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July 16th, 2025
News and Resources for PCB Design, Fab and Assembly Professionals Subscribe •  Advertise •  PCD&F •  Circuits Assembly •  Tell A Friend
THE LEAD

First quarter global sales of PCB design tools rose 5.5 percent from a year ago as the ESD industry hit 5.1B.

Nvidia's planned resumption of sales of its H20 AI chips to China is part of the US’ negotiations on rare earths, US Commerce Secretary Lutnick said Tuesday.

TECH NEWS

Seika Machinery announced an Aug. 6 webinar on wireless strain measurement solutions for PCB testing, led by Kyowa’s James Hara.

Researchers at Seoul National University have developed biodegradable fiber electronics that decompose after use, addressing rising e-waste and textile pollution.

Konig launches KP400 3-D digital conformal coater.

PCEA announced that PCB East 2026 will be held at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA, with exhibits on April 29 and a technical conference from April 28 to May 1, reflecting the event’s growth and focus on providing a first-class venue for attendees.

PCD&F launched its annual salary survey for PCB designers and engineers to gather industry compensation data.

Amtech Electrocircuits launches BOMsense.

Quantum computing firm Quantinuum says its machines can, for the first time, run all the operations needed to answer otherwise intractable questions in an error-compensating way.

Cofactr cofounder Phil Gulley and VP of marketing Libby Melton join Matt Leary, Geoffrey Hazelett and Mike Buetow to discuss the company's supply chain procurement tools and software integrations.

PCEA has announced the technical program for PCB West 2025, featuring over 125 hours of training and more than 50 sessions, including 30 classes new to the industry-leading tech conference.

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.

FOREFRONT
Storms Outside, Breakthroughs Inside: High-Performance Packaging Dominates ECTC
More than 2,500 attendees braved the stormy Texas weather to discuss the latest developments in packaging and assembly at the IEEE Electronics Components and Technology Conference (ECTC) in May.

E. JAN VARDAMAN

E. Jan Vardaman





















BUSINESS NEWS

India is reassessing its semiconductor strategy following the US decision to lift export curbs on chip design software to China.

Spartronics’ CEO Jeffrey Schlarbaum signals potential regional expansion as the company scales high-reliability electronics production.

Syrma SGS Technology has executed a joint venture (JV) agreement with South Korea-based Shinhyup Electronics and its wholly owned subsidiary to manufacture multilayer printed circuit boards.

Scanfil is set to acquire Italy’s MB Elettronica, expanding its European electronics manufacturing footprint and adding aerospace and defense capabilities.

Global smartphone shipments rose 1 percent YoY, driven by AI-equipped midrange devices despite weak demand in China.

Kens Electronics will invest in building an IT park in Bhopal, creating 1,000 jobs by next year.

ImageTek Manufacturing is expanding into a 35,000-square-foot facility in North Springfield, Vermont, adding 50 jobs and increasing production capacity.

Aimtron secures 12M to expand production with new SMT-equipped facility targeting 120M revenue goal.

Note maintained stable second quarter sales while improving profitability and narrowing its full-year outlook amid uneven market conditions.

Dixon Technologies plans to invest ₹ 1,000 crore to acquire expertise in manufacturing components, including camera and fingerprint modules, as well as precision mechanical enclosures for mobile phones and other devices.

Samsung will source more than half the HDI boards for its Galaxy S26 series next year from Korea Circuit and DAP, while Fastprint will account for less than half.

Federal Electronics installs HydroJet inline cleaner in its Mexican facility.

Dell Technologies named Terrie Duffy principal electrical engineer-AI Automation.

Flexible Circuit Technologies amed Derek Rossberg regional business development manager.

Technica US named Frank Silva SMT sales representative.

SEEING IS BELIEVING
Comparative Test Methodologies
People are funny. The older I get, the greater the source of amusement they become. No sense letting silliness make one angry in older age. Be entertained: laugh, forgive, move on and enjoy the ride. Savor the irony life and one’s chosen profession present.

ROBERT BOGUSKI

Robert Boguski






















TECHNICAL ARTICLES


When Do You Need Nitrogen in Reflow?
PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY



Non-Line-of-Sight 3D Object Reconstruction via mmWave Surface Normal Estimation
Massachusetts Institute of Technology



Liquid Metal-Vitrimer Conductive Composite for Recyclable and Resilient Electronics
Advanced Materials

EVENTS

June 23-July 21: PCEA Training Certified Printed Circuit Designer CourseOnline
Aug. 4-Sept. 2: PCEA Training Certified Printed Circuit Designer CourseOnline
Sept. 12-Oct. 17: PCEA Training Certified Printed Circuit Designer CourseOnline
Sept. 30-Oct. 2: PCB WestSanta Clara, CA
Oct. 28-30: NEPCON ASIAShenzhen
Oct. 28-30: CPCA Show PlusShanghai
Nov. 3-Dec. 1: PCEA Training Certified Printed Circuit Designer CourseOnline
Nov. 18-21: ProductronicaMunich
Dec. 3-5: HKPCA ShowShenzhen
Apr. 28-May 1: PCB East 2026Worcester, MA


 

BOOK-TO-BILLS/MARKET TRENDS
             May Trend
EMS 1.43 Flat
ICs 27% Up
PCBs 1.03 Down
Component Sales Sentiment 93.1 Down
Changes are year-over-year.    

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ABOUT

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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