OnTrack: The PCB Design Podcast

Today we are joined by Dan Beaulieu, founder and owner of Db Management Group. He and Zach chat about the PCB industry's broad marketing trends including how it's stuck in the past, the declining trade show industry, how sales reps can stay relevant, and much more. Watch this episode here 0:00 Intro to Dan Beaulieu 5:48 Sales & Marketing Stuck in the Past 9:14 Impacts of the Domestic PCB Base 12:59 Is the Trade Show Method Going Away? 16:45 How do Reps Stay Relevant? 19:27 Focusing on Younger Designers 24:30 How Manufacturers Stand Out from the Competition 28:42 Designers and Board Shop Conflicts 31:42 Importance of Touring Shops 33:36 Capital Investment and PCB Shops 38:51 Focus on the Customer's Need, Then Provide It  

Paul Durand-Estèbe, Lead Electronic Developer at Metyos, discusses Metyos's groundbreaking wearable glucose monitoring tech, the emergent wearables trend in the medical field, and challenges in scaling and manufacturing wearable medical devices.

In this episode of the OnTrack Podcast, we have a chat with Benjamin Dannan, a defense & aerospace contractor. We talk about power integrity, high amps, quality reports, vendor models, the importance of verification, and much more.  Watch this episode Episode Highlights: Intro Ben's Background Power Integrity Considerations Vendor Models Quality & Accuracy Trust & Verify File Density Challenges Die (integrated circuit) Models & Packages "It's Easy to Miss Things."  Lost in the Translation Ask for Quality Reports 2,000 Amp Challenges Links and Resources: Watch Recent Related Episodes PCB Packaging & the Future of Manufacturing The Impact of the Defense Sector in the Electronic Industry Ecosystem Read Related Articles: Designing for Military and Aerospace Embedded Systems Applications Advantages of Flexible Circuits for Space Applications Connect with Benjamin Dannan on LinkedIn EDI CON Online 2023

Today we have a fascinating conversation about PCB manufacturing, reshoring, testing, and much more with Cody Endlich, Head of Strategic Sourcing at MacroFab. He and Tech Consultant Zach Peterson discuss the latest trends in manufacturing, procurement, and supplier dynamics. This is a wonderful convo for anyone interested in the future of PCB sourcing and manufacturing. 1:00 Cody's Background 2:59 Internalizing the Broker Process 4:51 What's Different about MacroFab 8:25 Where Are MacroFab's Partners? 10:17 Reshoring Efforts 12:35 Copycats? 16:09 The Sourcing Picture 20:43 How MacroFab Tests 23:42 Bringing the Process In-House 26:16 Turning Heads 29:12 A Solid Supplier Relationship 34:54 Will Mexico's Trading Role Persist 38:13 MacroFab's Biggest Growth Area 39:32 Going Forward Links and Resources: Watch Related Episodes: Macrofab: Modern EMS Solutions in North AmericaRead Related Data Security, 5G and Onshore PCB Manufacturing with Dr. Rob Spalding Achieving Diversified Electronics Supply Chain Connect with Cody Endlich on LinkedIn Visit MacroFab website

