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April 21st, 2025
News and Resources for PCB Design, Fab and Assembly Professionals Subscribe •  Advertise •  PCD&F •  Circuits Assembly •  Tell A Friend
THE LEAD

Compal, Wistron and Jabil are reportedly preparing bids for AMD’s ZT server unit, according to Bloomberg.

Revenue at the 50 largest electronics manufacturing services companies grew 12.7% in 2024, totaling $477 billion and reversing a historic 2023 downturn, a new report says.

TECH NEWS

DeepMind researchers say AI must move beyond static data and embrace environmental experience through a new "streams" approach, allowing models to learn without human pre-judgment.

Research into a Meta AI model called Llama 3 showed 78% of those job interruptions were caused by hardware issues such as GPU and host component failures.

Registrants for the PCB East exhibition this April will gain access to six free technical sessions from Rick Hartley, Stephen Chavez and Matt Leary, among others, ranging from printed circuit design to fabrication and assembly.

PCB Detroit features the top experts on printed circuit board design, including Rick Hartley, Susy Webb, Dan Beeker, and Stephen Chavez, among others.

Rick Hartley will headline free technical sessions at PCB East on April 30, joining talks on AI, flex design, UHDI, and more. Registration is free through April 29.

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.

PCEA Training is offering a five-day Certified Professional Circuit Designer (CPCD) training and certification class on May 9, 16, 23, 30, and June 6.

Faced with rising volumes of electronic waste, researchers are turning to adaptable robotics to make recycling smarter, safer, and more efficient.

The PCEA San Diego chapter will hold an in-person meeting on April 23 in conjunction with the Del Mar Electronics Show. Presenting will be Marshall Tibbetts, COO, ACI Materials, on soldering of SMDs directly to conductive ink, and John Ranieri, marketing director, Oak-Mitsui Technologies, on impact of ultra-thin laminates on PCB design, signal and power integrity, and EMC.

The PCEA Portland chapter will host John Andresakis of Ohmega-Ticer for our monthly Zoom meeting on April 24. He will speak on embedded resistance.

BOARD BUYING
Taxes v. Tariffs: Which is Better for PCB Investment?
I recently sat with Shane Whiteside, president and CEO of Summit Interconnect, in his capacity as chairman of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA), to discuss the state of the PCB industry and the effects of the additional tariffs currently in place.

GREG PAPANDREW

Greg Papandrew





















BUSINESS NEWS

Intel took a major step last week by selling over half of its FPGA unit Altera to Silver Lake, a technology investment firm, for $4.4 billion.

Taiwanese rigid circuit board exports fell 0.98% year-over-year in March, TPCA said.

Foxconn chairman says Taiwan is essential to AI infrastructure and poised to lead, but warns that ongoing trade tensions and tariff uncertainty could threaten growth.

Virtex Enterprises is laying off 84 employees at its Austin EMS plant, reports say.

Cicor will acquire a manufacturing operation in Europe as part of a strategic supply agreement with Mercury Mission Systems.

Malaysia’s electronics exports face uncertainty as potential US tariffs threaten RM64 billion($14.5 billion) in non-semiconductor trade.

FOCUS ON BUSINESS
The Uncertainty Factor and Customer Service
2025 is shaping up to be a transformative year for the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry. Tariffs and cuts in government spending influence many EMS providers' planning sessions, creating considerable uncertainty about how these changes impact individual programs and whether customer sourcing strategies will change. One thing is certain: in times of uncertainty, relationships matter.

SUSAN MUCHA

Susan Mucha






















TECHNICAL ARTICLES


What is the Best Material for a High-Speed PCB?
PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY



Three-Dimensional Transistors with Two-Dimensional Semiconductors for Future CMOS Scaling
Nature



Reliability Analysis and Parameter Optimisation of Board-Level BGA Packaging Structures under Thermal-Drop Impact Load
Soldering & Surface Mount Technology

EVENTS

April 22-24: NEPCON China 2025Shanghai
April 23: PCEA San Diego Chapter MeetingDel Mar, CA
April 23-24: Del Mar Electronics ShowDel Mar, CA
April 24: SMTA Atlanta Expo & Tech ForumAtlanta
April 24: Zuken Tech TourSan Jose
April 24: PCEA Portland Chapter MeetingOnline
April 29-May 2: PCB EastBoxborough, MA
May 6-9: EIPC/PCEA Design to Fabrication Technical Symposium
Copenhagen, Stockholm and Tallinn
May 9-June 6: PCEA Training Certified Printed Circuit Designer CourseOnline
June 2-3: PCB DetroitDetroit, MI
June 5: Zuken Tech TourDearborn, MI


 

BOOK-TO-BILLS/MARKET TRENDS
             Feb. Trend
EMS 1.33 Up
ICs 17.1% Up
PCBs 1.33 Up
Component Sales Sentiment 113% 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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