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14 SMT007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2018 ligence-enabled manufacturing and automa- tion, which is key to the future of electronic hardware manufacturing and producing reli- able products economically. Conclusion Overall, the flexibility, agility, compatibili- ty, practicality, performance, cost, and com- petitiveness offered by soldering are crucial to making both today's electronic products and those anticipated in the future. This col- lective array of characteristics is unique. There is no better substitute in existence that delivers all of the necessary attributes previ- ously listed. For example, conductive adhesive and sol- der material have been studied in parallel when SMT was implemented for manufactur- ing PCB assemblies in the 1980s. Conductive adhesive worked in some selective applica- tions but did not fill the interconnection role in a broad scope and or in mass production. This does not imply that new materials coupled with advanced techniques are not welcome. Instead, better methods, technologies, and materials should and will always be embraced by the industry. The role of solder as the electrical, mechan- ical, and thermal linkage of circuitry is essen- tial to electronic products. Soldering process know-how is closely linked with production defects, yields, and costs of electronic devic- es. An additional level of performance and reliability of solder joints is required mainly stemming from the confluence of three fronts: powerful chip designs, advanced IC packages, and higher density PCBs. Accordingly, SMT soldering is expected to deliver increased pre - cision and heightened automation using sol- der materials that possess enhanced proper- ties to make reliable solder interconnections for the new generation of electronic AI hard- ware. SMT007 Upcoming Appearance Dr. Hwang will present a lecture on "Pre- venting Production Defects and Product Fail- ure" at IPC APEX EXPO on January 28, 2019, in San Diego, California. About the Author Dr. Hwang, an international businesswoman and speak- er, and business and technol- ogy advisor, is a pioneer and long-standing contributor to electronics hardware manufac- turing as well as to the envi- ronment-friendly lead-free electronics implementation. Among her many awards and honors, she was inducted to the International Hall of Fame—Women in Technology, elected to the National Academy of Engineering, an R&D-Stars-to-Watch, and YWCA Achievement Award. Having held senior executive positions with Lockheed Martin Corp., Sherwin Williams Co., SCM Corp, and CEO of International Electronic Materials Corp., she is currently CEO of H-Technologies Group providing business, technology and manufacturing solutions. She is the Chairman of Assessment Board of DoD Army Research Laboratory, serving on Commerce Depart- ment's Export Council, National Materials and Manufac- turing Board, Army Science and Technology Board, various national panels/committees, international leadership positions, and the board of Fortune-500 NYSE companies and civic and university boards. She is the author of 500+ publications and several books, and a speaker and author on trade, business, education, and social issues. Her formal education includes four academic degrees as well as Harvard Business School Executive Program and Columbia University Corporate Governance Program. For more information, please visit www.JennieHwang.com. To read past columns or contact Hwang, click here. Soldering process know-how is closely linked with production defects, yields, and costs of electronic devices.