Podcasts by PCB Chat

RM 133: Novel Wireless / Wearable ESD Monitoring from 2023-12-12T10:05:03

We are all aware of the damage electrostatic discharge can wreak on components and electronic products. We mitigate ESD damage through various forms of monitoring. We wear wrist and heel straps,...

PCB Chat 123: US PCB Legislation Update with David Schild of PCBAA from 2023-12-06T10:42:50

David Schild is executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America. PCBAA was foun...

PCB Chat 122: Robert Feranec on PCB Design from 2023-12-05T16:17:34

Robert Feranec is a hardware designer with over 20 years’ experience in the electronics industry, and specializes in PCB design, signal integrity and high-speed digital design. In addition, he i...

RM 132: HZO’s Lisa Rizzo on Ultra-Thin Conformal Coating from 2023-11-29T14:03:03

Today we’ll dive deep into the world of conformal coating. More and more assemblies are being subjected to conformal coating to protect the assembly from harsh environments. What’s leading the d...

RM 131: Industry Icon Bob Willis from 2023-11-21T09:21:24

We are all aware of the supply chain issues our industry has faced. Beginning with electronic components, it has spread to so many other types of parts are industry relies on. Fortunately, it lo...

PCB Chat 121: Wally Rhines on the Latest Electronics Design Software Market Data from 2023-11-03T12:15

Printed circuit board and multichip module design software revenue increased 6.3% in the second quarter to total $369 million, according to the ESD Alliance's latest HDP User Group is an industry consortium made up of more than 50 leading companies that collaborate on research in order to reduce cost and time to market. Listen

RM 127: Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall from 2023-09-12T17:19:41

In recent episodes, we’ve covered high-level issues, such as hiring best practices, novel, training, methods, design for manufacturing, highly accelerated, life, testing, and more. On this episo...

RM 126: Moisture Mitigation Strategies with Dan Jenkins and Rob Lowery from 2023-08-24T10:21:09

Moisture. The industrial world has been fighting moisture since the beginning of the industrial world. From a general point of view, moisture leads to issues such as

• Mold and mildew<...
  Listen

RM 125: DFM Best Practices with Pride Industries’ Engineering Manager Andrew Williams from 2023-08-08T14:41:26

As all of you are well aware, Reliability Matters is all about reliability, specifically reliability of circuit assemblies. One challenge that seems to be persistent within our space is design f...

RM 124: Dave Hillman’s Amazing 3,600 Mile Kayak Journey Down the Missouri River from 2023-08-02T09:40:04

Industry icon Dave Hillman completed a 3,600 mile solo kayak journey down the Missouri River. Mike Konrad spoke with Dave about the inspiration for the journey, insights gained over his four-mon...

PCB Chat 119: David Schild on US Government Investment and Policy for PCB Manufacturing from 2023-07-27T09:40:49

David Schild, executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA), discusses the latest government policy and legislation for printed circuit board manufacturing in th...

PCB Chat 118: Claire Wemp, Ph.D., on Thermal Interface Materials from 2023-07-21T10:43:07

Thermal interface materials are used for heat transfer in a variety of electronics applications.

On this episode of PCB Chat, Claire Wemp, Ph.D, a thermal applications engineer at DuPont,...

RM 123: Introduction to Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) with Dr. Christopher Jackson from 2023-07-13T14:37:38

We all strive to build products that are reliable. If you’re listening to this podcast, chances are you are concerned about or at least interested in reliability. Where does reliability start? W...

PCB Chat 117: July 2023 EDA Software Market Update from 2023-07-10T10:14:39

The PCB/MCM design software market grew in the first quarter 2023, the ninth straight quarter of growth, according to the latest data from the ESD ...

RM 122: The Integration of AI into Inspection Systems from 2023-06-28T10:14:36

When it comes to circuit assemblies, defects result in one of two situations. The preferred result of a defect is to capture it on your factory floor and repair it before it ships to the custome...

PCB Chat 116: John Watson on PCB Designer Training from 2023-06-13T17:02:50

It goes without saying finding talent is a big deal in electronics design and manufacturing.

John Watson is customer success manager at Altium, with more than 20 years' experience as a se...

RM 120: Making Reliability Training Entertaining and Effective from 2023-06-01T16:15:54

Can reliability training be both entertaining and effective? The Manufacturing Game's Michelle Ledet Henley has a different approach to traditional training methods. Henley has worked with The ...

RM 119: Quantum Mechanics Explained from 2023-05-11T13:54:32

Mike Konrad's guest is Dr. James Whitfield. Dr. Whitfield is an associate professor of physics at Dartmouth. He earned a bachelor's of science and chemistry and mathematics from Morehouse Univer...

PCB Chat 115: Wally Rhines on the Latest ECAD Market Data from 2023-05-10T10:49:31

Wally Rhines, the former chairman of Mentor Graphics and now spokesperson for the ESD Alliance, updates us on the latest PCB design software an...

PCB Chat 114: Matthias Wagner and Kerry Chayka of Flux from 2023-04-28T12:55:24

Flux says every step of the electronic design process is slow, expensive, and error-prone. The startup company’s engineers think they have a solution: a browser-based PCB design platform and pro...

RM 118: Making ’Big Data’ Useful with Intraratio’s Ryan Gamble from 2023-04-26T10:01:31

The subjects of Industry 4.0 and Big Data have been widely discussed on this podcast. What is Industry 4.0? What data is our industry collecting? And, perhaps more importantly, how can we sift t...

RM 117: When Residues Cause Circuit Assemblies to Fail from 2023-04-12T09:46:26

Eric Camden (lead investigator with Foresite) and Mike Konrad discuss electrochemical migration (ECM) and other failure modes caused by residues on circuit assemblies.

RM 116: Supply Chain Musings with Mark Godwin of Ventec from 2023-04-07T09:44

On this episode, Mike Konrad speaks with Mark Goodwin, COO of Ventec Europe, a supplier of copper-clad laminates and prepreg bonding materials for the circuit board fabrication industry, about s...

PCB Chat 113: David Schild of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America from 2023-03-31T15:42:37

The Printed Circuit Board Association of America, or PCBAA, was founded in 2021 to advance US domestic production of PCBs and base materials. The organization is made up of corporate members of ...

PCB Chat 112: Vivek Bansal on VVDN’s Vertical Integration Model from 2023-03-23T15:56:56

VVDN Technologies is perhaps best known as a provider of end-to-end engineering and manufacturing of hardware, mechanical and electronic assemblies, and embedded softwar...

PCB Chat 111: Metallic Resources on Reclaiming Electronics Solder from 2023-03-17T00:49

Metallic Resources is a developer of high purity solder for electronics applications, making paste, bar, and cored wire products, among others.

Metallic Resources’ slogan is “not your typ...

RM 115: Making Sense of ’Big Data’ from 2023-03-14T18:13:33

You don't have to be in the tech industry you understand importance and value of data. Industries have always collected various sets of data, first manually and, in modern times, automatically. ...

PCB Chat 110: Steve Robinson of APCT from 2023-03-14T13:56:20

APCT in February completed the acquisition of Advanced Circuits, a printed circuit board fabricator located in Aurora, Colorado. The acquisition nearly doubles APCT’s annual revenue, to $200 mil...

RM 114: The Remarkable Return of the Post-Reflow Cleaning Process from 2023-03-08T15:16

On this show, we’ve discussed many aspects of the electronics assembly process. We talked about reflow, thermal management, printing, soldering materials, additives, and so much more. What do al...

RM 113: Counterfeit Component Detection with Dr. Eyal Weiss from 2023-02-09T16:30:11

We are all aware of the “oldest profession in the world.” Perhaps the second-oldest is counterfeiting. Whenever a product is introduced, a counterfeit version soon follows. While the electronics...

