July 13, 2026

What Trellis Impact 26 Signals for AI x Sustainability At Trellis Impact 26, AI dominated every sustainability conversation, showcasing practical tools for climate, supply chain, and reporting while exposing accuracy gaps. The event underscored AI's central role in electronics, balanced by the need for human oversight. Global Electronics Association

Sponsor Micro Dispensing Technology White Paper The trend toward micro-dispensing technology increases as electronic assembly's shrink & component packages decrease in size. DL Technology

May EMS Shipments Rise as North American Book-to-Bill Signals Ongoing Strength North American EMS demand stayed resilient in May 2026 as the Global Electronics Association reported a 1.36 book-to-bill ratio, marking nine straight months above parity. Shipments rose 5.2% year over year, while bookings climbed 28.7%, signaling steady growth. Global Electronics Association

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

In China's electronics hub, a memory chip crisis is hitting consumers hard AI-driven demand is driving memory prices sharply higher at Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei electronics market, forcing PC builders to raise prices. Traders say memory and SSD costs have tripled or more as chipmakers favor data center customers, tightening global consumer supply. South China Morning Post

Sponsor Introducing our new Board to Board Connectors These new Board to Board Connectors feature pitch sizes from 0.50 mm to 1.00 mm with multi-pitch and custom pitch designs available. Designed for long-life applications and robust handling. Advanced Interconnections Corp

Burnout, frustration and heartbreak: Amazon layoffs take their toll in saturated job market Amazon's AI-driven restructuring has pushed thousands of employees into a tougher job market after historic layoffs. Former workers describe struggling with applications, pay cuts & uncertainty as tech giants redirect budgets toward artificial intelligence investments & automation. CNBC

Beyond ECM Additional Reasons for Cleaning Circuit Assemblies The level of importance of a clean circuit assembly has been demoted. How did the cleanliness of circuit assemblies, once required, get shoved aside? Technical Paper

Technical Papers ■ 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 ■ Evaluation of Techniques for Intentional Contamination of PWB Substrates for Quantitative Cleanliness Analyses ■ Scaling SMT Traceability ■ The Drawbacks of Internal Recycling Systems for Solder Dross ■ Engineering ESD-Safe PCB Assembly for High-Reliability IoT and Industrial Electronics MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

Sponsor Defluxing Ultra-Fine Pitch CoW Devices? Read This. DI water falls short on copper pillar packages. Get proven cleaning parameters for CoW devices with <25μm pitch in our white paper. ZESTRON Americas

Apple is suing OpenAI, alleging former employees stole trade secrets to build AI hardware Apple has sued OpenAI, alleging it built its AI hardware program using stolen trade secrets from former Apple employees and suppliers. The lawsuit claims confidential product and manufacturing information was misappropriated, and seeks damages and an injunction against further use. TechSpot

The AI race is shifting from bigger models to cheaper, smarter systems The AI race is shifting from building bigger models to deploying the right model for each task at the lowest cost. Growing adoption of open-weight AI models challenges premium providers, pressures pricing, and promotes flexible, hybrid AI systems for businesses. CNBC

A Near-Eutectic Sn-Bi Low-Temp Alloy with Thermal Fatigue Resistance This study reports a new near-eutectic Sn-Bi-based low-temperature solder alloy (Bi+) which can reflow between 165°C and 190°C. Technical Paper

Sponsor vCONNECT: Your Next Level of Digital Connectivity Discover vCONNECT: Analyze inspection data, monitor machine performance, predict maintenance needs, store data securely and access AI tools and the latest Viscom News. Viscom SE

IDC Launches IDC Quanta™ to Close the Gap Between Tech Intelligence and Enterprise Execution IDC launched IDC Quanta, an AI-powered intelligence platform that embeds sourced research, analyst insights and 15B+ proprietary data points into everyday workflows. The platform delivers secure, traceable answers to help enterprises make faster, defensible decisions. IDC

AI Is Taking Over This Crucial Part of the Recruiting Process: 'It Was Very Realistic.' Companies are increasingly using AI interviewers to screen job candidates, helping manage massive application volumes. While AI expands hiring capacity and identifies overlooked talent, employers continue to weigh efficiency against concerns over candidate experience and bias. Entrepreneur

High Speed Transmission Characteristics on RDL Interposer This paper presents the demonstration of RDL interposers with fine pitch firing and low loss dielectric layers. Technical Paper

Sponsor Scoring Big With Glenbrook's Real-Time X-Ray Inspection Jewel Box 70T helps East/West Manufacturing ensure accurate assembly of complex boards, for a system delivering statistics in seconds. Read more Glenbrook Technologies

Fatal factory fire in China highlights worker safety risks Chinese authorities are investigating a fire that killed 28 people at a shoe factory in Fujian's Jinjiang manufacturing hub. Officials arrested the factory's owner and managers as investigators examine safety failures, renewing concerns over workplace safety standards in China. Taipei Times

Wistron sales hit record Wistron posted record second-quarter revenue as AI server shipments drove 62.4% annual growth, while Inventec also logged strong gains. Both expect server sales to rise further, but higher memory costs and softer notebook demand may curb overall shipment growth. Taipei Times

Sponsor Silver Filled Electrically Conductive Epoxy Master Bond EP3HTSDA-2Med is a silver filled adhesive system with high electrical and thermal conductivity that passes ISO 10993-5 for cytotoxicity. Master Bond

FCC approves giant mirror satellite designed to beam sunlight to Earth after dark The FCC approved Reflect Orbital's Eärendil-1 demonstration satellite to test radio systems for orbital sunlight reflection. Supporters see clean energy potential, but astronomers and critics warn reflective mirrors could disrupt night skies, wildlife and daily life. TechSpot

Removing Warpage from PCBAs We have populated boards with components on both sides that are warped. Components are varied height. What methods can we use to flatten them? Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall, The Assembly Brothers, discuss their recommendations. Board Talk

Compostable circuit boards from citric acid waste could cut carbon dioxide footprint Researchers at TU Bergakademie Freiberg developed a fully compostable circuit board from fungal mycelium waste, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional PCBs. The biodegradable material cuts CO₂ emissions by up to 56% & could help reduce mounting global electronic waste. TechXplore

Teen social media bans miss a key part of the puzzle: AI chatbots Experts warn teens are developing addictive emotional bonds with AI chatbots, mirroring social media's harmful impact. They urge governments to strengthen child safety laws, arguing current rules ignore chatbot dependency while favoring AI innovation over stronger protections. CNBC

Sponsor The Battle for Space Superiority Has Begun The next conflict may begin in orbit. Learn why resilient space systems and advanced manufacturing matter more than ever. Summit Interconnect

iPhone maker Foxconn to anchor tech city in the Philippines Foxconn will anchor a US-backed tech hub in the Philippines through the Pax Silica Initiative, securing semiconductor and AI supply chains. New Clark City will draw investment, expand advanced manufacturing, and strengthen US-Philippines-Taiwan ties. Gulf News