PCB Chat

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...

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...

Robert Bryne, director of marketing at Allspice.io, joins Geoffrey Hazelett of FreedomCAD, Matt Leary of Newgrange Design and Mike Buetow of PCEA to talk about the five-year-old company's GIT hardware platform that helps hardware and electrical engineers streamline hardware design reviews.

We discuss the ECAD formats that Allspice engages with, the templates used, why GitHub matters for software teams, and the company's target mark...

Today, we’re diving deep into the world of electronics manufacturing from a unique vantage point—that of the press.   Mike Konrad's guest is someone who has spent decades at the forefront of reporting on the electronics manufacturing industry. Mike Buetow, president of the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA), has covered everything from the latest technological advancements to the biggest challe...

Wally Rhines, spokesperson for the ESD Alliance, which is part of Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, joins Mike Buetow to share the latest electronic design automation data.

Rhines details highlights from the fourth quarter 2024, which was another record-setting period for PCB design tool sales as well as the other major EDA segments.

And he notes that while historically EDA does well in the first few quarters of ...

This episode is a little different in two ways.

First, host Mike Konrad recorded it not in his studio but at the SMTA Pan Pacific Strategic Electronics Symposium, affectionately known as PanPac, in beautiful Maui, Hawaii.

Each year, Mike records a Reliability Matters podcast at PanPac. Normally, the format of the show is to ask questions and the guests provide ans...

Supply chain management looms over everything we do, but it has been more pronounced than ever over the past five years as the Covid pandemic steered so much attention to how we procure and inventory parts. 

About a month ago, DigiKey, one of the largest distributors of electronic components in the world, and EMA Design Automation announced the integration of DigiKey's myLists tool with EMA UItra Librarian's UltraBOM bill of materi...

Today, we're tackling a topic that has become increasingly vital in recent years: supply chain management. 

With global supply chains recently under immense pressure from disruptions, shortages, and growing complexity, the need for smarter, more efficient solutions has never been greater.  And what better way to explore this than by discussing the cutting-edge role of AI-powered supp...

Today we’re diving into a critical yet sometimes overlooked component that powers so many of the devices we rely on: batteries. Batteries are the heartbeat of countless electronic products, from medical devices and electric vehicles to consumer gadgets and industrial systems.  Choosing the right battery is not a one-size-fits-all decision. It requires a keen understanding of the application, performance needs, and environmental ...

Today’s guest intersects two key areas for electronics manufacturers: circularity and inventory management.

"The cost of a component isn't just the cost of a component. It's the cost to the planet."

That's what Kenny McGee, chief executive of Component Sense, says. Component Sense is an Edinburgh, Scotland-based company that leads electronic manufacturers toward zero waste. It takes brand-new, perfectly good excess components and...

Today, we’re exploring a transformative topic: AI-based inspection technologies.    Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing how we detect, analyze, and address defects in the electronics assembly process, combining precision with unparalleled speed to unlock new possibilities for efficiency and reliability. Our guest today is a leading innovator in this field. Priyansha Bagaria is the founder and CEO of Loopr AI, a company ...

This is Part 2 of a new podcast in which guest Geoffrey Leeds of Leeds AI joins Matt Leary (Newgrange Design), Geoffrey Hazelett (FreedomCAD) and Mike Buetow (PCEA) to discuss the semiconductor/packaging/PCB technology stack and what over the next two to five years will have the biggest impact on the industry at the board level.

The conversation covers heterogeneous packaging, interposers, the density scale equation, silicon to sys...

Supply chain issues are rearing their ugly heads -- again -- with the latest blow the decision by Nippon Denkai to close and liquidate its copper foil manufacturing plant in Georgia, the last such factory in the United States. 

In Part 1 of a two part podcast, Geoffrey Leeds of Leeds AI joins Matt Leary (Newgrange Design), Geoffrey Hazelett (FreedomCAD) and Mike Buetow (PCEA) to discuss the supply chain situation and how the indust...

Today, we’re diving into one of the most transformative innovations of our time: electric vehicles and the vast infrastructure needed to support their growth.  Joining host Mike Konrad is Brian O’Leary, global head of of e-Mobility & Infrastructure at Indium Corporation, a leading expert with deep insights into the electronic assembly industry and its critical role in the EV revolution. As electric vehicles continue to re...

Sales of software for printed circuit board and multichip module design rose to a record $450 million in the third quarter ended in October, extending a growth streak that has seen only three down quarters in the past nine years, the ESD Alliance announced today.

Our guest Wally Rhines offers the latest data and analysis of the electronic design market, which saw strength in the Americas and Europe offsetting dips in Asia and Japan...

Questions about over how the new administration and Congress coming in January will approach government investment in capital projects, workforce development and other incentives to build back the domestic electronics supply chain.

David Schild, executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America, joins Mike Buetow to discuss what the expected priorities of the incoming administration, how they align with the goa...