Nov 3, 2026 From PCB Design to Production, Standards Decisions are Connected IPC Design Suites organize PCB design, materials, manufacturing, and packaging standards to align design intent with production needs, enabling early collaboration and better product outcomes. Global Electronics Association

Sponsor Gripping Systems from micro assembly to heavy lifting The first industrial-suited grippers from SCHUNK were a milestone. Since then we have brought countless newly and further developments to market. SCHUNK

S Korea to double spending on AI, chips next year South Korea plans to double AI and semiconductor spending to a record 21.3 trillion won next year, while increasing defense investment by 8 percent. President Lee aims to strengthen domestic AI capabilities and modernize the military using robotics and drones. Taipei Times

Viscosity Does Not Equal Rheology: What Solder Paste Measurements Really Tell You Viscosity is a useful solder paste quality control measurement, but rheology provides a more complete understanding of how paste will roll, fill, release, recover, and remain stable during stencil printing. Technical Paper

Apple is warning iPhone users in 110 countries about mercenary spyware Apple has warned iPhone users in 110 countries about potential targeted mercenary spyware attacks. The company withheld technical details and suspected attackers but advised recipients to strengthen device security against sophisticated threats targeting sensitive personal information. TechSpot

Sponsor 5 Keys to Component Lead Tinning Success Re-conditioning of electronic components mitigates gold embrittlement, eliminates tin whiskers enhancing quality and sustainability prior to soldering. BEST Inc.

North American IT Distribution Revenue Hits Record $28.9 Billion in 3Q26, up 29.2% Year Over Year North American IT distributors achieved record 3Q26 revenue of $28.9 billion, up 29.2% year over year, as AI infrastructure demand boosted server, networking and semiconductor sales, despite tight memory and storage supplies. IDC

What is the Ideal Stencil Thickness? What is the best stencil thickness for mixed density circuit boards? Should we reduce the apertures for small components? The Assembly Brothers, Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall, answer these questions and share their own experiences. Board Talk

Technical Papers ■ 5 Major Challenges in Image Sensor Packaging and How to Solve Them ■ The Analysis of Variance: Drawing Conclusions from Data That Are Correct, Unambiguous, and Defensible ■ Oxide Reduction for Reliable Electronics Manufacturing ■ UHDI Fabrication for IC Substrates: SAP and mSAP Processes ■ Flux-Free, Reliable, Efficient: Soldering with Formic Acid ■ Redesigning Material Logistics for High-Mix EMS Production ■ Unlocking Academic-Industry Synergy: A Collaborative Model for Hands-On Electronics Manufacturing Education ■ Viscosity Does Not Equal Rheology: What Solder Paste Measurements Really Tell You MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

Sponsor Refurbished and Demo X-ray Inspection Systems 2026 Demo JewelBox-70T X-ray System and 2026 Demo JewelBox-100T X-ray System Refurbished & Demo Systems on sale with warranty. Learn more. Glenbrook Technologies

Apple's quarter is not perfect. But with enough to like, we raised our price target Apple shares fell in after-hours trading Monday despite beating quarterly earnings expectations, as investors reacted to mixed guidance. Slower services revenue growth and rising memory costs threaten margins, raising concerns about the company's near-term financial performance. CNBC

Intel foundry push faces critical test after stock's 45% plunge in October Intel faces growing pressure to revive its foundry business as weak PC demand, production constraints and a 29% stock decline erode investor confidence and cloud efforts to secure major customers. CNBC

Fracture of Lead-Free Solder Joints This study extended the quasi-static approach to treat solder joint fracture under higher strain-rate loading conditions. Technical Paper

Sponsor AEC Grade-0 and MSL Level-1 Conductive Paste & Film Adhesives 240° Tg and ultra-high thermal stability for AEC Grade-0 applications. Proven rapid and snap curing die-attach paste for ultimate productivity. AI Technology, Inc.

Taiwan, Japan might sign comprehensive trade pact Taiwan and Japan are pursuing a trade pact by year-end to expand cooperation in digital trade, sustainability, advanced technologies and semiconductor supply chains, potentially setting a regional precedent. Taipei Times

Cheap AI Output Can Still Be Expensive Work. Here's How to Tell. Businesses must verify AI-generated results to preserve productivity gains. Effective automation requires independent evidence, clear accountability and affordable human oversight, particularly when errors carry liability or critical consequences. Entrepreneur

3D Integration a Thermal-Electrical-Mechanical-Reliability Study In this paper examples of electro and thermomigration effects as a failure mechanism in PoP-BGA, CuSn pillars, flip chip and TSV were presented. Technical Paper

Sponsor Safe and Effective Cleaning with 440-R Not consumed during the stencil cleaning process so there is no need to monitor concentration. Simply replace with fresh solution every 4-6 weeks. Learn more. Smart Sonic

A flexible new route to designer materials built from nanoparticles MIT researchers developed a nanoparticle assembly technique that creates novel crystal structures, potentially advancing scalable, high-performance materials for electronics, medicine, energy storage and catalysis. MIT News

Can Japan beat the data center backlash? Anthropic warns that growing public opposition to data centers could delay AI expansion, increase costs and restrict capacity. Japan must address community concerns, secure reliable electricity and invest in clean energy to sustain infrastructure growth and remain competitive. Taipei Times

Sponsor iX7059 SMT Edition: Next-Gen 3D X-ray Experience high-precision inline 3D X-ray inspection by Viscom with AI-powered defect detection, exceptional image quality, and reliable performance for complex SMT assemblies. Viscom SE

How Small Electronics Manufacturers Prevent Component Shortages Electronics manufacturers are reducing shortages through accurate inventory tracking, BOM-based planning and integrated purchasing, improving production scheduling while cutting excess inventory and costs. EE Times

Jetting Strategies for mBGAs This study attempts to understand the dependencies on piezo actuation pulse profile on jetting deposit quality, especially focused on positioning, satellites and shape. Technical Paper

Guarding the Gates of Knowledge AI-generated misinformation threatens scientific publishing and Wikipedia as increasingly convincing content challenges detection systems, forcing human reviewers to defend research integrity and public trust. IEEE Spectrum

5 New Foldable Phones to Consider Instead of the iPhone Duo Apple has entered the foldable smartphone market with the iPhone Duo, featuring premium OLED displays, a powerful 2nm processor and refined design. However, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold offer competitive alternatives. Slash Gear

Sponsor More than just hot air Rehm's Vision series Convection Soldering Systems ensure reliable, high-quality electronics production by using precise heat transfer and customizable options for maximum efficiency. Rehm Thermal Systems

Identifying the Root Cause of Electronics Failures with Simulation Apps Danish researchers are developing simulation tools to predict humidity-induced corrosion in high-voltage electronics, helping engineers improve circuit board designs and reliability in EVs, wind turbines and data centers. TechBriefs