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October 23rd, 2026
News and Resources for PCB Design, Fab and Assembly Professionals Subscribe •  Advertise •  PCD&F •  Circuits Assembly •  Tell A Friend
THE LEAD

Han's CNC reported a 214 percent increase in profit as demand for AI-related PCB manufacturing equipment continues to fuel growth. Schmid Group secured an equipment order exceeding $29M to support advanced HDI manufacturing capacity expansion in Malaysia.

TECH NEWS

CDA-YOLO is an improved YOLOv11 model for detecting PCB defects.

A machine learning model identifies faulty circuit board components with 98.5 percent accuracy.

Stanford researchers used thermal noise to send data without an active signal.

KAIST researchers built a flexible active-matrix dual-band electrochromic display.

Amada Weld Tech releases SIGMA LS Laser Micromachining Subsystem.

DigiKey releases standard electronics tools and ESD protection products.

PCEA will host a 3.5-hour webinar on Nov. 4 led by Susy Webb covering signal routing techniques to improve signal integrity and EMI performance.

PCEA will host a free webinar Dec. 8 featuring Asaf Israelit discussing how AI can optimize entire BoMs, identify component alternatives, reduce costs and address supply chain risks before production.

PCEA will host a free webinar Nov. 17 featuring Yash Sutariya discussing global PCB supply chain disruptions, sourcing risks and strategies for strengthening supply resilience.

In the latest episode of PCB Chat, Qualcomm senior designer and manager Miroslava Velasco discusses her career in PCB design, the mentors who helped shape her professional development, and the importance of encouraging the next generation of women engineers.

PCEA Training announced its winter and spring 2027 schedule for the Certified Professional Circuit Designer (CPCD) program, with online classes beginning Jan. 15 and Mar. 19 and an in-person session April 26–30 at PCB East.

CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY is accepting entries for the 20th annual New Product Introduction Awards, with submissions for electronics assembly products due Dec. 14.

Looking for networking opportunities? Join the PCEA Discord server, bringing together engineers and designers from around the world on a private channel for discussing technical questions and career opportunities.

MATERIAL GAINS
Software-Defined Warfare Meets the Hardware Supply Crunch
Establishing the technological upper hand has always taken priority for military forces. In today’s data-driven, AI-powered world, superiority comes from faster decision-making, seamless interoperability between systems, and real-time adaptability.

ALUN MORGAN

Alun Morgan





















BUSINESS NEWS

Schmid Group reached an agreement on an equipment order exceeding $29M to support advanced HDI manufacturing capacity expansion in Malaysia.

Mycronic reported a 38 percent increase in third-quarter net sales to approximately $253M and raised its 2026 sales outlook to $1B.

Kitron reported a 59 percent increase in third-quarter revenue, and its order backlog reached a record $983M, up 41 percent year-over-year.

SEMI forecasts global silicon wafer shipments will increase 11.8 percent in 2026 to 14,420M square inches.

Schmid Group reported third-quarter 2026 order intake of approximately $79M, more than double the previous quarter.

Han’s CNC’s profit rose 214 percent on demand for AI PCB equipment.

Zhen Ding Technology, the world’s largest PCB supplier, says it expects no near-term relief from supply constraints.

WUS and Victory Giant still grew profit more than 50 percent quarter-on-quarter.

Apple named new and expanded US supplier partners for critical components under its American Manufacturing Program.

Samsung and SK Hynix are reportedly upgrading their China plants to make more advanced memory chips.

Huawei-linked SiCarrier says multiple Chinese fabs have adopted its tools, and its EDA affiliate Qiyunfang is focused on schematic capture and PCB design tools.

Circuit Mind raised an $18.5M to automate circuit board design, with Norwest’s Dave Zilberman joining its board.

ASMPT appointed Katie Xu as executive director.

Amissiontech moved its PCB manufacturing and contract electronics operations to a new facility in Dongguan.

ROI
Rethinking Inspection for the UHDI Era
When does technology advance to such a degree that the industry needs to pause and rethink how it produces products and then verifies and validates that those products will reliably perform as intended and marketed?

PETER BIGELOW

Peter Bigelow






















TECHNICAL ARTICLES

Managing Vias in Very High Data-Rate Differential Pairs
PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY


Copper-Filled Circuit Boards Push Data Center Power Converter to 98.8% Efficiency
Bioengineer


Magneto-Mechano-Electrochemical Fiber for Deformation-Resilient and Smart Electronic Textiles
ScienceAdvances


EVENTS

Oct. 26-27: Industrial Technology World Asia, Shenzhen
Nov. 4: PCEA webinar: Designing the Signal Routing to Control Energy in Digital PCBs, online
Nov. 17: PCEA webinar: Sourcing PCBs Globally, online
Jan. 15, 22, 29, Feb. 5, 12: Certified Printed Circuit Design Training, online
Feb. 17-19: Nepcon Japan, Tokyo
Mar. 19, Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23: Certified Printed Circuit Design Training, online
Apr. 26-30: Certified Printed Circuit Design Training, at PCB East, Worcester, MA
Apr. 27-30, 2027: PCB East, DCU Center, Worcester, MA


 

BOOK-TO-BILLS/MARKET TRENDS
             August Trend
EMS 1.39 Up
Semiconductors         144%    Up
PCBs                                      1.29 Down
Component Sales Sentiment 1.36 Down
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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