It feels like the first day of school. It’s September, and we’re all officially back at our desks, workstations, or kitchen tables. Even Les Vacances is over. Oui, c’est vrai! 

But instead of facing new teachers, we have to deal with diverse market forces, supply chain issues, and technology that never seems to stop evolving. Of course, that’s what makes this industry so interesting, isn’t it?

This week we highlight some news from industry organizations, an update on the CHIPS Act, and a few columns that focus on failures and what we can learn from them. As Dan Beaulieu points out, failure is an important part of succeeding in the long run, and our industry needs to stop being so “failure-phobic.” 

Hold on to your hats, folks. It’s going to be a busy fall! See you in a few weeks.

IPC APEX EXPO 2023 Offers New Courses, New Instructors, and IPC E-Textiles Published September 9

Today, registration opened for IPC APEX EXPO 2023 in San Diego, slated for Jan. 21–26, 2023. Co-located with the IPC E-Textiles conference on Jan. 23, 2023, the theme for the show is “Advances in a New Era.” The event will feature conference tracks for PCB design, fabrication, and assembly, and we’ll see the return of the PCB design competition as well.

This marks the last IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego for a few years; the show will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2024 through 2026.

Will Marsh: CHIPS Act Update Published September 6

In one of the few bipartisan efforts to take place in Washington lately, the CHIPS Act was voted through Congress and signed into law by the president. Color me skeptical, but what happens after this whole Kumbaya vibe has faded and it’s time to get to work? Editor Nolan Johnson asks PCBAA President Will Marsh to explain what’s next for this endeavor, and Will fills us in on details of the Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards Act of 2022 as well.

It’s Only Common Sense: It’s Time to Fail Published September 5 Columnist Dan Beaulieu had a great piece this week on the importance of failing, and being able to learn from our failures. Too often, this industry places a premium on succeeding right now, on the first attempt, and woe to those who suffer a snafu or two along the way. Dan takes a look at some of the failures suffered by people who are now household names, including Henry Ford, Jerry Seinfeld, and Michael Jordan. My favorite MJ story: He missed 9,000 shots in his career.

EIPC Technical Snapshot Webinar Published September 7

In keeping with the back-to-school theme, EIPC is offering a Technical Snapshot Webinar on Sept. 14 at 15:00 CET. Moderated by EIPC President Alun Morgan, the webinar features four 15-minute presentations, followed by a Q&A session. It’s free to EIPC members and only 50 euros for non-members. Don’t be tardy.

X-Rayted Files: My Favorite BGA Assembly Ever, Part 3 Published September 7

In his latest column, Bill Cardoso discusses his “favorite BGA assembly ever.” As he points out, it’s not his fave because it worked wonderfully; on the contrary, it has so many defects that it’s a perfect illustration of the problems he encounters in BGA assembly every day. Do you have a similar “favorite” PCB project that failed so badly that it’s a textbook example of what not to do?

It feels like the first day of school. It’s September, and we’re all officially back at our desks, workstations, or kitchen tables. Even Les Vacances is over. Oui, c’est vrai! 

But instead of facing new teachers, we have to deal with diverse market forces, supply chain issues, and technology that never seems to stop evolving. Of course, that’s what makes this industry so interesting, isn’t it?

This week we highlight some news from industry organizations, an update on the CHIPS Act, and a few columns that focus on failures and what we can learn from them. As Dan Beaulieu points out, failure is an important part of succeeding in the long run, and our industry needs to stop being so “failure-phobic.” 

Hold on to your hats, folks. It’s going to be a busy fall! See you in a few weeks.

IPC APEX EXPO 2023 Offers New Courses, New Instructors, and IPC E-Textiles Published September 9

Today, registration opened for IPC APEX EXPO 2023 in San Diego, slated for Jan. 21–26, 2023. Co-located with the IPC E-Textiles conference on Jan. 23, 2023, the theme for the show is “Advances in a New Era.” The event will feature conference tracks for PCB design, fabrication, and assembly, and we’ll see the return of the PCB design competition as well.

This marks the last IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego for a few years; the show will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2024 through 2026.

Will Marsh: CHIPS Act Update Published September 6

In one of the few bipartisan efforts to take place in Washington lately, the CHIPS Act was voted through Congress and signed into law by the president. Color me skeptical, but what happens after this whole Kumbaya vibe has faded and it’s time to get to work? Editor Nolan Johnson asks PCBAA President Will Marsh to explain what’s next for this endeavor, and Will fills us in on details of the Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards Act of 2022 as well.

It’s Only Common Sense: It’s Time to Fail Published September 5 Columnist Dan Beaulieu had a great piece this week on the importance of failing, and being able to learn from our failures. Too often, this industry places a premium on succeeding right now, on the first attempt, and woe to those who suffer a snafu or two along the way. Dan takes a look at some of the failures suffered by people who are now household names, including Henry Ford, Jerry Seinfeld, and Michael Jordan. My favorite MJ story: He missed 9,000 shots in his career.

EIPC Technical Snapshot Webinar Published September 7

In keeping with the back-to-school theme, EIPC is offering a Technical Snapshot Webinar on Sept. 14 at 15:00 CET. Moderated by EIPC President Alun Morgan, the webinar features four 15-minute presentations, followed by a Q&A session. It’s free to EIPC members and only 50 euros for non-members. Don’t be tardy.

X-Rayted Files: My Favorite BGA Assembly Ever, Part 3 Published September 7

In his latest column, Bill Cardoso discusses his “favorite BGA assembly ever.” As he points out, it’s not his fave because it worked wonderfully; on the contrary, it has so many defects that it’s a perfect illustration of the problems he encounters in BGA assembly every day. Do you have a similar “favorite” PCB project that failed so badly that it’s a textbook example of what not to do?

White Paper: With the move from low-mix to high mix-manufacturing, the need for optimizing throughput across multiple batches of different product is critical to maximizing manufacturing output. Overall line utilization... View White Paper