Business Challenges with STI Electronics’ President David Raby from 2023-02-02T16:30

This episode was recorded live at the SMTA Pan Pacific Microelectronics Symposium in Hawaii.

David Raby is president of Madison Alabama-based STI Electronics, a contract manufacturer for ...

PCB Chat 109: Wally Rhines on the PCB Design Software Market from 2023-01-31T14:52:41

On this episode of PCB Chat we discuss the third quarter 2022 printed circuit design software market data from the ESD Alliance, which were released Jan. 23, 2023.

Our guests are Wally Rh...

PCB Chat 108: Travis Kelly on Government Support of the US PCB Industry from 2023-01-27T16:38:27

Travis Kelly, president and chief executive of Isola and chairman of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America, joins PCB Chat host Mike Buetow to discuss the latest policy plans in suppo...

RM 112: ESD Mitigation with ESD Expert Christopher Almeras from 2023-01-26T16:39

Electricity is the life blood for all circuit assemblies. It can also afflict significant damage via electrostatic discharge. Today, Christopher Almeras of Raytheon reviews the various ESD mitig...

RM 111: Liquid Metal’s Potential Future in Electronics from 2023-01-10T16:47:09

Historically, circuit assemblies are rigid devices. IoT (Internet of Things) has opened up the opportunity to embed electronics into a near limitless array of form factors. Some of these form fa...

RM 109: A Decade of Industry 4.0 - What it Was - What it Wasn’t from 2022-12-19T13:49:58

Industry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution. Beyond the buzzwords, what does this mean?

David Graham is chief technology officer of 4IR.UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Internet of Thi...

PCB Chat 107: Valentina Ratner and Kyle Dumont of AllSpice from 2022-12-07T11:24:52

Allspice has developed a software platform that supports users of CAD tools for collaboration, design and schematic reviews and commenting, and tracking various hardware-specific attributes such...

PCB Chat 106: Madan Jagernauth on the Latest HDP Projects from 2022-12-05T15:13:02

HDP User Group is an industry consortium made up of more than 50 leading companies that collaborate on research in order to reduce cost and time to market.

Madan Jagernauth, marketing dir...

RM 108: SMTA Pan Pacific Microelectronics Symposium Preview from 2022-11-27T19:42:56

SMTA is well known for producing high-quality relevant technical conferences and symposiums. This includes, among others, the technical conference held at SMTAI, the High Reliability Cleaning an...

RM 107: IPC Validation Services&the Trusted Supplier Program from 2022-11-08T17:38:49

Like most manufacturers, the electronics manufacturing industry relies on countless suppliers to fulfill its manufacturing needs. I'm quite certain there is no one within the EMS space who fabri...

RM 106: A Conversation about Production Automation from 2022-10-25T16:04:24

It's been said on this show that one key factor to international competitiveness is automation. While labor rates vary widely across the world, automation helps to level the field.

Michae...

PCB Chat 105: Low-Heat Solders with Ian Tevis of SAFI-Tech and Andy Mackie of Indium from 2022-10-17T20:03:55

Last July, Indium Corporation announced a partnership with SAFI-Tech, an Iowa-based startup that is creating no-hea...

RM 105: Conformal Coating Material Selection Best Practices from 2022-10-17T19:39:25

Today we’re diving into conformal coating best practices. With the explosion of IoT, the electrification of vehicles, and the miniaturization of circuit assemblies and associated components, man...

PCB Chat 104: Wang Lu of Jove Enterprises from 2022-09-27T09:33:25

Wang Lu is cofounder of Jove Enterprises, a China-based printed circuit fabricator with five facilities in mainland China and one pending in Thailand. She discusses the company's technical stren...

RM 104: Thomas Ricciardelli on ESD Flooring from 2022-09-20T17:07:21

Modern electronics assembly has seen so many changes over the years. In today’s era of IoT, the electrification of vehicles, the explosion in the use of bottom terminated components, the increas...

PCB Chat 103: Stephen Chavez on Design Automation from 2022-09-13T16:44:22

Stephen Chavez spent the past 12 years as a principal engineer and global subject matter expert of PCB design for Collins Aerospace and Raytheon. This year, he joined Siemens as a senior product...

RM 103: SMT Assembly Equipment for Low-Volume Applications from 2022-09-13T13:50

Today, Mike Konrad talks about low-volume electronic assembly. We all know who the “big players” are when it comes to solder paste printers, pick-and-place machines, reflow ovens and other assem...

RM 102: Contract Manufacturer Selection Process Best Practices from 2022-08-23T17:37

Today, we're going to talk about contract manufacturing. Do you have a circuit assembly that needs to be built? Don’t have the equipment in-house or enough bandwidth or specialized expertise to ...

RM 101: The Future of US Manufacturing with IPC’s Matt Kelly from 2022-08-09T15:06:21

It seems today, the entire world is experiencing supply chain challenges in nearly all product categories. In the electronics assembly industry, the focus has been within the semiconductor marke...

RM 100: A 100th Episode Special (Recorded Live) from 2022-08-09T15:02:37

This is the 100th episode of the Reliability Matters podcast! Hear clips from past episodes and messages from past guests on their views about reliability.

Mike Konrad gives a special tha...

PCB Chat 102: Dr. Matthew Dyson on the Factory of the Future from 2022-07-21T16:48

Reshoring has been a buzzword for a few years now. But when supply chains are undergoing dramatic disruption and inflation is raging worldwide, what is the reality?

To answer those questi...

PCB Chat 101: Brian Morrison on Smart Manufacturing from 2022-07-19T14:07:40

Is there a broad consensus on what "smart manufacturing" is, and more specifically, its application in electronics assembly?

Brian Morrison, vice president of engineering for Vexos, a mid...

RM 99: Graham Naisbitt on IPC Cleanliness Standard Compliance from 2022-07-12T15:25:24

In late 2018, IPC shocked the electronics assembly community by introducing an amendment to section 8 of the J-STD-001G. This amendment radically changed the way industry determines cleanliness....

PCB Chat 100: John Burkhert Jr. on Engineering Soft Skills from 2022-07-06T09:42:14

John Burkhert Jr., senior PCB layout engineer and author of Designer’s Notebook, the monthly column on PCB design engineering, talks a...

RM 98: Jen Fijalkowski on Advances in Solder Pastes from 2022-06-30T15:58:16

Jen Fijalkowski works for Aim Solder. Jen obtained her B.S. from the University of Rhode Island in chemical engineering and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Prior to her role as a techn...

PCB Chat 99: RIT PCB Design Curriculum from 2022-06-20T19:04:32

The Rochester Institute of Technology in January launched its first course on printed circuit board design.

Instruction was performed by Dr. Kirsch Mackey, an electrical engineer and head...

RM 97: Best Practices for Purchasing X-Ray Equipment from 2022-06-16T14:02:30

Mike Konrad speaks with four experts, not about brands or models of x-ray equipment, rather about best practices for purchasing x-ray equipment. There are numerous manufacturers of x-ray equipm...

RM 96: Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall on Their New Book from 2022-05-27T10:24:55

A couple episodes ago, Reliability Matters host Mike Konrad spoke with Dr. Ron Lasky about a couple of books he wrote. He also recommended one he didn't write: "Troubleshooting Electronic Assemb...

PCB Chat 98: The Cadence Allegro/ Dassault Systèmes 3DExperience Integration from 2022-05-18T15:24:33

Cadence and Dassault Systèmes in late February announced the combining of the former's  Allegro platform with the latter's 3DExperience platform in a joint solution that enables  customers to pe...

PCB Chat 97: Travis Kelly on the Printed Circuit Board Association of America from 2022-05-11T11:55:38

In early May the Printed Circuit Board Association of America held its first annual meeting, at which they shared progress on their overarching goal, which is to advance US domestic production o...

