PCB Chat

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.

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 products.  Whether it’s soldering, cleaning, reflow profiling, process control, or failure analysis, these two have seen it all, fixed it all, and taught it all. In this episode, we tackle some of the most pressing issues facing the industry today, from the challenges of miniaturization, the reality of voiding, to the rise of electronics deployed into harsh environments, to IPC standards, and the role of process control in ensuring long-term reliability. Whether you're a process engineer, a quality manager, or simply passionate about electronics manufacturing, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

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 and CEO of ChargerHelp!, a company revolutionizing how we think about EV charger maintenance and reliability.  Under her leadership, ChargerHelp! has pioneered Reliability as a Service, developed a highly trained and diverse technician workforce, and shaped industry policies aimed at improving charger uptime. Terry's journey is as inspiring as it is innovative, leading a national movement for a more reliable and equitable EV charging network. With backgrounds in workforce development, clean tech, and digital operations, she’s uniquely positioned to tackle the challenges facing this growing industry. In this episode, we’ll explore the common causes of EV charger failures, the role data plays in predictive maintenance, the impact of new regulations like the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) standards, and how ChargerHelp! is creating pathways into the clean energy economy for workers from all walks of life. If you've ever wondered how reliability translates to the EV world, or how technology and workforce innovation go hand in hand, you won’t want to miss this conversation. Chapters: 00:00:00 Revolutionizing EV Charger Reliability with Charger Help 00:02:14 Meet Camille Terry, Entrepreneur and Innovator 00:04:15 Starting ChargerHelp: A Journey from EV Connect to Entrepreneurship 00:06:16 The Impact of Pollution on EV Adoption 00:08:37 Understanding Reliability as a Service Model 00:10:35 Benefits of Reliability as a Service Model 00:12:40 Optimizing Asset Performance with Data Insights 00:14:56 Common Causes of EV Charger Failures 00:16:50 Reducing Mean Time to Repair in Software 00:18:47 Evolution of Memory Cost and Data Collection 00:21:06 Challenges in EV Charger Reliability and Failures 00:23:28 Emerging Leaders in European EV Infrastructure 00:25:37 Workforce Development in EV Infrastructure 00:27:42 Impact of California's EV Charging Reliability Act 00:29:20 Tesla Charging Stations: Leading Reliability Standards 00:31:42 Automotive Firmware Failures: Responsibility and Transparency 00:34:32 Planning for Robust System Configurations 00:36:33 Future Trends in the EV Charging Industry 00:37:36 The Rise of Charger and Smart Engineering 00:39:26 The Rise of Slate EV and Building Great Electric Vehicles 00:41:25 Human Connection in Technology 00:43:24 Importance of Profitability in Business Strategy 00:45:20 The Role of Cash in Business Operations 00:47:26 Conclusion and Podcast Schedule

On this episode of PCB Chat, David Schild of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America [https://www.pcbaa.org] 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 manufacturing boards onshore * Avoiding single points of failure in the supply chain * A change in tactics but not goals for garnering federal support for the electronics industry * Congressional visits to domestic manufacturers * The pursuit of skilled labor

Wally Rhines, spokesperson for the ESD Alliance [https://www.semi.org/en/communities/esda], joins Mike Buetow to discuss the first quarter electronic design automation market results [https://www.semi.org/en/semi-press-release/esd-alliance-reports-electronic-system-design-industry-posts-5.1-billion-dollars-in-revenue-in-q1-2025]. 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 reporting region by revenue, procured almost $2.21 billion of electronic system design products and services in Q1 2025, a 14% increase.  Listen to the podcast for more data and analysis, including thoughts on tariffs.