PCB Chat

The challenging world of electronics becomes even more challenging when the end product is destined for harsh environments. For high-reliability products operating in a harsh environment, the quest for reliability is not just a goal—it's an imperative. These are not your everyday gadgets; often they're critical components of systems designed to operate under extreme conditions, where failure is not an option. From the scorching heat of desert landscapes to the unyielding cold of arctic tundra, from the high-pressure depths of our oceans to the radiation-filled expanse of space, the demands on these electronic products are as varied as the environments themselves.

While ocean depths, outer space, and frozen tundra are arguably harsh environments, we don’t have to look too far for examples of product failures in less harsh environments. One example that comes to mind is the state of public EV charging stations. Government reports have concluded that up to 25% of public EV chargers are at any given time. While there are many reasons for this, one may conclude they are not designed and manufactured for the intended in climactic operating environment.

On this episode, we'll uncover the numerous challenges that designers and engineers face in their quest for reliability, durability, and functionality of the final product. As we navigate through this complex landscape, we'll highlight the strategies that enable these products to not just survive but excel in unforgiving conditions.

Our navigator for this episode is, Dr. Andre Kleyner. Dr. Kleyner has 30 years of engineering, research, consulting, and managerial experience specializing in reliability of electronic and mechanical systems designed to operate in severe environments. He received a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland, and a master's of business administration from Ball State University. Dr. Kleyner is a Global Reliability Engineering Leader with Delphi Electronics & Safety and an adjunct professor at Purdue University. He is a Fellow of the American Society for Quality (ASQ), a Certified Reliability Engineer, Certified Quality Engineer, and a Six Sigma Black Belt. He also holds several US and foreign patents and authored multiple professional publications including two books on the topics of reliability, statistics, warranty management, and lifecycle cost analysis.

"Humans just aren't the greatest at designing circuit boards." That's according to Sergiy Nesterenko.

Nesterenko is founder and CEO of a new software company called Quilter, whose goal is to accelerate hardware development by fully automating circuit board design. His eureka moment came when an early design at a previous employer couldn't be autorouted, then after it was hand-routed and built, it caught on fire.

Listen to why the former Space X engineer thinks the margins designers build in are excessive and how AI-driven, physics-based platform can resolve and even violate some "human" rules and still generate superior printed circuit boards.  

We’ve discussed the silver tsunami on the show numerous times, the unprecedented rate of which employees are retiring. When engineers and other employees retire from companies, they take with them more than a set of gold cufflinks or an engraved plaque. In many cases, they also take with them wisdom and knowledge.

If you’re new to this industry, stick around listen to Doug's advice to young people entering our world, the world of electronics assembly.

00:00:00 - Introduction to Doug Pauls' Career in the Electronic Assembly Industry

00:02:57 - Reliability Matters Podcast Introduction

00:06:04 - Sharing wisdom with early career individuals

00:09:34 - Hobbies Outside of Work

00:12:44 - The Minions and World Domination

00:16:23 - Overcoming Shyness through Theater and Public Speaking Lessons

00:19:41 - Lessons Learned from Skilled Trades People

00:23:03 - Working in the Department of the Navy

00:26:21 - Learning from Asking Questions and Trying New Things

00:29:38 - Learning from the Old Guys

00:33:05 - Participating in Standards Development

00:36:32 - The Power of Networking and Technical Committees

00:40:01 - The Value of Leadership Skills in Collaborative Industries

00:43:15 - Collaboration in the Electronics Industry

00:46:18 - Developing Valuable Skills in Problem-Solving

00:49:39 - Transitioning to Rockwell Collins

00:52:59 - The Four Pillars of Career Advancement at Collins Aerospace

00:56:32 - Finding Resources for Personal Growth

01:00:01 - Industry Updates and Resources

01:03:26 - The Value of Old Guy Stories

01:06:46 - The Importance of Understanding How Things are Made

01:10:08 - Retirement Plans, Consulting, and the Future

01:13:10 - An Unconventional Industry Presentation

01:15:59 - Thank You for Listening to the Reliability Matters Podcast

Businesses are not immune to the many complex social situations present on many prominent college campuses today. Executives and managers must grasp with how best to understand the changing environment as part of their talent acquisition and talent building processes, and implement those methods in practical ways to accommodate today's employees' life cycle. 