RM 95: SMTA SMT Certification Course Authors Dr. Ron Lasky and Jim Hall from 2022-05-09T15:03:46

Mike Konrad speaks with Dr. Ron Lasky and Jim Hall, authors of the SMTA SMT Certification Courses (along with Phil Zarrow) about the content of these courses. He also speaks with course students...

RM 94: Dr. Ron Lasky on His Many Books from 2022-04-28T14:24:08

Dr. Ron Lasky talks about the many books he has authored on SMT processes and production efficiencies. Dr. Ron Lasky is a Senior Technologist at Indium Corporation, as well as a Professor of En...

RM 93: Dr. Kunal Shah on Ni-Less ENIG from 2022-04-19T21:38:38

Kunal Shah, Ph.D., is president and chief scientist at Lilotree, a manufacturer of novel surface finishes for circuit boards. He explains the advantages of surface finishes utilizing the thinnes...

PCB Chat 96: The Latest HDP Initiatives with Jack Fisher and Madan Jagernauth from 2022-04-12T14:24:49

Jack Fisher is project facilitator of the High Density Packaging User Group, also known as HDP, and Madan Jagernauth is marketing director and project...

PCB Chat 95: Latest PCB ECAD Market Data with Wally Rhines from 2022-04-04T11:00:03

On this episode of PCB Chat we discuss the fourth quarter 2021 market numbers from the ESD Alliance, which were released the week of April 4, 2022.

Our guests are Wally Rhines, who spent ...

RM 92: IPC Apex Expo Conversations: Reflow Thermal Control / Automated Device Programming from 2022-03-23T10:34:13

Recorded at IPC Apex Expo in San Diego, Mike Konrad has conversations with two guests.

Marco Sanchez from SMT North America talks about thermal control of reflow ovens. marco.sanchez@smtn...

RM 91: Conversations from IPC APEX Expo - Inspection Systems - Contract Assembly - and Pirates! from 2022-03-17T09:08:36

Mike Konrad talks with four guests:

Jesper Lykke from Viscom talks about inspection systems.

jesper.lykke@viscomusa.com

Greg Papandrew from Direct PCB talks about P...

PCB Chat 94: Michael Kirschner on Sustainability Standards from 2022-03-10T08:47:51

Michael Kirschner is president of Design Chain Associates, where he helps manufacturers understand and ensure that their products comply with health and environmental regulatory, customer and ma...

RM 90: Mike Adamson on Component Storage from 2022-02-24T09:50:31

While it may seem like an untimely topic given the current supply chain shortages, storage systems for electronic components are an important part of the electronic assembly industry. While we a...

PCB Chat 93: Mack Technologies on EMS Manufacturing in Mexico from 2022-02-14T17:03:35

Mack Technologies is one of the largest privately held US-based EMS companies. It recently moved into a 164,000 sq. ft. facility in Juarez, effectively doubling its footprint there.

Presi...

RM 89: Tombstoning Mitigation with Tony Lentz from 2022-02-08T17:40:47

Tombstoning is a reflow issue causing components to stand up, creating opens. FCT Solder's Tony Lentz discusses the causes and mitigation techniques to illuminate tombstoning. Tony Lentz has wo...

PCB Chat 92: Dr. James Lee and Chris Banton on RIT’s PCB Design Curriculum from 2022-02-02T20:11:04

In January Rochester Institute of Technology launched a hands-on program focused on printed circuit board design. The first offering is one the first true PCB design classes available at a major...

RM 88: Indium’s Brian O’Leary on Electric Vehicles from 2022-01-28T17:26:54

One of my favorite subjects is the electrification of automobiles, not just electric cars, which are with us now, but completely autonomous vehicles., says Mike Konrad. In the 1960s, we were pro...

PCB Chat 91: Wally Rhines on the Latest ECAD Software Trends from 2022-01-19T16:20:55

Wally Rhines, ex chairman of Mentor and spokesperson for the ESD Alliance, joins PCB Chat host Mike Buetow to discuss the latest data for the printed circuit board and semiconductor design softw...

PCB Chat 90: Travis Kelly on the PCBAA from 2022-01-13T08:41:06

In July 2021, in response to two decades of a declining US market, a group of printed circuit board fabricators and suppliers established the Printed Circuit Board Association of America, or PCB...

RM 84: Christopher Frederickson on Solder Paste Inspection from 2021-12-16T16:13:27

Today, we discuss Fit for Use solder paste inspection. As we've repeated several times on this show, it is said most reliability problems begin at the printer. Our industry utilizes a lot of mat...

PCB Chat 89: College Training Programs for Electronics from 2021-12-10T16:25:57

Lorain County Community College, located in northeast Ohio, about 30 miles west of Cleveland, became in 2018 the first community college to offer an applied bachelor’s in microelectronic manufac...

PCB Chat 88: HDP Users Group Update from 2021-12-01T09:55:32

Larry Marcanti, executive director of the High Density Packaging User Group (HDP), and Madan Jagernauth, marketing director and project facilitator, talk with Mike Buetow about the trade consort...

C2C 12: Smart Splice Cofounder Larry Welk from 2021-12-01T09:54:04

Larry Welk is co-owner of Smart Splice. Larry is a business owner with a history of working in the electrical and electronic manufacturing industry. Skilled in sales, business management, busine...

RM 83: Thermal Management Expert Miles Moreau from 2021-11-24T11:17:06

Miles Moreau, KIC’s general manager, has been with KIC for nearly three decades. He draws his deep and rich expertise from managing multiple business units across four continents spanning operat...

PCB Chat 87: Jorge Cardona on EMS in Colombia from 2021-11-12T11:06:02

Jorge Cardona is CEO of Invertronica Group, the parent company of a trio of firms in Colombia. Those companies include Tecrea, an electronics design and engineering unit;

RM 79: Arch Systems‘ Dave Trail about Industry 4.0 from 2021-10-18T08:39

Mike Konrad speaks with Dave Trail from Arch Systems about Industry 4.0.

Dave may be reached at dtrail@archsys.io 808-868-8298

PCB Chat 85: Matt Dyson on Electrically Conductive Adhesives from 2021-10-14T21:14

Electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) have been touted for decades as a potential replacement for solder. Technology roadmaps by organizations ranging from IPC to the Surface Mount Council of...

C2C 11: Poligage Founder and CEO Christine Davies from 2021-10-14T08:38:07

Christine Davies is founder and CEO of Poligage. Poligage is an online marketplace for public policy insights and government affairs services, providing efficient virtual connection with a caref...

RM 77: James Kovacevic on Maintenance Reliability Training from 2021-09-29T15:52:35

Our guest has been quoted saying his personal mission is to make industry a profitable place; where individuals and manufacturers possess the resources, knowledge, and courage to sustainably low...

RM 76 - Meet the Press from 2021-09-22T09:10:30

A conversation with media personalities Mike Buetow (Circuits Assembly Magazine), Trevor Galbraith (Global SMT & Packaging), Phil Stoten (Scoop TV), and Eric Miscoll (EMS Now). During our conver...

RM 75: Matric Group‘s Patrick Stimpert on Lean Manufacturing from 2021-09-15T08:21:06

EMS provider Matric Group's Patrick Stimpert incorporated the Toyota Production System’s Lean principles into his contract manufacturing business.

“Results are important. How do I get my ...

C2C 10: Zestron‘s Dr. Harald Wack from 2021-09-10T14:27:52

Dr. Harald (Harry) Wack earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University in 2002. He began his career at Zestron’s American headquarters, reporting to his father in Germany, Dr. Oskar W...

PCB Chat 84: Gowtham Ramachandran on the ‘Desktop Microfactory‘ from 2021-09-02T12:09:34

No matter how fast product developers move, there is pressure to pick up the pace. Gowtham Ramachandran, founder of Trace, a three-year old startup company based in Toronto, has a vision for jus...