Today we have a chat with Daniel Kagerbauer, CTO and co-founder at Inmox. This is a fascinating conversation regarding Inmox's aim to change how industrial maintenance is done and, while their initial focus is on gearboxes, the implications for their software and sensor developments may be broadly applicable across the entire industrial landscape. The two talk about monitoring industrial systems, materials challenges, industry-specific applications, and much more. If you're interested in advancements in the industrial space, this is the episode for you. Show Highlights: Introduction to Daniel Kagerbauer CTO and co-founder of Inmox. Inmox is part of the Altium startup program called Launchpad Inmox is currently developing industry ready prototype and moving towards heavy industrial applications Commercial automotive and even the racing industry is a better fit for Inmox’s gearbox monitoring system Daniel describes in detail what their product look like, from a sensor oil screw that can monitor the vehicle’s lubrication system, installing T-tube and wiring local ethernets Data are being collected where the wear particles are present, and the oil screw with the lubricant have quite good access to essential stuff that needs measuring Smaller systems are more automative focus while bigger systems are applicable for wind energy versions such as a helicopter, moreover safety is utmost important Certification challenges can involve finances, redesigns and weight optimization How does the real-time particle analysis works? Daniel talks more about distinguishing between ferromagnetic, non-ferromagnetic, and the good old electro magnetism Inmox is currently in negotiation with potential customers and doing interviews with mentors from different industries Body vibration monitoring is more precise and reliable Inmox longterm vision is to promote extended lifespan to machines and pushing mechanical engineering in a more sustainable path Links and Resources: Leap your start-up to the next level. Learn more about Altium Launchpad, a program designed to support early stage start-ups launch their product to the market, fast! Read related articles: PCB Manufacturing Startup Costs: Budget for Tests and Success The Startup's Guide to PCB Manufacturing Electronic Hardware Startup Tips: From Idea to Manufacturing How to Build a Hardware Startup: Beginning to Realize Your Electronics Dreams Visit Inmox website Connect with Daniel Kagerbauer on LinkedIn

Today we're chatting with Jeff De Serrano, President of the American Division of PCB Technologies. We had a fascinating conversation about the changing nature of the PCB Manufacturing industry, focusing on aerospace, automation, AI, education, and much more. This is a wonderful episode for anyone interested in manufacturing and where the industry might be headed. Watch this episode here. Show Highlights: Intro Intro to Jeff & PCB Technologies PCB Technology's Broad Reach in Aerospace Faster Packaging Times Packaging Advantages at PCB Technologies 2D, 2 ½D, or 3D? You Need the Know-How, Not Just People Broad Capability Won't Happen Overnight Semiconductor Companies Packaging? Workforce Challenges Automation Pipedream? Getting Students into Manufacturing Manufacturing is Totally Different Now AI Has a Long Way to Go Growth Areas in Electronics? Links and Resources: Check the recent related OnTrack Podcast episodes: PCB Manufacturing Reshoring, Automation, and Sustainability with Alun Morgan Plug and Play Industrial Automation? It's Only a Matter of Time Learn more about Altium 365®, Where the world designs electronics See how Octopart help you search for electronic parts. It is the most accurate and comprehensive electronic part data search engine right at your fingertips Connect with Jeff De Serrano on LinkedIn Visit PCB Technologies website

In this episode of the OnTrack Podcast, we are pleased to host a thought-provoking conversation between Tech Consultant Zach Peterson and Dr. Philip Voglewede, Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Marquette University and Director at the Omron Advanced Automation Lab. Zach and Phil have a very intriguing conversation about the role of automation in the current and future industrial landscape. Anyone interested in the current state of industrial automation, manufacturing, or labor trends won't want to miss Phil's insights, many of which are rooted in his work for the ground-breaking Omron Lab. Show Highlights: 0:00 Intro 1:03 Phil & Omron Advanced Automation Lab 2:13 Pushing to Fail 5:27 A Space to Play 7:28 Omron's Early Achievements 11:26 De-Siloing & Student Response 16:37 Companies Noticing Student Skills 17:47 Students Handling Complex Problems 19:39 Grappling with the Role of Automation 23:05 Where Do We Get ROI? 25:18 Management is Adapting 27:14 The TOTAL Dollar Amount of Manufacturing Costs 29:33 Industrial IoT is the Achilles Heel 33:22 Plug & Play is the Goal 35:24 Make It Like Starbucks 37:13 Who Will Lead the Needed Standardization? 39:06 Will the Big Manufacturers Cooperate to Standardize? 41:15 Standardization is Only a Matter of Time

There's a new workflow offering coming soon as a result of the collaboration between Altium and ANSYS. And today, we are joined by Joao Beck, Altium's Director of Enterprise Technical Marketing, to give us all the details. This new workflow is yet another step in Altium's quest toward a digital ecosystem, acting as an important bridge between ECAD and simulation Make sure to watch the entire episode so you can fully understand what's coming your way soon. Show Highlights: 0:00 Intro 0:50 Altium's New Workflow Offering 4:53 MCAD CoDesigner in Simulation? 7:28 A Full Suite of Capabilities 8:20 What the Workflow Looks Like 10:40 What's in the Revision History 12:47 The Report 14:14 Version Control & Rolling Back Simulations? 16:16 Simulation to Altium & Vice Versa 21:43 Mechanical Simulation? 23:00 The Digital Bridge Ecosystem 25:38 Broader Access? 26:42 Who's This For?

