cost-efficient operations, Sigma Engineering’s Mecer System offers a comprehensive solution to two of the industry’s most persistent pain points: etchant consumption and rinse water waste.”