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Beyond the Rulebook
What happens when the rule book is no longer useful, or worse, was never written in the first place? In today’s fast-moving electronics landscape, we’re increasingly asked to design and build what has no precedent, no proven path, and no tidy checklist to follow. This is where “Design for Invention” begins.
March Madness
From the growing role of AI in design tools to the challenge of managing cumulative tolerances, these articles in this issue examine the technical details, design choices, and manufacturing considerations that determine whether a board works as intended.
Looking Forward to APEX EXPO 2026
I-Connect007 Magazine previews APEX EXPO 2026, covering everything from the show floor to the technical conference. For PCB designers, we move past the dreaded auto-router and spotlight AI design tools that actually matter.
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Sustainability Takes Center Stage in ‘On the Line With… Isola’ Podcast, Episode 3
March 25, 2026 | I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
I-Connect007 announces the release of Episode 3 of the podcast series On the Line With…Isola, titled “The Green Circuit—Sustainability in PCB Manufacturing.” In this installment of PCB Materials: The Backbone and Future of Electronics, host Marcy LaRont speaks with Isola CTO Kirk Thompson about the growing role sustainability is playing in shaping the next generation of PCB materials and manufacturing processes.
As electronics manufacturing places greater emphasis on environmental responsibility and product circularity, the PCB’s base material is becoming central to the sustainability discussion. Thompson introduces the idea of the “green circuit,” exploring how advances in materials science and engineering can reduce environmental impact across the PCB lifecycle.
The conversation touches on key factors influencing sustainable PCB production, including the energy required to process different materials, copper waste during fabrication, and the demand for materials with lower VOC emissions. Thompson also discusses halogen-free materials, PFAS considerations, and design strategies, such as reducing unnecessary board layers to support cleaner, more sustainable electronics manufacturing.
LaRont says, “Our listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how sustainability initiatives are influencing PCB material development and what design and manufacturing teams should consider as they work toward greener electronics.”
PCB Materials: The Backbone and Future of Electronics can be heard on Apple, Spotify or at I-Connect007.
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Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
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04/23/2026 | Real Time with... APEX EXPOExplore advanced PCB fabrication materials with Insulectro's Dain Hertsgaard and Gabriel Zepeda. This interview covers Arlon's innovative polyimide and epoxy solutions, including low-flow options for flex materials and high-performance materials for HDI applications; Qnity's polyimide films for demanding environments, and DuPont Interra's capacitance films for enhanced reliability. Insulectro offers comprehensive service and a commitment to advancing circuit technology
A Mic, a Tiny Cam, and the Show Floor: The Story Behind 'Take the Mic!'
04/23/2026 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamI-Connect007’s Take the Mic! program at APEX EXPO 2026 in Anaheim is proving to be a must-watch feature for this year’s event coverage, as we invited company representatives to participate in a sponsored conversation about their businesses and products in a whole new way: in front of a camera at their booths. While our managing editors and guest editors were conducting slightly longer Real Time With… APEX EXPO interviews in our booth, three staff members and guests acted as roaming reporters, conducting short, prearranged interviews with several companies exhibiting on the show floor.
Target Condition: When Design Outpaces Manufacturing
04/23/2026 | Kelly Dack -- Column: Target ConditionMost PCB designers already understand why design for manufacturing (DFM) matters. If a product can’t be built reliably, repeatedly, and at a price anyone will actually pay, it’s dead on arrival. You may have the most elegant schematic and layout ever drawn in a CAD tool, but if the PCB suppliers can’t make it, or the EMS sources refuse to quote it, you may well be considered more of a Nutty Professor or well-meaning inventor than a PCB designer.
AGC's Advanced PCB Material Solutions
04/17/2026 | Real Time with... APEX EXPOAGC's line includes advanced PCB materials for critical industries such as aerospace, defense, and medical. This interview highlights their commitment to North American sourcing, offering solutions to today's challenges. AGC provides specialized automotive PCB materials including fastRise, a low-loss non-reinforced prepreg designed for high-frequency applications like 77 GHz radar.
What’s Next for PCB Materials? I-Connect007 Podcast Series Turns to Supply Chain Resilience
04/16/2026 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamI-Connect007 continues its six-part podcast series with Isola experts titled, PCB Materials: The Backbone and Future of Electronics, with the release of Episode 5, which shifts focus to one of the industry’s most urgent challenges: supply chain resilience.