We're joined today by the Technology Ambassador at Ventec and President of the European Institute for the PCB Community (EIPC), Alun Morgan. He and host Zach Peterson have a broad, thoughtful conversation centered on PCB manufacturing. They chat about emerging manufacturing markets, potential for supplier buyouts, reshoring, automation, and much more. This is a fascinating conversation for anyone looking to get a current view on the international manufacturing market, as well as valuable insights into where it might be headed. Show Highlights: 0:00 Intro 0:40 Current Manufacturing Trends in Europe 9:20 Growth in Packaging 14:49 Producing at Scale 21:31 Up and Coming International Manufacturing Markets 23:52 Big Manufacturers Getting Bigger? 29:21 Return to Buying Out Suppliers? 31:36 Variable Costs, PCB Manufacturing, & Reshoring 34:30 Pricing Pressures & Automation 40:39 Automation: Prices, Reliability, & Sustainability 45:04 Wrap-Up Links and Resources: Watch more of Alun Morgan: Materials Science 101 with EIPC Chairman Alun Morgan Alun Morgan on the History of FR-4 Alun Morgan On PCB Base Materials Alun Morgan On Glass Fibre Production Connect with Alun Morgan on LinkedIn Visit Octopart.com, The electronic part search engine ‌

We have a very interesting topic today! The impact of the defense sector on the electronic industry. Our guest Nathan Edwards, an Executive Director, U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE) will share with us what goes in a Defense Electronic Consortium (DEC) and how all of these impact the electronics eco-system. We will also touch a little about supply chain diversification and onshoring efforts here in the US. Watch through the end, this is a very special episode you don’t want to miss. We have a very interesting topic today! The impact of the defense sector on the electronic industry. Watch this episode here Show Highlights: Introduction to Nathan Edwards Nathan briefly share his background in the electronic industry in both government and commercial sector What is United States Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE) and what is its involvement in the Defense Electronic Consortium (DEC)? Nathan explains what goes on DEC Small and medium size electronic companies could benefit in participating in the government ecosystem A study shows that 86% of 649 manufacturing firms receive less than 10% of their revenue from defense Electronics in the banking industry, from the tamper-proof electronics, security, authenticity, and some reliability and recovery Is something similar to the US Defense Electronics Consortium exist in different countries? Nathan discusses about the recent policy chain in the Defense Production Act, Title II Electronic supply chain diversification and onshoring in the United States A policy that will go in to effect in 2027 under the National Defense Authorization Act states that semiconductors, printed circuit boards and interconnects cannot be produced by some of the companies in China Nathans thoughts regarding production of electronic components in Latin America, especially Mexico Nathan volunteers to mentor emerging talents at his school district’s high school and middle school and get them involved in electronics sector The electronics industry requires a full depth of STEM from chemist, manufacturers, mathematician, designers and more Career Technical Education (CTE) offers biomedical tech, STEM, IT, and it is sponsored under the State Department of Educations as well as the Federal Department of Education Two critical things to a successful onshoring are reliable, skilled workforce, and capital to invest in the state-of-the-practice equipment Links and Resources: Reinventing the business of electronics. Nexar puts your business ahead of the curve, learn more here Watch related, previous episodes: The NEXAR Ecosystem Overcoming Technological Challenges in the PCB Industry The Emerging Role of Mexico in the Electronics Supply Chain Achieving Diversified Electronics Supply Chain Connect with Nathan Edwards via LinkedIn