Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1050827
NOVEMBER 2018 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 9 ing nearly every part of the electronics sup- ply chain right now from parts specification to component stocking, lead times, testing, and certification. However, the significant market forces of these apprentices affect us all, and human lives are very much on the line with these technologies. I say this because much of the innovation currently being undertaken will automate even more of our lives. Innovation is a good thing. Cars will soon drive themselves, and our jewelry will report our vital statistics to our doctor's office—until there are unintended consequences. In this issue, we investigate innovations sur- rounding the medical sector. PCB design teams drive manufacturer investment through the kinds of fabrication they order, but it is always valuable for a fabrication facility to understand larger or more diverse innovations. If you want to grow your business, you'll need more than just current customers. This issue brings over a dozen articles covering a wide range of new technologies, chips, 3D-printing applications, and more. But that's not all. Tara Dunn's column brings us the story of high school students working with advanced electronics manufacturing technologies. Tara and the students challenge us all to continue to flex our imagination and innovate. Jan Pedersen of the PCB Norsemen goes nuts on IPC medical application standards. Serious- ly, this column is a must-read to know what the IPC is currently working on regarding med- ical device standards. In "The Right Approach," columnist Steve Williams describes a competition to devel- op medical devices inspired by the iconic Star Trek tricorder. Fifty years after the introduction of the tricorder on U.S. television, we may not have to wait 300 more years to see similar de- vices. Running simultaneously with this month's SMT007 Magazine, Nolan Johnson's overview article on FDA approval processes, "FDA Ap- proval: A Vital Step in Medical Manufactur- ing," offers three different perspectives from key players in the medical device space. Next is our tour of emerging medical tech- nologies, devices, and applications. The work coming out of industry and academia will be what we fabricate for our medical customers in the future, so we give you a glimpse into that technology now. Following his keynote address at SMTAI in Rosemont, Illinois, "Requirements for Both Cleaning and Coating to Building Medical Hardware," DfR Solutions' Dock Brown sat down with Barry Matties and Happy Holden to discuss failure analysis, predictive software, and "rules versus tools." Find this conversa- tion at "Dock Brown on Succeeding at Failure Analysis." Michael Carano's column, "Trouble in Your Tank," brings us part two of the art and sci- ence of resist stripping. In a technical article titled "Via Fill and Through-Hole Plating Process with Enhanced TH Microdistribution," the team—including Nicolova, Rodriguez, Feng, Gugliotti, Bower- man, and Watkowski (MacDermid Enthone Electronics Solutions in the U.S.), and Wei (MacDermid Enthone Global Development Ap- plication Center in China)—details their work to optimize a new copper process for simulta- neously filling via and plating through-holes. Improvements to fabrication reliability im- prove the fabricator's ability to meet Class 3 medical device requirements. As a bonus, the PCB007 China Editorial Team brings us a preview interview with rep- resentatives from HKPCA (Hong Kong Printed Circuit Association) and IPC (Association Con- nection Electronics Industries) about the up- coming 2018 HKPCA & IPC Show: "Inspire the Industry, Explore the Infinity." In the end, the PCB fabrication industry car- ries the water for major market influencers. As always, we welcome your feedback and expe- riences in the medical devices sector. PCB007 Nolan Johnson is managing editor of PCB007 Magazine. Nolan brings 30 years of career experience fo- cused almost entirely on electronics design and manufacturing. To contact Johnson, click here.