PCB Chat

PCB Chat 150: Wally Rhines on the Latest ECAD Market Data

Wally Rhines the spokesperson for the ESD Alliance, part of Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International. He joins Mike Buetow each quarter to share details from the latest ESD Alliance report on sales of computer-aided engineering tools, semiconductor tools, PCB design software, related IP and services, and employment. We discuss: * The latest PCB/MCB design tool market data * The 19-quarter streak of year-over-year gains (can it continue?) * The massive spike in Asia sales * The remarkable resilience of the Americas in maintaining ECAD market share * The employment growth -- will everyone eventually work in ECAD?

RM 184: Advances in Dispensing Automation and Thermal Management with PVA’s Jon Urquhart

Jon Urquhart is director of global applications engineering at Precision Valve and Automation — one of the world’s leading developers of dispensing, coating, and industrial motion-automation systems. Since joining PVA in 1993, Urquhart has become widely recognized for his expertise in fluid material processing, precision dispensing, and the engineering-to-manufacturing handoff that so often makes or breaks product reliability. Urquhart holds multiple patents and has helped shape advanced processes used in industries where the stakes couldn’t be higher — from aerospace and EV battery systems to semiconductor packaging, medical devices, and high-density electronics assembly. His work spans everything from protective coatings that safeguard electronics in extreme environments, to next-generation thermal interface material (TIM) deposition, to automation strategies that reduce human error, improve consistency, and dramatically scale production. He joins Mike Konrad to discuss the real-world challenges of protecting critical electronics and batteries, the latest advances in TIM materials and deposition, sustainable precision-coating techniques, and the power of a strong collaboration model between vendors, manufacturers, and lab technicians.

PCB Chat 149: Maggie Frachioni on the Evolution of a PCB Designer

Margaret (Maggie) Frachioni is a semiconductor hardware engineer at General Motors, where, armed with a bachelor’s in computer engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, she started out college as a software engineer in its automotive test lab.  While at GM, she started work toward her master’s at Wayne State University in Detroit. Last year, she was part of the first PCEA Certified Printed Circuit Designer course taught as part of a university curriculum. She speaks with Mike Buetow on her evolving role at GM, her college preparation for electronics engineering, and how the CPCD class altered her career arc from semiconductor methodology to designing and building boards.

RM 183: A Reliability Matters Podcast Year-End Reflection

Since 2018, Reliability Matters has been building a knowledge vault, capturing the wisdom of industry experts for engineers everywhere.  In this special year-end episode, we celebrate the journey, the growth, and the community that made it possible.

RM 182: How to Work Effectively with your CM - with Daniel Stanphill & Sean Kincaid

Mike Konrad continues a dive into the world of contract manufacturing—a vital piece of the electronics ecosystem. Joining him are two industry leaders who know this space inside and out. First, we have Daniel Stanphill, SMT process engineer at Aurora Boardworks, and alongside him, Sean Kincaid, president of K & F Electronics.  Both companies provide contract manufacturing services to a wide range of customers, helping turn design concepts into dependable, production-ready circuit assemblies. In this conversation, we’ll explore what makes for a successful relationship between contract manufacturers and their customers. We’ll talk about the types of customers they look for, the challenges they face in today’s manufacturing environment, and the common mistakes that can derail a project if not addressed early on.  Most importantly, we’ll dig into best practices that can help customers and manufacturers work together more effectively.