PCB Chat

Wally Rhines joins Mike Buetow each quarter to share details from the latest ESD Alliance report on sales of PCB design software, computer-aided engineering tools, semiconductor tools, related IP and services, and employment. This chat, we discuss the long PCB/MCM design tool rally, a massive jump in employment. broader strength across the ECAD industry, and the effects US policies toward China ar...

In this episode, Mike Konrad is joined by Chris Ward, founder and managing director of Solderking Assembly Materials, a UK-based manufacturer of solders and chemical consumables for electronic, electrical, and engineered assemblies. Ward brings decades of experience in soldering materials and chemical formulations—and he’s built a company committed to performance, consistency, and innovation. Earl...

Margaret Upshur is CEO of Mobius Materials , a global online marketplace for excess electronic components. Before founding Mobius, she was senior director of operations at Particle, which supplies application infrastructure for deploying software and models on computing or IoT devices. And while in college she cofounded a company that made a hand-held device to detect the alcohol content of liquid...

Chapters: 00:00 Introduction & Episode Overview 02:12 Meet Victoria Rawinsky: Expertise & Industry Impact 05:09 Social Media Challenge & Making Science Accessible 09:09 Humidity in Electronics: The Science & Risks 15:12 Types of Humidity & Effects on Materials 20:04 Manufacturing Shortcuts & Hidden Failures 25:30 Real-World Reliability Failures & Case Studies 31:02 Mini...

Stephen Chavez is principal technical product marketing manager with Siemens, but he’s best known for his three decades as a printed circuit designer and instructor. He’s a regular contributor to various industry publications and host of the Printed Circuit Podcast. He also coauthored and teaches the PCEA Training Certified Printed Circuit Designer curriculum, and is chairman of PCEA. He talks abo...

Mike Konrad is joined by two of the most respected names in the electronics manufacturing industry, Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall. Together, they bring decades of hands-on experience and unparalleled insight into the challenges and solutions within our field. Hall and Zarrow are the driving forces behind ITM Consulting, where they help manufacturers around the world improve processes, solve complex pro...

As the electric vehicle market accelerates, the reliability of the charging infrastructure becomes increasingly vital. Chargers that are down or malfunctioning can hinder adoption and erode consumer confidence. But who ensures these chargers stay up and running? This episode of Reliability Matters dives into that very topic with a trailblazer in the EV service space. Our guest is Kameale Terry, co...

On this episode of PCB Chat, David Schild of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America and Mike Buetow discuss the current legislative environment for supporting the PCB industry. We discuss the organization's latest annual meeting, the changing political environment, competition with China, and potential incentives. Also covered: The expanding ecosystem supporting a federal industry policy...

Wally Rhines, spokesperson for the ESD Alliance , joins Mike Buetow to discuss the first quarter electronic design automation market results . The good news: sales of PCB/MCM design software were up 5.5% to $399.8 million for the quarter, the 17th straight period of growth. Strength in Asia-Pacific offset slower results in some other regions.  The four-quarter moving average for PCB and MCM rose 8...

Today we're diving into a topic that keeps many executives awake at night—ERP implementations. More specifically, why so many of them fail and, perhaps more importantly, how to fix them midstream before they derail your operations. Joining Mike Konrad is someone who knows this space inside and out—Chintan Sutaria. Sutaria grew up working in an EMS business from a young age, gaining firsthand exper...

Cofactr is a supply chain execution platform that includes source-to-pay and 3PL solutions for electronics hardware developers. Live from the show floor at PCB East in May, cofounder Phil Gulley and VP of marketing Libby Melton join Matt Leary, Geoffrey Hazelett and Mike Buetow to discuss the company's procurement process tools and software integrations.    

Today we're turning our attention to a cornerstone of modern electronics manufacturing: pick-and-place technology. Joining Mike Konrad is Tim Kang, CEO of Hanwha Semitech Americas. With nearly two decades of experience in the electronics manufacturing space — starting as a mechanical engineer and now leading one of the top pick and place equipment providers — Kang brings a wealth of insight into w...

