2019 IPC EMS Management Meeting Wrap-up

March 19, 2019 | Tracy Riggan, IPC

At the recent EMS Management Meeting during IPC APEX EXPO 2019, EMS leaders gathered to discuss issues critical to EMS providers today, including supply chain issues, customer contracts, labor optimization and talent shortages. The highlight of the day was a supply chain challenges panel and discussion featuring supplier, distributor, and end-user perspectives on addressing component supply and lead time challenges.

Industry Outlook from IPC's Sharon Starr

March 18, 2019 | Patty Goldman, I-Connect007

Sharon Starr, IPC's director of market research, provides updates on the EMS and PCB industry outlook, benefits of IPC membership and participation, plans to expand the EMS statistical program, and new studies being published.

The Cost of Quality and the Higher Cost of Failure

March 13, 2019 | Eric Camden, Foresite

If you are shopping a new product around to multiple contract manufacturers (CMs), and if all other things in two separate CMs are equal including price and delivery times but one offers a more comprehensive ongoing quality monitoring...

The Role of Bismuth (Bi) in Electronics, Part 5

March 7, 2019 | Dr. Jennie Hwang, H-Technologies Group

The fifth part of this column series addresses the most interesting, yet intricate, aspect of the subject—plausible underlying operating mechanisms among the four elements (Sn, Ag, Cu, Bi) in a SnAgCuBi system. This article...

Punching Out! Why Sell to a Private Equity Group?

February 27, 2019 | Tom Kastner, GP Ventures, Ltd.

One category of buyers that is often overlooked is private equity groups. PCB/PCBA owners either think that their company would not be of interest to a non-strategic buyer, or they have a negative impression of financial buyers. Here...