Apple has opened a manufacturing training center in Houston aimed at providing small and medium-sized businesses with hands-on instruction in automation, machine-learning-based quality control and PCB assembly design. The State Department is tightening scrutiny of AI companies’ ties to China as Washington seeks to keep advanced technology away from entities linked to the Chinese government and military.

Tesla is preparing to begin production of its third-generation Optimus humanoid robot in Fremont, as the company works to overcome challenges involving AI, robotic hand dexterity and mass manufacturing.

Researchers developed a PCB-level protection circuit designed to improve aero-engine control system reliability under electromagnetic pulse interference by stabilizing power supply voltage and reducing electromagnetic sensitivity.

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.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei predicts powerful AI could accelerate biological research tenfold, potentially compressing 50 to 100 years of medical progress into the next five to 10 years.

Dr. Hayao Nakahara, president of N.T. Information, will present "The PCB Market Outlook" at PCB West 2026, examining global PCB market trends, AI's impact on the industry, and the outlook for fabricators and designers.

Honor’s Robot Phone is drawing attention for a pop-out gimbal camera with AI-powered subject tracking and advanced stabilization, as the Chinese smartphone maker pushes a more experimental flagship design.

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.

PCB West’s early bird conference rate ends Aug. 21, with more than 50 classes and 120 hours of PCB design and assembly training scheduled for Sept. 29-Oct. 2 in Santa Clara.

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 fewer than 5 percent of exhibition booths 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.

Apple opened a 20,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing training center at Foxconn’s Houston campus, where AI servers are already assembled and Mac mini production is set to begin later this year.

The US State Department has warned AI companies against partnering with entities tied to China’s military or government and is requiring recipients of federal AI opportunity funds to disclose China-related affiliations.

GPV’s second quarter showed strong order intake, pushing its book-to-bill ratio to 1.54, the highest since 2021.

Unitech Printed Circuit Board reported that second-quarter revenue fell 4 percent year-over-year and swung to a net loss, while first-half revenue declined 7 percent.

Samsung Electronics posted record first-half R&D and facility investment as memory semiconductor prices surged 220 percent.

Chinese PCB makers are pouring billions into capacity for higher-value AI server, HPC and optical communications applications.

India’s semiconductor manufacturing sector is drawing investment as government incentives, import dependence and growing electronics demand drive interest in domestic wafer fabs, compound-semiconductor facilities and assembly and test operations.

TTM Technologies is seeing accelerating growth from AI infrastructure demand, with data center and networking revenue up 91 percent in the second quarter and expected to account for nearly half of third-quarter sales.

ECIA released its annual Top 50 Worldwide Authorized Distributors study.

Pica Manufacturing Services named Pascal Delloue COO.

Teradyne named Glenn Farris vice president of sales, product test group.

Kurtz Ersa named Jody Saultz service manager.

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

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.