C2C 9: Foresite Founder Terry Munson from 2021-08-31T15:09:03

Terry Munson is the founder and president of Foresite, Inc. He founded Foresite in 1992, then known as CSL (Contamination Studies Laboratories, Inc.). Terry has extensive experience with how cle...

RM 74: Worthington Assembly's Chris Denney on Contract Manufacturing from 2021-08-24T11:39:39

Worthington Assembly's Chris Denney speaks about the electronic contract manufacturing business. • How to select an appropriate contract manufacturer • Evaluating a contract manufacturer's capa...

RM 73: Solder Paste Expert Tim Jensen of Indium from 2021-08-17T13:57:52

Tim Jensen talks about:

• Solder paste selection best practices
• Low temperature solder
• Common mistakes made when using solder paste
• Solder paste jetting / mi...
  Listen

PCB Chat 83: Vincent Bedat of Volthub on OEM-EMS Data Sharing from 2021-08-11T16:00:49

Vincent Bedat is a mechanical engineer and recent MBA graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management, and founder of Volthub, one the finalists for the MIT $10...

C2C 8: STI Electronics' David Raby from 2021-08-10T13:11:35

STI Electronics (formally Soldering Technology International) was founded by the late Industry icon Jim Raby. Soldering Technology International became STI Electronics and was operated by Jim, D...

RM 72: Thermal Profiling with ECD's Mark Waterman from 2021-08-02T14:52:03

ECD's Mark Waterman discusses thermal profiling best practices. • Common mistakes made when using profilers • In-use best practices • Common applications Mark may be reached here: mailto:mwate...

PCB Chat 82: The RIT CEMA Capstone Project Team from 2021-07-26T08:00

Regular listeners know that PCB Chat us always eager to hear about what’s going on in the minds of the next-generation of engineers. A team of students from the Rochester Institute of Technology...

PCB Chat 81: Terry Jernberg of EMA on Power Integrity from 2021-07-22T13:55:47

Those who read PCD&F magazine or see us online at pcdandf.com have probably come across Terry Jernberg, the face of a new column this year under the eponymously named Jernberg PI. The title hear...

C2C 7: A Conversation with Industry Icon Bob Black from 2021-07-21T11:47:32

The guest today is Bob Black. Since the late 1980s, Bob was selling drag soldering machines made by Zeva. While Bob has been involved in several businesses, he is perhaps best known for his work...

PCB Chat 80: Wally Rhines on the Latest EDA Sales Data from 2021-07-14T10:04

The first quarter ESD Alliance design software tools sales figures are in and they are impressive! ESDA spokesperson Wally Rhines breaks down the numbers with PCB Chat host Mike Buetow, and offe...

RM 71: Manufacturer's Reps Talk Sales and Support Post Covid-19 from 2021-07-12T17:10:30

Four manufacturer's representatives share their experience in supporting their customer's needs. They share how sales and support has changed over the years and review the "new normal". Mike Ko...

C2C 6: Dr. Mike Stull and Mike Konrad from 2021-07-12T15:12:55

Concept to Creation host Mike Konrad says, while I am the host of this podcast, interviewing entrepreneurs within the electronics assembly industry, several people have asked about my story of e...

RM 70: Nano Dimension Cofounder Amit Dror from 2021-06-25T15:26:01

Amit Dror is cofounder of Nano Dimension and customer success officer. Amit served as Nano Dimension’s chief executive from 2014 to 2019. Nano Dimension has produced a product which, arguably ca...

PCB Chat 79: Bruce Mahler on the Ohmega-Ticer Merger from 2021-06-23T20:04:50

Merger and acquisition activity took a bit of a breather last summer as Covid protocols kicked in, but has really heated up since calendar flipped to 2021. Our guest is Bruce Mahler is Vice pres...

Concept to Creation 5: Datest's Robert Boguski and Regina Lathrop from 2021-06-16T15:30

Welcome to episode number 5 of the Concept to Creation Podcast. I’m so glad you’re here. Today, my guests are Robert Boguski and Regina Lathrop. They are the husband-wife team behind D...

PCB Chat 78: Peter Bigelow on 50 Years in PCB Fabrication from 2021-06-11T15:38:57

IMI Inc., a printed circuit board fabricator in Haverhill, MA, celebrated its 50th anniversary in May. CEO and president Peter Bigelow joins Mike Buetow to discuss the company's golden anniversa...

RM 69: Part 2 Mike Konrad, Chris Denney and Melissa Hough on the Pick-Place Podcast from 2021-06-09T13:43:39

Mike Konrad a guest on the Pick-Place Podcast with Chris Denney (Worthington Assembly) and Melissa Hough (CircuitHub). This is the second of a two-part interview.

This episode gets us in...

Concept to Creation 4: Kyzen's Dr. Mike Bixenman and Tom Forsythe from 2021-06-04T15:26

Dr. Mike Bixenman and Tom Forsythe talk about the founding of Kyzen Corporation, a multinational chemical manufacturer for the electronics cleaning and metal cleaning industry. They discuss the ...

PCB Chat 77: The Top 50 Electronics Manufacturing Services Companies from 2021-06-01T12:48:14

Each year CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY publishes its rankings of the 50 largest EMS/ODM companies. Editor in chief Mike Buetow offers a recap of the Year of Covid, and provides insights on a few under-the-...

RM 68: Chris Denney and Melissa Hough from 2021-05-27T13:04:57

Mike Konrad joins Chris Denney (Worthington Assembly) and Melissa Hough (CircuitHub) on the Pick-Place Podcast . This is the first of a two-part interview.

In this episode we a...

C2C 3: Mike Scimeca of FCT Assembly on Entrepreneurship from 2021-05-27T12:55:48

Episode # 3 of the Concept to Creation Podcast is now available. My guest is Mike Scimeca of FCT Assembly. Mike founded his first business in 1991. Today, he owns nine businesses units. Mike sha...

RM 67: Rework/Repair Expert Norman Mier of Best Inc. from 2021-05-17T15:28:46

Norman Mier is a retired veteran of the US Marine Corps with over 20 years of experience in the electronics rework and repair industry. He received his training through the Navy's Micro Miniatur...

C2C: Out of the Box Manufacturing Founders Allison and Chad Budvarson from 2021-05-17T15:23:52

Concept to Creation Episode 2 

Allison and Chad Budvarson are a husband and wife team that founded and operates Out of the Box Manufacturing, a Renton Washington-based contract manufactu...

PCB Chat 76: David Bernard on X-ray Inspection from 2021-04-28T14:16:33

David Bernard, Ph.D., describes a coming presentation on x-ray inspection, including understanding how the system works, how magnification works, detectors and sensitivity, handling various sold...

RM Episode 66: Dr. Ron Lasky and Students from 2021-04-27T16:37:42

Dr. Ron Lasky (Professor at Dartmouth College) and three of his students -- Annaka Balch, Nadia Clement, and Raaga Kannan -- talk about the papers they wrote and presented at SMTA's Pan Pacific ...

Concept to Creation - The Entrepreneurs of the Electronic Assembly Industry from 2021-04-23T13:16:26

Welcome to Mike Konrad's new podcast is called “Concept to Creation - The Entrepreneurs of the Electronic Assembly Industry.” 

On this podcast, Mike will interview industry founders to t...

RM65: Tim O’Neill and Fred Dimock on Voiding, Vacuum Reflow, and Oven Profiling, Part 2 from 2021-04-13T16:07:54

On part 2 of this series , we dive into oven profiling best practices. In part one, we looked at void mitigation and how vacuum reflow technology can help reduce or eliminate voiding. 

O...

