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December 8th, 2024
News and Resources for PCB Design, Fab and Assembly Professionals Subscribe •  Advertise •  PCD&F •  Circuits Assembly •  Tell A Friend
THE LEAD

Apple’s leaders claim the company wasn’t late to generative AI, but instead following what has become its familiar playbook: try to be the best, not the first.

PCBs with insufficient soldering are the cause of the recall of more than 200,000 Hyundai vehicles due to the risk of rear-view camera failure.

TECH NEWS

Your drawer full of old electronics can do more than just gather dust. Ramping up e-waste recycling can help offset the resources to make new electronics while protecting the environment.

Mycronic released MYPro A40SX and A40LX pick-and-place machines.

Registration is open for PCEA’s 2025 New Product Introduction (NPI) Awards for electronics assembly equipment, materials and software suppliers.

When starting out in electronics, it can be difficult to decide which tools to buy first. Here are a few more suggestions to fill your toolbox.

We’re all familiar with products that fail too soon, but this teardown looks at the opposite case: a kitchen scale with more than 30 years of faithful service.

Abstract submissions for the PCB West 2025 technical conference are due by Jan. 24.

Can printed electronics prevent spoiled food? A team of Canadian researchers is paving the road to smarter milk cartons with a material that stores up to 1,000 times more charge than current printed electronics.

Apple’s Redesigned Mac mini was intended to be even smaller, but the computer required a balancing act to mitigate thermal issues.

BOARD TALK
Semi-Flexible PCBs: Flexibility without the Polyimide Price Tag
The idea behind semi-flex is simple yet effective: a circuit that can flex without the high cost associated with using polyimide materials, which are typically necessary for full flexibility.

JEFFREY BEAUCHAMP

Jeffrey Beauchamp





















BUSINESS NEWS

GreenSource Fabrication is set to build a 98,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility for UHDI PCBs in New Hampshire.

A ZVEI study recommends greater support for certain chip manufacturers and PCB production in Europe to catch up with the rest of the world.

Global notebook shipments are projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4% from 2024 to 2029, according to a DigiTimes report.

China's trade restrictions on strategic minerals are starting to hit Western companies where it hurts.

US tariffs on BRICS countries for trying to create a new currency or use alternatives to the dollar could cause global semiconductor supply chain disruptions, Malaysia said.

TSMC is reportedly in discussions with Nvidia to produce its Blackwell artificial intelligence chips at the manufacturer’s new plant in Arizona.

The US manufacturing industry contracted at a moderate pace in November, with computers and electronics being one of three industries that grew in the month.

Chinese semiconductor exports are projected to exceed CNY1 trillion ($137.5 billion) in 2024, having already reached CNY931.2 billion ($128 billion) in the first 10 months of the year.

The SIA commended the finalization of Chips Act funding for Absolics and Entegris’ manufacturing projects in Georgia and Colorado, respectively.

Mouser Electronics promoted Kristin Schuetter to senior vice president of products, effective Jan. 1.

ROI
Prepping for 2025
It is hard to believe we are rapidly approaching the end of another year. Reflecting and looking forward, it certainly appears that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

PETER BIGELOW

Peter Bigelow






















TECHNICAL ARTICLES


Filling the Gap: Underfill Materials Dispensing for Electronics
PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY



Leaftronics: Natural Lignocellulose Scaffolds for Sustainable Electronics
Science Advances



Ambient Printing of Native Oxides for Ultrathin Transparent Flexible Circuit Boards
Science

EVENTS

Jan. 20-Feb. 24: PCEA Training Certified Printed Circuit Designer CourseOnline
Jan. 28-30: DesignConSanta Clara, CA
Feb. 6: SMTA Austin Expo & Tech ForumAustin, TX
Feb. 28-April 4: PCEA Training Certified Printed Circuit Designer CourseOnline
April 29-May 2: PCB EastBoxborough, MA
May 19 - Jun. 6: PCEA Training Certified Printed Circuit Designer CourseOnline


 

BOOK-TO-BILLS/MARKET TRENDS
             Oct. Trend
EMS 1.25 Up
ICs 22.1% Up
PCBs 1.09 Down
Component Sales Sentiment 97.1% Down
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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