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August 26th, 2026
News and Resources for PCB Design, Fab and Assembly Professionals Subscribe •  Advertise •  PCD&F •  Circuits Assembly •  Tell A Friend
THE LEAD

North American EMS orders accelerated sharply in July. Canada is retaliating against additional US tariffs with levies of up to 50 percent on hundreds of American products.

TECH NEWS

PCEA will debut Designer Career Day at PCB West 2026, offering a free daylong program on PCB design careers, skills, training and professional development.

Nordson releases ASYMTEK vantage XL fluid dispensing system.

SK Hynix published its technology roadmap for co-packaged optics.

Europe's growing e-waste crisis, including circuit boards, could hold the key to securing critical-material supply if addressed.

Kyocera AVX introduces AEVA and AEVB series aluminum electrolytic capacitors.

BTU introduces Aurora vacuum reflow oven.

Hirose releases ZE150HV series wire-to-board connector.

PCB West 2026 will feature a panel examining AI, interposers, high-speed and high-current design, and optical interconnects shaping PCB design through the end of the decade.

PCEA announced two fall webinars covering the role of the PCB designer and signal routing for controlling energy, signal integrity and EMI in digital PCBs.

PCB West 2026 will feature 11 presentations on electronics assembly processes, including a half-day solder paste qualification workshop and sessions covering SMT printing, stencil design, reflow soldering and more.

Tom Kastner, founder of GP Ventures, discusses mergers and acquisitions, global manufacturing challenges, and the current state of the PCB fabrication and assembly industry in the latest episode of PCB Chat.

PCEA will host a 3.5-hour webinar on Nov. 4 led by Susy Webb covering signal routing techniques to improve signal integrity and EMI performance.

PCEA released the sixth edition of PCB Basics: An Introduction to the PCB Industry, adding chapters on HDI/UHDI and AI applications across PCB design, fabrication, assembly, test, inspection and procurement.

CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY is accepting entries for the 20th annual New Product Introduction Awards, with submissions for electronics assembly products due Dec. 14.

PCB West 2026 is nearly sold out, with only one exhibition booth remaining for the Sept. 29–Oct. 2 event at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

Looking for networking opportunities? Join the PCEA Discord server, bringing together engineers and designers from around the world on a private channel for discussing technical questions and career opportunities.

CAVEAT LECCTOR
Back in the Saddle
So let me start where Mike Buetow left off in our last issue: Thanks. And let’s hear a round of applause for Mike. He’s spent 26 years writing this column, longer than both of my marriages combined.

ANDY SHAUGHNESSY

Andy Shaughnessy





















BUSINESS NEWS

North American EMS bookings rose 44 percent year-over-year in July, while the three-month book-to-bill ratio stood at 1.29.

Canada will impose retaliatory tariffs of up to 50 percent on hundreds of US products following the collapse of trade talks and the introduction of additional US tariffs.

North American PCB bookings rose 62 percent year-over-year in July, while shipments increased 14 percent and the book-to-bill ratio stood at 1.46.

Kitron raised its revenue outlook for the year 15 percent to a range of EUR 1.05B to 1.15B ($1.23B to $1.34B).

Schmid Group reported first-half revenue of $53M, up from $19M a year ago.

NXP Semiconductors broke ground on a 500,000-sq.-ft. assembly and test factory in Malaysia that is expected to more than double the site’s output.

Taiwan prosecutors charged 9 people, including Nvidia and Super Micro staff, over illegally exporting AI servers to China.

WUS Printed Circuit said revenue and net profit surged 61 percent and 74 percent year-over-year, respectively, driven by strong demand in data communications and AI-related PCBs.

Zollner opened a roughly 10,000-square-meter expansion of its Costa Rica facility as part of its Americas 2030 strategy.

Kingboard Laminates saw its revenue jump 55 percent to HK$14.9B ($1.9B) for the first six months, driven by soaring demand and prices for electronic materials related to artificial intelligence.

PCB Technologies won a $65M contract to supply medical PCB assembly products for 2027–2028.

Empel Systems is investing in a new advanced SMT production line at its Milton Keynes facility, supplied by Altus Group.

PCBCool is expanding its electronics manufacturing network across China, Malaysia and Mexico.

Advanced Chip and Circuit Materials named David Griesel vice president, marketing and business development, Asia Pacific./p>

Advanced Chip and Circuit Materials named David Griesel vice president, marketing and business development, Asia Pacific.

MicroScreen named Kristy Jackson senior marketing manager.

SEEING IS BELIEVING
Silence as a Mission Statement
Somebody owed us money for a project we performed in October and November 2025. They needed x-rays – instantaneous, naturally – to validate a project for a large, anonymous commercial spaceflight company with a fondness for overwrought usage of the letter X.

ROBERT BOGUSKI

Robert Boguski






















TECHNICAL ARTICLES

Selective UHDI: Using Ultra HDI Where Needed, Not Everywhere
PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY


Reliability Analysis and Parameter Optimization of Board-Level BGA Packaging Structures under Thermal-Drop Impact LoadC
Soldering & Surface Mount Technology


From Biotechnological Residues to Biodegradable Printed Circuit Boards: Aspergillus Niger Mycelium as a Structural Support Material
Cleaner Materials


EVENTS

Sept. 4, 11, 18, 25, Oct. 9: Certified Printed Circuit Design TrainingOnline
Sept. 28-Oct. 2: Certified Printed Circuit Design TrainingSanta Clara, CA
Sept. 29: PCEA Annual MeetingSanta Clara (CA) Convention Center
Sept. 29: CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY Service Excellence Awards CeremonySanta Clara (CA) Convention Center
Sept. 29-Oct. 2: PCB West 2026Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center
Oct. 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13: Certified Printed Circuit Design TrainingOnline
Oct. 20-22, 2026: TPCA ShowTaipei
Oct. 21, 2026: PCEA webinar: How to be a Great PCB Designeronline
Nov. 4, 2026: PCEA webinar: Designing the Signal Routing to Control Energy in Digital PCBsonline
Feb. 17-19, 2027: Nepcon JapanTokyo
Apr. 27-30, 2027: PCB EastDCU Center, Worcester, MA


 

BOOK-TO-BILLS/MARKET TRENDS
             July Trend
EMS 1.29 Down
Semiconductors         -- --
PCBs 1.46 Down
Component Sales Sentiment -- --
Changes are year-over-year.    

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ABOUT

PCB Update is a digital newsletter for PCB design, fabrication and assembly professionals, brought to you by Printed Circuit Engineering Association™. E-mail industry press releases or links to the editors of CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY or PCD&F: pr@pcea.net.


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