PCB UPdate logo
facebook      twitter      linkedin      linkedin     
August 3rd, 2026
News and Resources for PCB Design, Fab and Assembly Professionals Subscribe •  Advertise •  PCD&F •  Circuits Assembly •  Tell A Friend
THE LEAD

India’s fabless IC vision takes a step forward with the latest industry roadmap. Benchmark and Rogers turned in stellar June quarters.

TECH NEWS

The Department of Commerce ‌will provide $874 million in CHIPS Act funding to seven U.S. companies developing semiconductor technologies for AI and advanced computing systems.

The India Cellular and Electronics Association on Friday outlined a roadmap for building globally competitive Indian fabless semiconductor companies, with stakeholders identifying priority chip products, stronger intellectual property (IP) creation, startup support and easier access to capital as key focus areas under the government's Semicon 2.0 programme.

A huge debate is brewing in Silicon Valley over the proliferation of Chinese-made artificial intelligence tools, particularly “open-weight” AI systems that, by some measures, can compete with or even outperform some of the best US models.

Five young faculty members from the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science have won National Science Foundation Career Awards this year.

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

Sean Patterson discusses why AI adoption in manufacturing depends on building practical workplace habits rather than relying on training alone in the latest PCB Chat.

PCEA has opened PCB East 2027 booth sales for returning exhibitors and Gold and Platinum corporate members. The exhibition will be held April 28, 2027, at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA, alongside the four-day technical conference, with general booth sales opening Aug. 12.

PCB West 2026 is nearly sold out, with fewer than 5 percent of exhibition booths remaining for the Sept. 29–Oct. 2 event at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

PCEA announced a dedicated electronics assembly program for PCB West 2026, featuring 10 technical sessions on solder paste, placement, reflow, stencil design and cleaning.

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.

CAVEAT LECTOR
Back in the Saddle
So let me start where Mike Buetow left off in our last issue: Thanks. And let’s hear a round of applause for Mike. He’s spent 26 years writing this column, longer than both of my marriages combined.

ANDY SHAUGHNESSY

Andy Shaughnessy





















BUSINESS NEWS

Benchmark Electronics announced second quarter revenue rose 18 percent year-over-year to $756M.

Rogers Corp. said second quarter net sales were $217M, up 6.9 percent year-over-year.

A Fabrinet subsidiary has acquired an office campus in Santa Clara for $77M.

Kingboard Holdings is reporting a half-year net profit of HK$2.7B.

Yancheng Yilian Electronics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shenzhen Yilian Technology, held a groundbreaking ceremony for its flexible printed circuit board) production site.

AI will remain the primary driver of memory demand in 2027. However, market dynamics are expected to diverge between DRAM and NAND Flash, TrendForce says.

Chinese smartphone vendors reported second quarter shipments fell to 130.5 million units, down 13 percent from the prior quarter and 26 percent from a year earlier.

Mirtec opened a sales and demo facility in Dallas.

BOARD BUYING
The "China Plus One" Reality Check for High-Mix, Low-Volume PCBs
For high-mix, low-to-medium volume PCB production, supply chain resilience depends as much on manufacturing ecosystems and engineering expertise as it does on geography.

GREG PAPANDREW

Greg Papandrew






















TECHNICAL ARTICLES

Selective UHDI: Using Ultra HDI Where Needed, Not Everywhere
PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY


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


From Biotechnological Residues to Biodegradable Printed Circuit Boards: Aspergillus Niger Mycelium as a Structural Support Material
Cleaner Materials


EVENTS

Sept. 4, 11, 18, 25, Oct. 9: Certified Printed Circuit Design TrainingOnline
Sept. 28-Oct. 2: Certified Printed Circuit Design TrainingSanta Clara, CA
Sept. 29: PCEA Annual MeetingSanta Clara (CA) Convention Center
Sept. 29: CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY Service Excellence Awards CeremonySanta Clara (CA) Convention Center
Sept. 29-Oct. 2: PCB West 2026Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center
Oct. 20-22, 2026: TPCA ShowTaipei
Oct. 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13: Certified Printed Circuit Design TrainingOnline
Feb. 17-19, 2027: Nepcon JapanTokyo
Apr. 27-30, 2027: PCB EastDCU Center, Worcester, MA


 

BOOK-TO-BILLS/MARKET TRENDS
             May Trend
EMS 1.36 Flat
Semiconductors         104% Up
PCBs 1.60 Up
Component Sales Sentiment 146.6 Flat
Changes are year-over-year.    

Brought to you by the Printed Circuit Engineering Association
PCEA logo
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.


Subscribe •  Advertise •  PCD&F •  Circuits Assembly •  Tell A Friend •  About     twitter  linkedin  linkedin

ISSN 1555-7936, Copyright© 2026 Printed Circuit Engineering Association®, PO Box 237 Portsmouth, NH 03802. All rights reserved.
This newsletter contains copyrighted material that cannot be reproduced without permission. Printed Circuit Engineering Association® Privacy Policy