PCB Chat

Wally Rhines joins Mike Buetow each quarter to share details from the latest ESD Alliance report [https://www.pcdandf.com/pcdesign/index.php/editorial/menu-news/market-news/18933-pcb-and-mcm-design-revenue-climbs-as-electronic-system-design-market-expands-in-q2] 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 this year, Ward and his company were honored with the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, recognizing their exceptional export growth. That recognition earned him an invitation to Windsor Castle, where he had the distinct honor of meeting King Charles III. Today, we’ll explore the evolving world of soldering materials—from the realities behind “no-clean” flux, to reliability challenges in harsh environments, to innovations in solder chemistry that support today’s miniaturized and mission-critical electronics. Whether you're on the production floor, in the design lab, or managing quality and reliability, this is a conversation that brings valuable insight into the materials behind the mission.

Margaret Upshur is CEO of Mobius Materials [https://MobiusMaterials.com], 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 is wasted each year in unused or obsoleted components, Upshur founded Mobius to provide a platform for trading excess inventory much in the way Wall Street brokers trade stocks.  We discuss her model for a sustainable, resilient supply chain; why the buyers and sellers on the Mobius platform can trade anonymously; as well as the PCB Community Meetup featuring a panel on the Ever-Changing Procurement Environment Mobius is sponsoring at PCB West on Oct. 1.

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 20:04 Manufacturing Shortcuts & Hidden Failures 25:30 Real-World Reliability Failures & Case Studies 31:02 Miniaturization, Board Layout & ECM 35:52 Best Practices: Cleanliness, Coatings & Moisture Mitigation 41:32 Material Choices, Standards & the Invisible Risks 45:51 The Smell Test: Practical Tips & Final Thoughts 47:16 Upcoming Events & Community Involvement 48:18 Outro & How to Stay Connected

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. He talks about some of the issues designers are running into, his upcoming presentations at PCB West [https://pcbwest.com], and the design-related programs at the college level, where he has been teaching of late.