RM 64: Tim O'Neill and Fred Dimock on Voiding, Vacuum Reflow, and Oven Profiling from 2021-04-02T15:29:05

On this episode, we’ll have a conversation with two industry experts on the subject of solder voiding mitigation and oven profiling, two subjects which influence solder voiding. This will be a t...

PCB Chat 75: Keshav and Tarun Amla of Avishtech on Electronics Stackup Tools from 2021-03-22T13:17:04

Design engineers are paying close attention to materials. It’s not just about the routing anymore. Keshav Amla and Tarun Amla are founder and CEO and cofounder and CTO, respectively, of Avishtec...

PCB Chat 75: Keshav and Tarun Amla of Avishtech on Electronics Stackup Tools from 2021-03-22T13:17:04

Design engineers are paying close attention to materials. It’s not just about the routing anymore. Keshav Amla and Tarun Amla are founder and CEO and cofounder and CTO, respectively, of Avishtec...

RM Episode 63: A Conversation with Reliability Expert Dock Brown from 2021-03-16T14:33:48

Dock Brown brings his more than 30 years of electronics reliability experience to clients of Ansys. Prior to joining Ansys, he spent 20 years at Medtronic where he most recently concentrated on ...

RM Episode 62: A Conversation with Cogiscan's Co-Founder François Monette from 2021-03-10T15:20

By now, most of us have heard of Industry 4.0, or the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), or Smart Factory, or Factory of the Future. The key all of these acronyms is Connectivity, Data Manage...

PCB Chat 74: DuPont's Andy Kannurpatti from 2021-03-02T18:23:13

A little over two years ago DuPont opened its Silicon Valley Technology Center. It is also finishing work on a major investment at its laminates manufacturing plant in Circleville, OH. Andy Kann...

RM Special Edition: A Conversation with IPC Chief Technologist Matt Kelly about IPC Apex from 2021-02-25T16:59:59

This year’s APEX Expo is a virtual event. Matt Kelly and Mike Konrad discuss IPC's new technical conference focus and review a small sample of the upcoming technical presentations and profession...

RM Special Edition: A Conversation with IPC Chief Technologist Matt Kelly about IPC Apex from 2021-02-25T16:59:59

This year’s APEX Expo is a virtual event. Matt Kelly and Mike Konrad discuss IPC's new technical conference focus and review a small sample of the upcoming technical presentations and profession...

RM 61: A Conversation with Flex Circuit and Additive Electronics Expert Tara Dunn from 2021-02-09T09:19:40

Tara Dunn and Mike Konrad discuss the world of flex and rigid-flex circuits including flex best practices when it comes to design and use of flex technology. They also discuss the new world of a...

PCB Chat 73: AJ Incorvaia on Desktop PCB Software from 2021-01-29T14:41:13

AJ Incorvaia is executive vice president of Siemens EDA, more familiarly known as Mentor. He joined Mentor in 2013 after more than 25 years in software engineering at OEMs and other major EDA ve...

RM 60: Collins' Dave Hillman about Solder Voiding from 2021-01-26T09:14:59

Solder voiding has been with us longer than we know. Modern x-ray inspection technology has allowed assemblers to see and quantify voiding. Metallurgical expert Dave Hillman from Collins Aerospa...

PCB Chat 72: Matt Wrosch on Transient Liquid Phase Sintering from 2021-01-16T00:28:49

Matt Wrosch is senior products specialist at EMD Performance Materials. An expert in materials science, Matt has held a range of research, engineering and business development roles in the elect...

RM Episode 59: CMOS Inventor Dr. Eric Fossom from 2021-01-12T13:26:22

Eric Fossum is best known for the invention of the CMOS image sensor better known as the “camera-on-a-chip” used in billions of cameras, from smart phones to web cameras to ingestible pill camer...

PCB Chat 71: Is the US Ready for Smart Manufacturing? from 2020-12-31T13:03:26

Smart manufacturing, generally defined as the use of fully integrated, collaborative manufacturing systems that respond in real time to meet changing demands and conditions in the smart factory,...

RM 58: 2020 Round-Up from 2020-12-28T09:53

On this last episode of 2020 there are no guests, no experts, no best-practice advice. Just a short recap of 2020. We just reached more than 10,000 downloads of the podcast! A HUGE thank you to...

PCB Chat 70: Kent Balius on Front-End Engineering from 2020-12-27T13:34:14

Kent Balius has been at the forefront of front-end engineering for 30 years at some of the world's largest PCB fabricators.

He spent the past 20 years at TTM / Viasystems, where he manag...

RM 57: A Conversation with CAF Expert Graham Naisbitt from 2020-12-11T17:19:34

Conductive anodic filament (CAF) is a form of electrochemical migration (ECM). Unlike surface-level ECM, CAF exists beneath the surface of the circuit assembly. Graham and Mike Konrad discuss th...

PCB Chat 69: Manny Marcano on Changes in the Mainstream PCB CAD Market from 2020-12-02T09:53:50

EMA Design Automation has recently added the Mentor ECAD sales staff from Trilogic EDA. Manny Marcano, president and founder of EMA, explains what this means for the PCB CAD marketplace, and how...

RM 56: A Conversation about Solder Voiding with Solder Materials, Stencil, and Cleaning Experts from 2020-12-02T09:53:26

Voiding is the cause of multiple failure mechanisms. Mike Konrad speaks with solder material expert Tim O'Neill of Aim Solder, stencil manufacturer Prakash Gango of StenTech, and cleaning materi...

RM 55 - A Conversation with SMTA President Dr. Martin Anselm from 2020-11-10T13:31:49

Dr. Martin Anselm is a professor at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and is also the newly elected president of the Surface Mount Technology Association or SMTA. Martin also worked for U...

PCB Chat Episode 68: The IPC-2581 Consortium on Electronics Data Transfer from 2020-11-06T15:35:44

IPC-2581 is a standard format for describing and transferring printed circuit board design and assembly manufacturing data from the OEM to fab and assembly. It is an open format developed by ind...

PCB Chat Episode 67: Brad Griffin of Cadence on EMI Simulation Tools from 2020-10-30T12:15:55

Brad Griffin, product management group director at Cadence, returns to PCB Chat to discuss Clarity 3D Transient Solver, a new system-level simulation solution that solves EMI system design issue...

Reliability Matters Episode 54: A Conversation with Michael Ford about Digital Twin from 2020-10-29T15:23:13

Michael Ford and Mike Konrad talk about Digital Twin, its purpose, value, and its future. Michael Ford, senior director of emerging industry strategy at Aegis Software, has more than 30 years w...

Reliability Matters Episode 53: Meet the Press - A Conversation with Industry Journalists about the State of the EMS Industry from 2020-10-15T13:58:17

In this episode, Mike Konrad speaks with Mike Buetow, Editor in Chief of PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY, Trevor Galbraith, publisher of Global SMT and Packaging, and Philip Stoten of Scoop TV. We discuss ...

PCB Chat Episode 66: Charles Hutchins Award Winner Andrew Daya on DfM and Mentoring from 2020-10-02T14:09:28

We hear a lot about the graying of the PCB industry. Charles Hutchins Award Andrew Daya  has been working in the industry fulltime for about six years and has bachelor’s and...

Reliability Matters Episode 52: A Conversation with Conformal Coating Expert Dr. Sean Clancy of HZO from 2020-09-24T15:40:29

Dr. Sean Clancy and Mike Konrad discuss the various types of conformal coatings designed to protect circuit assemblies from moisture and other hazards. They discuss coating best-practices and cu...

Reliability Matters Episode 51: A Conversation with X-Ray Expert and Entrepreneur Dr. Bill Cardoso from 2020-09-11T15:44:12

Bill started his first company in Brazil at age 17 and sold it a few years later to move to the US to work for the Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory to do nuclear and ...

