PCB Chat
Recorded conversations and interviews on electronics design and manufacturing with the editors of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly, brought to you by the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA)
Episodes
Note: This is the fourth of four episodes on the subject of soldering materials.
Today, we're diving into a topic that's reshaping how we think about thermal management, energy efficiency, and long-term performance in electronics manufacturing—low temperature soldering. Joining Mike Konrad is Dr. HongWen Zhang, principal metallurgist and R&D manager of the A...
Today’s guest is Matthias Wagner, chief executive and cofounder of Flux. Flux is maker of a Agentic AI-based PCB design platform and programmable simulator that runs in a browser environment. Regular listeners may know we have spoken with Matthias a few times in the past, most recently in February 2024.
Since we last spoke, Flux has built out its platform with a variety of tools for design planning, parts searching, netlist generat...
This is the third of four episodes on the subject of soldering materials.
Today, we’re continuing our deep dive into the world of soldering materials, from advanced alloys and flux chemistries to global manufacturing strategy and materials innovation, with one of the industry’s most respected leaders. Joining Mike Konrad is Ross Berntson, president and CEO of Indium Corp.
Wally Rhines joins Mike Buetow each quarter to share details from the latest ESD Alliance report on sales of PCB design software, computer-aided engineering tools, semiconductor tools, related IP and services, and employment.
This chat, we discuss the long PCB/MCM design tool rally, a massive jump in employment. broader strength across the ECAD industry, and the effects US policies toward China are having on the market.
In this episode, Mike Konrad is joined by Chris Ward, founder and managing director of Solderking Assembly Materials, a UK-based manufacturer of solders and chemical consumables for electronic, electrical, and engineered assemblies. Ward brings decades of experience in soldering materials and chemical formulations—and he’s built a company committed to performance, consistency, and innovation. Earlier th...
Margaret Upshur is CEO of Mobius Materials, a global online marketplace for excess electronic components. Before founding Mobius, she was senior director of operations at Particle, which supplies application infrastructure for deploying software and models on computing or IoT devices. And while in college she cofounded a company that made a hand-held device to detect the alcohol content of liquids.
Noting some $15 billion or more i...
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & Episode Overview
02:12 Meet Victoria Rawinsky: Expertise & Industry Impact
05:09 Social Media Challenge & Making Science Accessible
09:09 Humidity in Electronics: The Science & Risks
15:12 Types of Humidity & Effects on Materials
Stephen Chavez is principal technical product marketing manager with Siemens, but he’s best known for his three decades as a printed circuit designer and instructor. He’s a regular contributor to various industry publications and host of the Printed Circuit Podcast. He also coauthored and teaches the PCEA Training Certified Printed Circuit Designer curriculum, and is chairman of PCEA.
Mike Konrad is joined by two of the most respected names in the electronics manufacturing industry, Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall. Together, they bring decades of hands-on experience and unparalleled insight into the challenges and solutions within our field. Hall and Zarrow are the driving forces behind ITM Consulting, where they help manufacturers around the world improve processes, solve complex problems, and build more reliable p...
As the electric vehicle market accelerates, the reliability of the charging infrastructure becomes increasingly vital. Chargers that are down or malfunctioning can hinder adoption and erode consumer confidence. But who ensures these chargers stay up and running? This episode of Reliability Matters dives into that very topic with a trailblazer in the EV service space. Our guest is Kameale Terry, cofounder a...
On this episode of PCB Chat, David Schild of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America and Mike Buetow discuss the current legislative environment for supporting the PCB industry.
We discuss the organization's latest annual meeting, the changing political environment, competition with China, and potential incentives.
Also covered:
- The expanding ecosystem supporting a federal industry policy
- Potential tax credits for man...
Wally Rhines, spokesperson for the ESD Alliance, joins Mike Buetow to discuss the first quarter electronic design automation market results.
The good news: sales of PCB/MCM design software were up 5.5% to $399.8 million for the quarter, the 17th straight period of growth. Strength in Asia-Pacific offset slower results in some other regions. The four-quarter moving average for PCB and MCM rose 8.9%.
The Americas, the largest report...
Today we're diving into a topic that keeps many executives awake at night—ERP implementations. More specifically, why so many of them fail and, perhaps more importantly, how to fix them midstream before they derail your operations. Joining Mike Konrad is someone who knows this space inside and out—Chintan Sutaria. Sutaria grew up working in an EMS business from a young age, gaining firsthand experience in ...
Cofactr is a supply chain execution platform that includes source-to-pay and 3PL solutions for electronics hardware developers.
Live from the show floor at PCB East in May, cofounder Phil Gulley and VP of marketing Libby Melton join Matt Leary, Geoffrey Hazelett and Mike Buetow to discuss the company's procurement process tools and software integrations.
Today we're turning our attention to a cornerstone of modern electronics manufacturing: pick-and-place technology. Joining Mike Konrad is Tim Kang, CEO of Hanwha Semitech Americas. With nearly two decades of experience in the electronics manufacturing space — starting as a mechanical engineer and now leading one of the top pick and place equipment providers — Kang brings a wealth of insight into what it ta...
On this episode of the Reliability Matters podcast, Mike Konrad left his usual studio for the IPC Apex Expo trade show. He interviews two subject matter experts on topics related to electronics assembly. The guests are:
- Gerald Gardner, global product manager at Weller, a manufacturer of hand soldering equipment fume extraction systems, and precision tools.
Mike Konrad interviews three subject matter experts on various topics related to electronics assembly.
The guests are:
- Greg Beck, director of sales at Absolute EMS, a contract manufacturer.
- Brian Watson, cofounder of HyRel Technologies, a global provider of quickturn semiconductor modification solutions.
- K...
Chris Banton of EMA Design Automation joins Matt Leary, Geoffrey Hazelett and Mike Buetow to talk about how the EDA vendor's helps printed circuit board designers optimize their designs.
Recorded live on the show floor at PCB East 2025.
For early 30 years, the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (INEMI), has been the go-to consortium for many leading OEMs companies and their suppliers to identify and develop next-generation technology, and then help deploy it for high-volume manufacturing.
Frank Mullaney, director of roadmapping, and Emma Hudson, new project manager, discuss some of the consortium’s ongoing projects, including new content on PCB tes...
Tom Britton and Nataliia Matsiuk join Geoffrey Hazelett of FreedomCAD, Matt Leary of Newgrange Design and Mike Buetow of PCEA to share work on a Department of Energy program that pair scientists with real-world industry problems.
In particular, Britton and Matsiuk are focused on developing an AI solution for the PCB manufacturing industry. Among the topics discussed are roadblocks US companies face to develop a smart factory in whi...
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