Oct 1, 2026 North American PCB Shipments Jump 23.5% in August, Extending Strong 2026 Growth North American PCB shipments rose 23.5% year over year in August, while the book-to-bill ratio reached 1.29. Bookings fell sharply after July's surge, but YTD shipments and bookings increased 15.5% and 38.7%, respectively. Global Electronics Association

Sponsor Affordable Profiling Excellence Four channels of precision data capture from the most trusted name in thermal profiling. New and improved V-M.O.L.E.™ 2 is the ideal solution for budget-conscious electronics pros. Learn more here. ECD

Apple's iPhone Duo sales predicted to hit 6m units Apple is projected to sell 6 million foldable iPhone Duo units this year, boosting the foldable market. Strong iPhone 18 Pro sales in China also lifted Apple's share, while rising component costs narrowed rivals' pricing advantage. Taipei Times

How pH Cleaning Agents Affect Production Performance Establishing a reliable cleaning process requires a good understanding of all influencing factors, including pH, and defining the correct balance to meet final product reliability. Technical Paper

EMS Plugs in to Capitol Hill EMS leaders met with Congress in Washington to spotlight challenges facing electronics manufacturing, including component shortages, limited capital and workforce gaps. They urged policies that strengthen U.S. production and skilled talent. Global Electronics Association

Sponsor Salvaging Electronic Components: Ensuring Economic Reuse Component salvaging provides a reliable and consistent method of harvesting electronic components, reducing electronic waste, minimizing fabrication of new components, and ensuring economic reuse for automated assembly. BEST Inc.

IEEE Celebrates Innovators Shaping the Future IEEE has named its 2027 Technical Field Award recipients, honoring researchers and teams for advances in microelectronics, AI, medical robotics, wireless networks, energy conversion and technical education that benefit society and drive innovation. IEEE Spectrum

Is There a Standard Usage Rate for Stencils? Is there a recommended usage rate for stencils? Is there a way to determine when it's time to replace a squeegee? Board Talk

Technical Papers ■ 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 ■ Salvaging Electronic Components: A Reliable Method for Reducing Electronic Waste and Ensuring Economic Reuse ■ Digital Warehouse Automation in High-Mix PCB Assembly MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

Sponsor Your Domestic PCB Solution Summit helps you avoid long lead times and added costs—protecting your supply chain without compromise, while delivering the speed and quality you count on. Summit Interconnect

Here's What It Takes to Become an Industry Leader — and Stay There Industry leaders must defend their position as rivals seek to overtake them. Companies can sustain market dominance by developing strong leaders, reinforcing competitive advantages, adapting quickly, and building strategies for lasting success. Entrepreneur

Tim Cook bailed out just in time to avoid the iPhone Duo quagmire Apple's first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, faces production challenges ahead of its October 23 launch. Foxconn reportedly has yields above 60%, while strict quality standards, component issues and limited foldable manufacturing experience constrain early supply. Phone Arena

Capacitive Sensor System Using Printed Electronics on Window Glass The authors demonstrate how to produce a capacitive sensor system on three millimeter window glass by combining the piezo-jet technology and a pick-and-place system. Technical Paper

Sponsor Contaminant Removal with Plasma Plasma provides organics removal and other benefits to increase bond strength! Many chamber sizes available, all with a low environmental impact. Learn more. Plasma Etch

The iPhone Duo is reportedly facing production challenges with low yields and quality concerns Apple's first foldable iPhone faces production hurdles as Foxconn reports low assembly yields and suppliers struggle with components. Limited output could tighten supply as Apple works to balance volume, quality, defects and rising costs. TechSpot

People over AI OpenAI CEO Sam Altman unveiled new AI personal assistant agents called "dots" at the company's developer conference in San Francisco, positioning them against Meta's Muse as humanoid robots drew attention outside an anti-AI protest. Taipei Times

Additive Manufacturing Printed Circuit Board Assembly Processes Utilizing 3D printing, the design process can be shortened and the manufacturing of the jigs and fixtures can replace the cost and lead time of traditional manufacturing. Technical Paper

Sponsor Digital Warehouse Automation in High-Mix PCB Assembly High mix SMT production demands full material visibility. This white paper shows how ASTER improved traceability, inventory accuracy and FIFO control through integrated automation and reel-level tracking across warehouse operations. Essegi Automation

Apple's new CEO wants to move faster, cut jobs, and squeeze more out of services John Ternus is reshaping Apple with a leaner workforce, year-round product launches, and more experimental hardware. The new CEO also plans to accelerate AI development and expand services revenue as memory shortages and rising component costs pressure Apple's business. TechSpot

Manufacturing Intelligence: Turning EDA Data into Trusted Action Manufacturing Intelligence helps semiconductor fabs move beyond data generation to smarter decisions. By combining physics, metrology, machine learning and engineering expertise, it improves yield, speeds processes and reduces friction across teams. EE Times

Sponsor Dedicated Tool for Process Development Advanced plating capability at Uyemura Tech Center: Process Development, UBM, pilot production. ENIG, ENEPIG, EPIG/EPAG, RAIG immersion gold; all substrates. On-site analysis. Uyemura

A jury found Facebook guilty of 43 million privacy violations, and Meta could owe billions A New Mexico jury found Meta guilty of more than 43 million Unfair Practices Act violations linked to misleading data practices and Cambridge Analytica. The state seeks maximum penalties, potentially exposing Meta to billions in damages. TechSpot

Electrical Testing of Passive Components Substrates have become more critical with regard to pitch and density leading to increased use of buried components. This paper reviews testing for buried capacitors. Technical Paper

Trump unveils voluntary AI safety pact, backs more data centers, and officially renames AI "Super Intelligence" Trump announced a voluntary agreement with major US tech and AI companies to strengthen AI safety controls, external audits and oversight. He also backed data center expansion and ordered federal agencies to replace "AI" with "Super Intelligence." TechSpot

AI Drives Larger, Denser Packaging, Raising New Challenges for Equipment Makers AI is driving advanced packaging toward larger packages, finer interconnects and tighter defect controls. Industry experts emphasize hybrid bonding, process monitoring, optical interconnects and panel-level manufacturing to improve yield, reliability and cost efficiency as AI systems scale. EE Times

Sponsor AIT ORMET® TLPS for Proven Reliability AIT ORMET® TLPS is proven for outstanding reliability for High and Ultra High-Density Interconnection and high temperature build-up Layer Interconnection beyond 175°C. Ormet® TLPS

Philippines wants to be a global semiconductor giant by 2030. Can it get there? The Philippines launched a five-year semiconductor road map targeting US$110 billion in annual exports by 2030. The strategy seeks to expand advanced manufacturing, chip design & research while addressing skills shortages, infrastructure gaps, regulatory delays & regional competition. South China Morning Post