PCB Chat Episode 65: Moriah Root of Z-Axis on Millennials in Manufacturing from 2020-09-06T21:17:15

Moriah Root is quality manager at Z-AXIS, an EMS firm in New York state. She just won a “Millennials in Manufacturing” Award from FuzeHub, the statewide Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)...

Reliability Matters Episode 50 - A Conversation with IPC's Matt Kelly on Factory Modernization and Supply Chain of the Future from 2020-08-26T10:48:05

IPC’s new chief technologist Matt Kelly will help IPC’s members to engage in latest technology trends and supply chain transformation that continues to evolve across the electronics industry. He...

PCB Chat Episode 64: Electronics Supply Chain Management, with Hassan Tawawalla and David Palos of Molex from 2020-08-21T12:11:59

What are electronics companies doing, strategically and tactically, to adjust to today’s sourcing and manufacturing climate? Hassan Tawawalla, business unit director of the Printed Circuits Solu...

Reliability Matters Episode 49: A Conversation with SMTA's Tanya Martin and Greg Vance about SMTAI 2020 from 2020-08-11T16:43:31

Numerous exhibitors are taking part in this new format. More than 100 technical presentations and papers will be available on-demand. Additionally, nine 3.5 hour professional development courses...

Reliability Matters Episode 48: A Conversation with David Alexander, a China Supply Chain Expert about Importing from and to China from 2020-07-28T17:11:40

We are all familiar with the pros and cons of importing goods from China. China supply chain expert David Alexander discusses pros and cons of doing business in China. David also discusses the l...

Reliability Matters Episode 47: A Conversation with Environmental Sustainability Expert Matthew Chalkley from 2020-07-16T17:54:53

Matthew Chalkley has over 26 years of supply chain experience in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. Chalkley has held a number of senior operational management positions ...

PCB Chat Episode 63: Wally Rhines on the Latest PCB Design Software Market Results from 2020-07-14T10:50:36

The coronavirus may have taken hold around the globe, but you couldn't tell from the latest printed circuit board design software results. ESD Alliance spokesman Wally Rhines discusses the first...

PCB Chat Episode 62: Kevin Walker of Benchmark Lark Technology from 2020-07-07T22:28:02

Benchmark Lark Technology this month opened the doors to its 122,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art factory in Phoenix. The new site is significant because it includes both a fabrication and assembly ...

Reliability Matters Episode 46: "The Experts" - A Special Episode Featuring a Conversation with 4 Industry Experts from 2020-06-30T17:03:27

On this episode of Reliability Matters, Mike Konrad joins Dr. Jennie Hwang, Phil Zarrow, Bob Willis and Ray Prasad to discuss several industry topics including the pandemic, common technical iss...

Episode 45: A Conversation with Dr. Chris Jackson about Reliability from 2020-06-26T15:53:49

Dr. Chris Jackson is founder of Acuitas, a company dedicated to electronics reliability. He has a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New South Wales, and a master's and Ph.D...

PCB Chat Episode 61: InspectAR Discusses Electronics Debugging Tools from 2020-06-23T18:42:22

Inspectar is a startup company whose signature product is a tool for fast debugging of electronics hardware. The novel system highlights the nets on a board and captures and shares the metadata ...

Reliability Matters Episode 44: A Conversation with Dr. Jennie Hwang About Reliability from 2020-06-11T13:44:11

Dr. Jennie Hwang's wide-ranging career encompasses international business operations, sustained leadership in worldwide manufacturing and technology services, innovative research, intellectual p...

PCB Chat Episode 60: Audrey McGuckin on Corporate Talent Strategy from 2020-06-08T09:31:26

To execute a business strategy, you need to figure out your talent and people piece. So says Audrey McGuckin, a global HR executive, who for more than 25 years has lived and worked across the gl...

PCB Chat Episode 59: John Davignon of the HDP User Group from 2020-06-02T11:05:53

The HDP User Group is a nonprofit consortium that conducts electronics manufacturing research. Its members run the gamut of the electronics supply chain, from suppliers of raw materials to fabri...

PCB Chat Episode 58: Dr. Christopher Tang on Supply Chain Changes in the Era of Covid-19 from 2020-05-28T17:29:08

Dr. Christopher Tang is a UCLA Distinguished Professor and the holder of the Edward W. Carter Chair in Business Administration and editor of Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, the le...

Reliability Matters Episode 43: A Conversation with Cal State University's Dr. Mike Stull about Entrepreneurship and Today's Challenging Times from 2020-05-28T10:33:57

With so many people out of work, Reliability Matters speaks with friend and colleague Dr. Mike Stull about entrepreneurship. Dr. Stull is a professor at California State University San Bernardin...

Reliability Matters Episode 42: A Conversation with X-Ray Expert Keith Bryant from 2020-05-27T10:21:17

Keith Bryant discusses the advantages of x-ray technology, its practical uses, and common mistakes made when using x-ray technology. A fully qualified engineer, Keith has over 30 years’ experien...

PCB Chat Episode 57: Ted Conrad of Fireboard Labs Discusses the Make/Buy Decision from 2020-05-20T10:18:46

Fireboard Labs is the creator of a cloud-based smart thermometer for kitchens and the grill. A startup -- Fireboard was founded in 2015 -- the company quic...

PCB Chat Episode 56: Teresa Huber of Intervala Discusses EMS M&A and the Company's Strategy from 2020-05-13T15:40:11

Teresa Huber is president and CEO of Intervala, an EMS company based in Pittsburgh. She has a bachelor’s in electrical engineering technology from the Univ...

Reliability Matters Episode 41: A Conversation with Better Board Buying's Greg Papandrew About Ways to Buy Boards Better from 2020-05-13T11:25:19

Do you purchase boards overseas or domestically? What questions should you ask your board vendor? PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY columnist Greg Papandrew answers these and other board-buying questions....

Reliability Matters Episode 40: A Return Conversation with SMT Guru Bob Willis from 2020-05-11T13:50

Some 39 episodes after Bob's first appearance on Reliability Matters he returns to discuss life as a consultant in the electronics assembly industry.

PCB Chat Episode 55: Sebastian Schaal of Luminovo Discusses Machine Learning and AI in Electronics Manufacturing from 2020-05-05T17:23:38

Luminovo is a Munich-based startup working on applying machine learning to electronics development and production processes. Cofounders Sebastian Schaal and Timon Ruban have worked with major au...

PCB Chat Episode 54: Dave Trail Jr. on MES and AR in Electronics Assembly from 2020-04-30T18:03:32

Dave Trail, vice president of sales for the SMT & Electronics Business Unit of Critical Manufacturing, has over 25 years of experience in electronics manufacturing equipment, processes, and manu...

Reliability Matters Episode 39: A Conversation with Advanced Assembly's Mark Hughes and Greg Ziraldo about Producing Reliable Assemblies within a CM Environment from 2020-04-14T15:35:24

During this interview, Mike Konrad and guests Mark Hughes and Greg Ziraldo of Advanced Assembly discuss two papers: Introduction to Reliability in Electronics: Tools and Metrics for Anticipating...

Reliability Matters Episode 38: A Special Covid-19 Episode - Conversation with Circuits Assembly Magazine's Editor in Chief Mike Buetow from 2020-03-31T17:04:51

Mike Konrad and Mike Buetow discuss the state of the industry amid the Covid-19 crisis. Mike provides a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis of our industry and provides...

PCB Chat Episode 53: Wally Rhines on the Q4 EDA Market from 2020-03-25T12:44:58

It was a banner quarter -- and year -- for printed circuit board design software. ESD Alliance spokesman Wally Rhines joins Mike Buetow for his quarterly update on fourth quarter EDA market stat...

Reliability Matters Episode 37: A Conversation with IPC President and CEO John Mitchell from 2020-03-24T15:27:40

John Mitchell talks about the state of the industry, COVID-19 (coronavirus), and the future of the electronic assembly industry with Mike Konrad.