On this episode of the Reliability Matters podcast, Mike Konrad left his usual studio for the IPC Apex Expo trade show. He interviews two subject matter experts on topics related to electronics assembly. The guests are: Gerald Gardner, global product manager at Weller, a manufacturer of hand soldering equipment fume extraction systems, and precision tools. Mike Young – CEO OF SASinno Americas, a m...

Mike Konrad interviews three subject matter experts on various topics related to electronics assembly. The guests are: Greg Beck, director of sales at Absolute EMS, a contract manufacturer. Brian Watson, cofounder of HyRel Technologies, a global provider of quickturn semiconductor modification solutions. Keith Sweatman, technical advisor at Nihon Superior, a manufacturer of soldering materials  

Chris Banton of EMA Design Automation joins Matt Leary, Geoffrey Hazelett and Mike Buetow to talk about how the EDA vendor's helps printed circuit board designers optimize their designs. Recorded live on the show floor at  PCB East 2025 .

For early 30 years, the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (INEMI), has been the go-to consortium for many leading OEMs companies and their suppliers to identify and develop next-generation technology, and then help deploy it for high-volume manufacturing. Frank Mullaney, director of roadmapping, and Emma Hudson, new project manager, discuss some of the consortium’s ongoing project...

Tom Britton and Nataliia Matsiuk join Geoffrey Hazelett of FreedomCAD, Matt Leary of Newgrange Design and Mike Buetow of PCEA to share work on a Department of Energy program that pair scientists with real-world industry problems. In particular, Britton and Matsiuk are focused on developing an AI solution for the PCB manufacturing industry. Among the topics discussed are roadblocks US companies fac...

Robert Bryne, director of marketing at Allspice.io , joins Geoffrey Hazelett of FreedomCAD, Matt Leary of Newgrange Design and Mike Buetow of PCEA to talk about the five-year-old company's GIT hardware platform that helps hardware and electrical engineers streamline hardware design reviews. We discuss the ECAD formats that Allspice engages with, the templates used, why GitHub matters for software...

Today, we’re diving deep into the world of electronics manufacturing from a unique vantage point—that of the press.   Mike Konrad's guest is someone who has spent decades at the forefront of reporting on the electronics manufacturing industry. Mike Buetow, president of the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA), has covered everything from the latest technological advancements to the bigge...

Wally Rhines, spokesperson for the ESD Alliance, which is part of Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, joins Mike Buetow to share the latest electronic design automation data. Rhines details highlights from the fourth quarter 2024, which was another record-setting period for PCB design tool sales as well as the other major EDA segments. And he notes that while historically EDA does...

This episode is a little different in two ways. First, host Mike Konrad recorded it not in his studio but at the SMTA Pan Pacific Strategic Electronics Symposium, affectionately known as PanPac, in beautiful Maui, Hawaii. Each year, Mike records a Reliability Matters podcast at PanPac. Normally, the format of the show is to ask questions and the guests provide answers. On this episode however, the...

Supply chain management looms over everything we do, but it has been more pronounced than ever over the past five years as the Covid pandemic steered so much attention to how we procure and inventory parts.  About a month ago, DigiKey, one of the largest distributors of electronic components in the world, and EMA Design Automation announced the integration of DigiKey's myLists tool with EMA UItra...

Today, we're tackling a topic that has become increasingly vital in recent years: supply chain management.  With global supply chains recently under immense pressure from disruptions, shortages, and growing complexity, the need for smarter, more efficient solutions has never been greater.  And what better way to explore this than by discussing the cutting-edge role of AI-powered supply chain manag...

Today we’re diving into a critical yet sometimes overlooked component that powers so many of the devices we rely on: batteries. Batteries are the heartbeat of countless electronic products, from medical devices and electric vehicles to consumer gadgets and industrial systems.  Choosing the right battery is not a one-size-fits-all decision. It requires a keen understanding of the application, perfo...

Today’s guest intersects two key areas for electronics manufacturers: circularity and inventory management. "The cost of a component isn't just the cost of a component. It's the cost to the planet."   That's what Kenny McGee, chief executive of Component Sense, says. Component Sense  is an Edinburgh, Scotland-based company that leads electronic manufacturers toward zero waste. It takes brand-new,...