Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1035071
10 SMT007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2018 for smart design decisions and materials plan- ning. Good engineering must still happen. To that end, our columnists and the technical team at Alpha Assembly Solutions help with that conversation. The team at Alpha Assembly Solutions share their recent research into controlling solder voids for applications that must manage ther- mal issues. Eric Camden's column digs deep into a few manufacturing defects examples that could improve over time with CFX. Electrolube's Jade Bridges looks at the do's and don'ts for thermal management materi- als, providing critical insight into the selection, application and planning of thermal manage- ment for your products. As we all move forward into our future, I welcome your feedback, readers. Together, with your comments and suggestions, we can have the right conversations about the indus- try here on the pages of SMT007 Magazine. You can always contact me. SMT007 communication standard, under development with IPC, continues to gain acceptance in the industry. CFX helps lay the groundwork for smart factories through a standardized factory- wide communication standard. While CFX is making great progress, there are still some challenges to overcome as equipment suppli- ers bring Industry 4.0 principles to fruition in printed circuit manufacturing. We explore it all in this issue, kicking off the with "The Truth About CFX." Michael Ford brings us up to speed on the history of CFX and looks ahead at what happens next. We also bring you a conversation with IPC's Dave Bergman who discusses CFX develop- ments, the differences between line control and factory control (Hermes and CFX), IPC's CFX demonstration events, and upcoming develop- ments in the standard. In a feature interview, David Fenton from Blake Europlacer shares the high level of industry acceptance he sees, the ongoing shift away from proprietary formats amongst equip- ment manufacturers, and the road to wider customer acceptance. We conclude the CFX discussion with an interview with Larry Chen of TRI, a Taiwan- based equipment manufacturer, about how CFX and test equipment interact. While Industry 4.0 will bring certain bene- fits, smart factories won't eliminate the need Nolan Johnson is managing editor of SMT007 Magazine. Nolan brings 30 years of career experience focused almost entirely on electron- ics design and manufacturing. To contact Johnson, click here. At the recent NEPCON South China 2018 event in Shenzhen, Clemens Jargon, VP for Global Dispensing and Asia at Mycronic, discusses the challenges that custom- ers face on their journey towards Industry 4.0, and how Mycronic is addressing these issues. From jet printing to solder paste inspec- tion, to pick-and-place, Jargon talks about their total solutions that aim to help custom- ers take their production to the next level. Mycronic Discusses Industry 4.0