Reliability Matters Episode 36: A Conversation with Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall from 2020-03-10T15:58:15

We bring back two previous guests, SMT consultants Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall of ITM Consulting. Phil and Jim host Board Talk, a popular broadcast where they field assembly-related questions and p...

PCB Chat Episode 51: Sreeram Srinivasan of Syrma Technology from 2020-03-06T14:43:58

Syrma Technology is one of India’s largest domestically based EMS companies. Its chief executive, Sreeram Srinivasan, was educated in both India and the United States, r...

PCB Chat Episode 52: Susan Mucha on Crisis Communication Strategies from 2020-03-06T13:14

This week’s guest on PCB Chat is Sue Mucha, president of Powell-Mucha Consulting, an EMS business consulting firm. In the wake of the Covid-19 (coronavirus), she outlines strategies for communic...

Reliability Matters Episode 35: A Conversation with Dr. Darren Williams from 2020-02-26T20:05

Dr. Darren Williams, professor at Sam Houston University, discusses cleaning processes and materials and the upcoming Product Quality Cleaning workshop with host Mike Konrad.

  Listen

Reliability Matters Episode 34: A Conversation with "The Cleaning Lady and the Rocket Scientist" from 2020-02-20T15:43:14

Barbara and Ed Kanegsberg about all things cleaning. Barbara and Ed are the authors of Handbook for Critical Cleaning (available here). They discuss the...

PCB Chat: The Screwups Episode 5 from 2020-02-02T17:31:14

Chris Nash is product manager for Indium’s PCB assembly solder paste, where works with the R&D team and provides technical advice in the selection, use, and application of solder paste and flux ...

PCB Chat Episode 50: George Milad of Uyemura from 2020-01-20T12:45:45

In this episode, George Milad, national accounts manager of technology at Uyemura and co-chair of the IPC Plating Processes Subcommittee, explains nickel corrosion, how it occurs and new methods...

Reliability Matters: Episode Episode 32: A Conversation with Greg Smith and Tony Lentz about Stencil Design and Void Reduction from 2020-01-15T14:24:57

Greg Smith and Tony Lentz talk with Mike Konrad about stencil design and how to reduce voiding. Voiding is a key concern in specific electronic applications including automotive and LED electron...

PCB Chat Episode 49: Wally Rhines/Q3 2019 EDA Market Results from 2020-01-07T09:31:41

Wally Rhines, CEO emeritus of Mentor and former chairman of the ESD Alliance, reports on the third quarter 2019 EDA market results with PCB Chat host Mike Buetow.

Reliability Matters: Episode 30: A Conversation about Reflow Technology with David Heller from 2019-11-27T10:33

Heller Industries CEO David Heller joined the family business in 1987, 27 years after its founding. David shares what reflow ovens were like at the beginning stages of surface mount technology a...

Reliability Matters Episode 28: A Conversation with IPC's Brook Sandy about IPC Apex Expo (Part 2) from 2019-11-05T16:19:41

In the second of this two-part interview, Mike Konrad talks with IPC's Brooke Sandy about the IPC Apex Expo technical program.

Reliability Matters Episode 27: A Conversation with IPC's Brook Sandy about IPC Apex Expo (Part 1) from 2019-10-29T10:25:44

In the first of two episodes, Mike Konrad interviews IPC technical program manager Brook Sandy about the upcoming IPC Apex Expo. Episode 27 is all about Apex in general, including the technical ...

Reliability Matters: Episode 26 - Alun Morgan of Ventec from 2019-10-22T13:30:35

Alun Morgan and Mike Konrad talk cars, and the increased reliability expectations associated with their electrical systems. The electronics in modern vehicles provide an...

PCB Chat Episode 48: Dr. Puneet Gupta of UCLA from 2019-10-14T11:49:14

According to Puneet Gupta, Ph.D. and his colleagues at UCLA including Subramanian Iyer, Ph.D., the printed circuit board is a constraint on electronics size and speed. And the solution is to get...

Reliability Matters: Episode 25: An Interview with Indium's Kay Parker from 2019-10-08T14:59:12

Indium's Kay Parker discusses SMT solder paste printing and her experience as a new engineer in the electronics assembly industry with Mike Konrad.

Kay is a technical support engineer b...

PCB Chat Episode 47: Hemant Shah of Cadence from 2019-10-02T12:59:31

Hemant Shah of Cadence joins PCB Chat host Mike Buetow to discuss the latest upgrades to the Allegro ECAD tool, including new features for signal integrity and power integrity (SI/PI).

Reliability Matters Episode 24: Teradyne's Mark Levin and Jon Bodin from 2019-09-24T09:41:43

A conversation with Teradyne manager of reliability Mark Levin and senior software engineering manager Jon Bodin about reliability, DfM, and their new book Improving Product Reliability and Soft...

Reliability Matters Episode 23 - A Conversation about Testing Circuit Assemblies with Datest's Robert Boguski from 2019-09-13T14:26

Mike Konrad talks testing printed circuit assemblies with Datest president Robert Boguski.

The Screw-Ups, Episode 4: Solder Wetting from 2019-09-10T14:59:51

Solder wetting, dewetting and ultra fine pitch powders are the focus of the latest episode of The Screwups, with Tim O'Neill of AIM Solder sharing insights on from the factory floor with host Mi...

PCB Chat Episode 46: Jeroen Leinders and Chris Hambleton of Zuken from 2019-09-09T17:40:06

Jeroen Leinders is global eCADSTAR Solutions Leader and Chris Hambleton is engineering general manager at Zuken. In the past few weeks, Zuken announced a new platform called eCADStar. They provi...

Reliability Matters Episode 22 - A Conversation about Adhesion Testing with BTG Lab's Elizabeth Kidd from 2019-08-26T10:28:31

On this episode, we’ll be discussing surface adhesion. What makes a surface more adherable, what makes it less adherable, and most importantly, how can one determine a s...

PCB Chat Episode 45: Greg Papandrew of Better Board Buying from 2019-08-16T12:35:58

Greg Papandrew has more than 25 years’ experience selling PCBs directly for various fabricators and as founder of a leading distributor. He is cofounder of Bet...

PCB Chat Episode 44: Jack Herring of Jiva Materials from 2019-08-13T10:59:18

Jack Herring is the inventor of Soluboard, a new circuit board substrate that is said to be completely recyclable through hot water dissolution. He is commercializing the concept through his UK-...

Reliability Matters Episode 21- A Conversation with Manuel Schöllig - There's More to Clean than Just Assemblies from 2019-08-12T14:06:12

A conversation with Manuel Schöllig of Emil Otto, a German manufacturer of soldering and cleaning materials about cleaning stencils, pallets, fixtures, ovens, and assemblies. There's more to cle...

PCB Chat Episode 43: Mike Creeden of Insulectro from 2019-08-08T14:34:59

Mike Creeden is a veteran design engineer and training specialist, with more than 40 years’ experience across a wide range of companies – from CAD providers to major OEMs to EMS firms and servic...

Reliability Matters: Episode 20- A Conversation with Conformal Coating Expert Phil Kinner from 2019-07-29T09:03:10

A conversation with Phil Kinner, Electrolube's conformal coating expert. Mike Konrad discuss the reasons for conformal coating and the variety of conformal coating materials available.

Reliability Matters: Episode 19 -  A Conversation about Display Technologies and Reliability-Improving Production Methods from 2019-07-10T11:35:33

Anders is a UK-based manufacturer of display and embedded controller products for a variety of industries including medical, marine, industrial, home, and much more. And...