Audrey McGuckin is a global HR executive who for more than 25 years has lived and worked across the globe in Asia, Europe and the US.

She spent more than 20 years at Jabil, rising to vice president and chief talent officer. Today, as head CEO of The McGuckin Group, McGuckin consults with top CEOs and CHROs to solve complex business challenges through innovative talent and people solutions. Her client base includes a broad spectrum ranging from startups to Fortune 100 organizations.

She shares her thoughts and approach to business leadership, team building, managing employee movements and needs, and the power of empathy with PCB Chat host Mike Buetow.

This episode was recorded at SMTA's Pan Pacific Strategic Electronics Symposium on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Chapters:

Optimization has become an important goal within the electronics assembly industry. While modern electronics assembly techniques utilize a variety of equipment, one specific type of equipment often consumes a disproportionate percentage of the overall equipment budget, that is the place machine. The cost of the machine, associated conveyors and feeders, require that the machine is running as often as possible.

Electronic System Design (ESD) industry revenue increased 14% to $4.4 billion in the fourth quarter 2023, with printed circuit board design software leading the way, up 21% for the period. 

Wally Rhines, executive sponsor of the SEMI Electronic Design Market Data report, gives his quarterly update on the state of the electronics design software market.

The High-Density Packaging User Group, the nonprofit consortium of electronics manufacturers and suppliers that collaborate on various technical problems in order to reduce cost and time to market, has nearly 25 projects underway, several of which are due to be completed this year.

We spoke this month with Madan Jagernauth, marketing director and project facilitator of HDP, about their current research on lead-free solder alloys, the recent conference Best Papers, and whether the consortium members are ready to tackle artificial intelligence.

Today, we delve into an increasingly critical aspect of technology and electronics manufacturing - the pursuit of environmentally responsible electronics manufacturing. Our industry has witnessed many environmental revolutions. 

He works as a strategic account manager within MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, on the global Business Development team for Circuitry Solutions. Mark has been involved in electronics manufacturing since the late 1980s and brings a passion for process automation, circuit assembly, solders/fluxes, adhesives, coatings and PCB fabrication – all with a focus on repeatability and reliability. 

Chapters:

00:00:00 - The Pursuit of Environmentally Responsible Electronics Manufacturing

00:02:23 - Uncovering Trends in Electronic Hardware

00:04:56 - Circuit Board Fabrication and Environmental Responsibility

00:07:25 - The Changing Priorities of the Manufacturing Industry

00:09:40 - Green Alternatives to Traditional Circuit Boards

00:11:59 - Sustainable Alternatives to PCB Fabrication

00:14:21 - Fabrication Performance and Reliability

00:16:43 - Green PCB Fabrication Challenges and Obstacles

00:18:58 - The Challenges of Adopting Greener Solutions

00:21:22 - Environmental Sustainability in the Supply Chain

00:23:43 - Environmental Impact of PCB Fabrication Methods

00:28:20 - The Disappointment of EV 85 Fuel

00:31:07 - The Cost Implication of Going Green

00:33:31 - Recycling and the Circular Economy

00:35:55 - Recycling Circuit Boards and Extracting Precious Metals

00:38:15 - Simplifying the PCB Fabrication Process

00:40:40 - The Importance of Standards and Regulations in the Electronics Industry

00:42:54 - Demand for Environmental Responsibility in PCB Fabrication

00:45:10 - The Importance of Sustainability in the Supply Chain

00:47:20 - The Importance of Sustainability in Circuit Assembly

00:49:49 - Environmental Impact of Board Fabrication

00:52:02 - The Green Movement in Business

Matthias Wagner is chief executive and cofounder of Flux, a developer of a browser-based PCB design platform and programmable simulator.

When spoke with Matthias last spring, the company was introducing Flux Copilot, an AI-powered hardware design assistant. Flux Copilot uses a large language model that the company’s engineers trained and integrated into its design tool.

Flux recently added vision capability to its signature tool, whereby users can upload photos of images such as block diagrams to CoPilot and it can recommend parts for their design.

This week, we talk about those advances, some real-use cases Flux is seeing, the Renesas-Altium merger, and more.