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October 8th, 2026
News and Resources for PCB Design, Fab and Assembly Professionals Subscribe •  Advertise •  PCD&F •  Circuits Assembly •  Tell A Friend
THE LEAD

AI's impact on the electronics industry continues to grow, with rising demand for PCB solder pushing tin prices higher as Foxconn reports a 47 percent jump in third-quarter revenue to $95B.

TECH NEWS

A 10,000-card AI computing center needs 2.5–3.2 tons of PCB solder alone, pushing tin prices into new territory.

PCB West 2026's yearbook is here! Relive the best moments from this year's sold-out show in Santa Clara: packed technical sessions, a buzzing exhibit floor with more than 100 exhibitors and all the reunions in between.

Researchers looks at why electroplated copper matters for PCBs: its low resistivity and high resistance to electromigration.

SpaceX and xAI push toward 10 GW.

AMD releases Ross, an agentic AI assistant.

Europe's Circuit4EU 3.5-year EU project aims to recover rare earths from PCBs, magnets and other device components.

Keysight Velocity releases 4900 series automation switches.

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.

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

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 LECTOR
China and Taiwan Expand Lead in PCB Fabrication
Many of us look forward to the NTI-100. It provides a detailed snapshot of the biggest companies in the PCB fabrication segment that you just can’t find anywhere else. No one but “Naka” has this much information, in this much detail, about so many fabricators around the world.

ANDY SHAUGHNESSY

Andy Shaughnessy





















BUSINESS NEWS

Foxconn reported a 47 percent year-over-year increase in third-quarter revenue to $95B, surpassing market forecasts as strong AI-related demand fueled growth.

Interconnect Cable Technologies Corporation (ICTC) acquired Trinity Manufacturing Corporation.

Yole Group reports that augmented reality is driving near-term microLED growth, while optical interconnections in AI data centers present an emerging market opportunity.

China's 15th Five-Year Plan pushes high-density PCB integration, advanced packaging and substrate-like PCB (SLP) technology.

Eltek receives $6.8M in follow-on PCB orders.

Draper breaks ground on LINC in Lowell.

TSMC and others acquires C.J. Rogers Electronics.

ZTEST Electronics names Dave Barnett president and CEO.

THE FLEXPERTS
Understanding Flex Circuit Cost Drivers
Every designer is tasked with creating a design that meets all performance criteria. A flex circuit must interconnect a variety of components and inputs and outputs within the envelope of the finished product. It must achieve size, weight and power goals while also meeting cost targets.

NICK KOOP

Nick Koop






















TECHNICAL ARTICLES

High-Power Thermal Management: Two-Layer IMS Design Considerations
PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY


Oxidized Liquid Metal-Based Stretchable Patch for Wearable Health Monitoring
Wiley Advanced


Heterogeneous Molecular-Silicon Integration for Precision Neuromorphic Computing
Wiley Online Library

 


EVENTS

Oct. 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13: Certified Printed Circuit Design Training, online
Oct. 20, 2026: PCEA webinar: Coin-Style PCB Heat Sinks, online
Oct. 20-22, 2026: TPCA Show, Taipei
Oct. 21, 2026: PCEA webinar: How to be a Great PCB Designer, online
Nov. 4, 2026: PCEA webinar: Designing the Signal Routing to Control Energy in Digital PCBs, online
Nov. 17, 2026: PCEA webinar: Sourcing PCBs Globally, online
Feb. 17-19, 2027: Nepcon Japan, Tokyo
Apr. 27-30, 2027: PCB East, DCU Center, Worcester, MA


 

BOOK-TO-BILLS/MARKET TRENDS
             August Trend
EMS 1.39 Up
Semiconductors         144%    Up
PCBs                                      1.29 Down
Component Sales Sentiment 1.36 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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