PCB Chat Episode 42: Wally Rhines of Mentor on the Q1 EDA Data from 2019-07-08T09:58:29

Wally Rhines, chairman emeritus of Mentor and spokesman for the Electronic System Design (ESD) Alliance Governing Council discusses the latest PCB and semiconductor design software market result...

PCB Chat Episode 41: Steve Pudles of Zentech from 2019-06-25T17:32:40

Steve Pudles has held executive positions in management and engineering at electronics manufacturing services companies for more than 30 years. Last month, he led a team that acquired Zentech, a...

Reliability Matters: Episode 18 - A Conversation with Saturn Electronics' Yash Sutariya about PCB Fabrication from 2019-06-25T14:34

Yash Sutariya is the President of Saturn Electronics Corporation, Saturn Flex Systems, and Saturn PCB Services, all PCB-centric operating entities. Today, we’ll discuss what every buyer of print...

Episode 17 - A Conversation with Brian D'Amico about AOI and SPI Best Practices from 2019-06-10T15:13:45

Automated optical inspection (AOI) and solder paste inspection (SPI) system supplier Brian D'Amico covers AOI and SPI best practices with Mike Konrad. Modern circuit assemblies are difficult, if...

PCB Chat Episode 40: Zach Dismukes of Bowman Analytics from 2019-06-03T17:54:55

Zach Dismukes is manager of sales and service for Bowman Analytics on the West Coast and a specialist in XRF products. He has spent the past decade in XRF and x-ray technology. He also has a mas...

SMT Wars: Lessons Learned from a Contract Manufacturer and Their Customer Who Sued Them from 2019-05-28T15:12:10

What happens when an electronic contract manufacturer follows their customer’s instructions to the detriment of the product? Product failures, blame, drama, and a really big lawsuit. 

M...

The Screw-Ups Episode 3 - Solder Paste Handling from 2019-05-20T09:42:25

What's the optimal way to handle and store solder paste for electronics assembly? Tim O'Neill of AIM Solder shares advice and tales from the front in the latest edition of The Screw-ups.

PCB Chat Episode 39: Jim Barry of PCB Technologies from 2019-05-16T18:08:21

Jim Barry is sales & marketing manager and technical liaison at PCB Technologies, a fabricator of rigid, rigid-flex and flex PCBs for high-rel applications. Jim has been in the PCB industry sinc...

PCB Chat Episode 38: Kent McLeroth of Zuken from 2019-05-07T14:52:17

Kent McLeroth has been chief executive of Zuken Americas since 2015. He joined the PCB design software developer in 1995 after more than a decade designing hardware for a major defense contracto...

PCB Chat Episode 37: Kyle Miller of Zuken from 2019-04-30T10:19

Kyle Miller is Zuken's manager of Lightning, Design Force and related routing technology. He has a doctorate in artificial intelligence, and is heading Zuken's efforts into applying AI and machi...

Reliability Matters: Episode 14 - An Interview with Reliability Expert Fred Schenkelberg from 2019-04-29T21:58

Fred Schenkelberg is an international authority on reliability engineering. He is the reliability expert at FMS Reliability, a reliability engineering and management consulting firm he founded i...

Reliability Matters: Episode 13 - A Conversation with KIC's MB Allen About Thermal Management and Reliability from 2019-04-23T14:52:37

Most of our episodes feature guests representing specific segments of the electronic assembly industry. Today’s episode is no exception. My guest on this episode is MB Allen from KIC. KIC...

PCB Chat Episode 36: Simon Fried of Nano Dimension from 2019-04-23T14:39:57

Simon Fried is president, chief business office and cofounder of Nano Dimension, a leader in additive manufacturing systems. He speaks about creating buried capacitance and Nano Dimension's new ...

Reliability Matters: Episode 12 - Female Leaders in Tech Everywhere from 2019-04-19T12:41:31

An interview with US Ambassadors of FLITE (Female Leaders in Tech Everywhere), Michelle Ogihara and Sherry Stepp on the subject of women in electronics and FLITE's mission to build a platform based...

Reliability Matters: Episode 11 -- Tips & Tricks for Successfully Cleaning Circuit Assemblies from 2019-04-12T17:10

In the last half of the 20th century, cleaning of circuit assemblies was a standard assembly practice. The abolishment of popular CFC-based cleaning solvents ushered the introduction of "no-clean" ...

PCB Chat Episode 35: Brad Griffin on a New PCB 3-D Solver from 2019-04-08T12:51:12

Brad Griffin speaks from CDNLive to PCB Chat host Mike Buetow on the new electromagnetic (EM) simulation tool from Cadence. Brad describes how the Clarity software reads design data from all standa...

Reliability Matters Episode 10 - An Interview with Dr. David Bernard - All About X-Ray Inspection from 2019-04-02T21:18:51

X-ray has come a long way since its discovery in 1895. Originally used in the medial field, X-ray technology has been integrated into many industrial sectors including the electronic assembly indus...

PCB Chat Episode 34: Leah Slaughter from 2019-04-01T10:46:54

Leah Slaughter is vice president, supply chain and artificial intelligence programs, at Varitron, a multinational EMS company. She has been in the industry for more than 20 years with Future Electr...

Reliability Matters: Episode 9 - An Interview with Dr. Mike Bixenman about Cleaning Challenges, Chemicals, Components, and Cleanliness Testing from 2019-03-25T17:04:02

Mike Bixenman is one of the founders of Kyzen and serves as its chief technology officer. He is well-known within the electronics assembly industry and is a featured speaker at industry conferences...

The Week Today - Mar. 18 - 22, 2019 from 2019-03-22T14:20:08

PCB Chat host Mike Buetow catches up on the weekly news in electronics manufacturing. This week: New electronic material discoveries, expansions in Southeast Asia, company earnings reports.

Reliability Matters: Episode 8 - Cleaning Roundtable from 2019-03-19T18:11:10

On this episode, Mike Konrad hosts a roundtable discussion on the subject of cleaning circuit assemblies after reflow. After all, contamination removal is exclusively performed to increase the reli...

PCB Chat: The Screw-Ups, Episode 2 from 2019-03-19T17:50:07

In The Screw-Ups,  we talk to experts in electronics manufacturing about specific problems they’ve encountered and offer up potential solutions. Tim O’Neill has nearly 25 years experience with sold...

Reliability Matters Episode 7 - A Conversation with ITM Consulting's Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall from 2019-03-13T20:39:25

Mike Konrad has known Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall for many years. Phil, Jim, and what they describe as their brothers, operate ITM Consulting, a consulting and advisory firm for the electronics assemb...

PCB Chat Episode 33: Josh Ewing of Bright Machines from 2019-03-07T16:16:47

Bright Machines is a developer of hardware and software smart automation tools for electronics manufacturing. It was founded a year ago by former executives from Autodesk and Flex, and currently em...

Reliability Matters: Doug Pauls on IPC J-STD-001G Amendment 1 from 2019-03-06T10:43:10

Collins Aerospace's Doug Pauls chaired the IPC committee to implement a new cleanliness testing specification. IPC J-STD-001G Amendment 1 which is now active. Doug explains the new requirements of ...

The Week Today - Feb. 25 - Mar. 1, 2019 from 2019-03-01T12:35

PCB Chat host Mike Buetow catches up on the weekly news in electronics manufacturing. This week: Changes at the top at Nordson and Benchmark, heterogeneous packaging solutions, startup Patchr's new...

PCB Chat Episode 32: Eric Schneider from 2019-02-28T18:18:39

Patchr is a startup that recently launched a PCB design software for hobbyists and educators.  The new place-and-route tool integrates with PCB manufacturers such as OSH Park and MacroFab, and mill...

Reliability Matters: An Interview with Dr. Craig Hillman - Design for Reliability from 2019-02-26T17:59:12

Dr. Craig Hillman of DfR Solutions speaks about designing for reliability. Electronics for space and automotive applications are discussed.