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May 16th, 2026
News and Resources for PCB Design, Fab and Assembly Professionals Subscribe •  Advertise •  PCD&F •  Circuits Assembly •  Tell A Friend
THE LEAD

The US Department of War launched agreements with several OEMs to rapidly scale low-cost missile and hypersonic weapons production. Celestica became the latest EMS to announce a major new campus in Texas.

TECH NEWS

Growing AI data center deployments are increasing demand for advanced PCB technologies as faster AI servers require higher-speed networking infrastructure and improved inter-server communication performance.

TechSearch International reported growing shortages of advanced build-up substrates for AI, server and networking packages as increasing layer counts and larger substrate sizes strain industry capacity.

Specialty Coating Systems will host a webinar on May 21 on ultra-thin parylene and hybrid multilayer coatings combining parylene and ALD technologies.

Newcastle University engineers have developed a “reversible” glue as a sustainable alternative to permanent joining methods such as solder.

Registration is open for PCB West 2026, which will feature more than 120 hours of PCB design and assembly training this September in Santa Clara.

PCB Detroit will return to Wayne State University June 15-16 with technical sessions covering ESD, EMI, RF design, thin copper impacts, thermal management, signal integrity and AI-driven PCB workflows, alongside a tabletop exhibition and networking events.

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.

MATERIAL GAINS
In the Current Climate, Access to Cutting-Edge Technologies is Sure to Become More Difficult
The stock market’s volatility index, or VIX, has had an eventful 2026 so far, beginning with uncertainty over trade tariffs and most recently due to the conflict in the Middle East. Also known as Wall Street’s fear gauge, the VIX has been spiking around 30, which is a significant psychological threshold for investors.

ALUN MORGAN

Alun Morgan





















BUSINESS NEWS

Celestica will invest $876M in a Fort Worth manufacturing campus focused on AI infrastructure hardware, creating nearly 2,000 jobs.

The US Department of War launched new agreements with Anduril, Leidos, CoAspire, Zone 5 and Castelion to scale low-cost missile production, targeting more than 10,000 cruise missiles and expanded hypersonic weapons output over the next several years.

SIIX reported a 2 percent year-over-year rise in first-quarter net sales for the period ended Mar. 31.

Semiconductors are leading a new phase of the AI boom, with strong chipmaker revenue growth and continued demand for AI hardware driving gains beyond the largest technology companies.

Nan Ya PCB's push into advanced IC substrates could influence global AI hardware supply chains by increasing capacity for high-performance GPUs, switches, and edge AI devices.

UMC Electronics saw sales and profits fall 15 percent and 44 percent, respectively, in its fiscal year ended Mar. 31.

Growing concern over US dependence on Chinese rare earth supplies is increasing attention on recovering valuable magnets and materials from domestic electronic waste to support electronics, defense and AI-related industries.

A Broadcom executive warned that TSMC is nearing production capacity limits as AI demand strains semiconductor supply chains.

Busan Equity Partners is renewing its bid for flex CCL maker Nexflex.

VJ Electronix appointed MaRC Technologies manufacturers’ representative in the Pacific Northwest.

ROI
When AI Becomes a Security Risk Inside the Organization
Security has become a major issue for the industry over the past couple decades. Long gone are the times when information could be shared without concern that it would be intercepted, copied or stolen during the course of “normal” operations.

PETER BIGELOW

Peter Bigelow






















TECHNICAL ARTICLES

Reflow AI – Before There was Artificial Intelligence
PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY


An Electrically Conducting Water-based Reversible Adhesive
Advanced Electronic Materials


Simulation of Electrothermal Transient Responses in Power PCB Modules Using Comsol, Spice, and Asonika-TM
Russian Microelectronics


EVENTS

May 15, 22, 29, June 5, 12: Certified Printed Circuit Design Training, Online
May 26-29: Electronic Components and Technology Conference
Orlando
June 2-4: Fac Tec China 2026Shanghai
June 9-10: EIPC Summer Conference, Lithuania
June 9-11: ZIW Americas 2026Dallas
June 15-16: PCB Detroit 2026Detroit
June 24-26: Vietnam Intcomm 2026 & Electronic Vietnam 2026Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Sept. 4, 11, 18, 25, Oct. 9: Certified Printed Circuit Design Training Online
Sept. 28-Oct. 2: Certified Printed Circuit Design Training, Santa Clara, CA
Sept. 29-Oct. 2: PCB West 2026Santa Clara, CA
Oct. 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13: Certified Printed Circuit Design Training, Online
Feb. 17-19, 2027: Nepcon JapanTokyo


 

BOOK-TO-BILLS/MARKET TRENDS
             Feb. Trend
EMS 1.32 Up
Semiconductors         62% Up
PCBs 1.08 Down
Component Sales Sentiment 139.7 Up
Changes are year-over-year.    

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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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