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February 14th, 2025
News and Resources for PCB Design, Fab and Assembly Professionals Subscribe •  Advertise •  PCD&F •  Circuits Assembly •  Tell A Friend
THE LEAD

Foxconn has discussed purchasing French carmaker Renault’s stake in Japan’s Nissan Motor, but its aim is “not acquisition but cooperation,” the company’s chairman said.

Seven EMS transactions were recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024, reflecting a decrease from eight in 2023's fourth quarter and 12 in the fourth quarter of 2022, Lincoln International reported in its latest EMS Quarterly Review.

TECH NEWS

Design engineers must strategically reduce EMI and RFI at every opportunity, especially since some sources are naturally occurring and impossible to remove from the environment.

Is the worldwide race to keep expanding mobile bandwidth a fool’s errand? Could maximum data speeds – on mobile devices, at home, at work – be approaching “fast enough” for most people for most purposes?

PCEA opened registration for the technical program for PCB East 2025, featuring more than 75 hours of in-depth electronics engineering training.

A teardown of a Galaxy S25 Ultra S Pen finds a circuit board for Bluetooth like its predecessor, but the actual components are missing.

CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY opened registration for its annual Service Excellence Awards (SEAs) for EMS providers and electronics assembly equipment, material, service, and software suppliers.

ECD launched M-VP vapor phase soldering barrier.

Nordson released Asymtek Select Coat SL-1040 cleaning station.

Registration for PCB Detroit, a new technical conference and tabletop event taking place on the campus of Wayne State University on June 2-3, is now open.

BOARD BUYING
Even with Tariffs, China Still the Better PCB Option – For Now
Both the Trump and Biden administrations have taken significant steps to bring manufacturing back to the United States. But realistically, when will this goal become feasible, and at what cost?

GREG PAPANDREW

Greg Papandrew





















BUSINESS NEWS

MKS Instruments reported $935 million in fourth quarter revenue, up 4.7% from the fourth quarter of 2023.

Icape Group announced €181.6 million ($189.4 million) in full-year revenue, down -2.2% compared to 2023's total.

Kitron's revenue for the fourth quarter was €160.6 million ($167.5 million), down 19.3% from 2023's fourth quarter.

DuPont has increased its forecast for 2025 profits on the back of a strong demand for electronics, particularly the rapidly-growing market for semiconductors used in AI-based technology.

Keytronic plans to significantly increase production capacity in Arkansas and Vietnam to help mitigate the impact of tariffs on goods manufactured in China and Mexico.

Foxconn can plan its production around new US tariffs, the company's chairman said.

Taiwanese investments in Thailand’s PCB production have surged, fueled by US-China tensions, with 126 projects bolstering the country’s electronics sector.

The Indian electronics industry seeks enhanced trade ties with the US, aiming for $750 billion in bilateral trade by 2032.

Vietnam’s Red Board Technology will build a $110 million PCB manufacturing plant in the country’s Kim Bang I Industrial Park.

Unimicron Technology announced that it was targeted by a ransomware group threatening to release stolen data.

Feig Electronic, a manufacturer of high-quality RFID reader systems located in Weilburg, Germany, has invested in a new SMT line from Fuji Europe.

Best Inc. announced the launch of new lead tinning services for electronic components.

Texmac appointed Arrowhead Technical Sales & Marketing representative for Takaya flying probe test systems and technology in Arizona.

Inovaxe will distribute MP DRY cabinet’s dry cabinet storage solutions.

Parmi USA signed a representative agreement with Technica USA for CA, NV, OR, WA, ID, UT, AZ, NM, CO, WY, TX, OK, AR and LA.

Intervala appointed Robert McKernan president and CEO.

Suntech Circuits appointed Cameron Burke CEO of Suntech Circuits North America.

Juki America – EAS Division appointed Mitch DeCaire regional sales manager for the Midwest, Northwest and Western Canada and Bob Doetzer regional sales manager for the East Coast.

DESIGNER'S NOTEBOOK
PCB Design for Repair and Rework
“Unplanned obsolescence” can happen to a PCB, so the printed circuit board designer must provide a few hooks to give the project a second chance.

JOHN BURKHERT JR.

John Burkhert Jr.






















TECHNICAL ARTICLES


NIST 800-171 Compliance
PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY



Multidimensional Computed Measurement for Highly Accurate PCBA Defect Detection
Optics Express



Inkjet-Printed Electronics for Rapid and Low-Cost Prototyping of Digital Microfluidic Devices Using an Off-the-Shelf Printer
Scientific Reports

EVENTS

Feb. 28-April 4: PCEA Training Certified Printed Circuit Designer CourseOnline
March 18-20: IPC Apex Expo 2025Anaheim, CA
April 1: SMTA Dallas Expo & Tech ForumPlano, TX
April 22-24: NEPCON China 2025Shanghai, China
April 22: SMTA Huntsville Expo & Tech ForumHuntsville, AL
April 24: SMTA Atlanta Expo & Tech ForumAtlanta, GA
April 29-May 2: PCB EastBoxborough, MA
May 9-June 6: PCEA Training Certified Printed Circuit Designer CourseOnline
June 2-3: PCB DetroitDetroit, MI


 

BOOK-TO-BILLS/MARKET TRENDS
             Dec. Trend
EMS 1.26 Up
ICs 17.1% Up
PCBs 1.19 Up
Component Sales Sentiment 98.4% Up
Changes are year-over-year.    

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PCB Update is a digital newsletter for PCB design, fabrication and assembly professionals, brought to you by Printed Circuit Engineering Association™. E-mail industry press releases or links to the editors of CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY or PCD&F: pr@pcea.net.


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