AUGUST 2020 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 91
5
Punching Out! Acquiring a
Distressed Company E
Everyone loves a bargain. Just
like buying an old car or a fix-
er-upper house, you can get a
great deal, or sometimes you
get what you pay for. Tom
Kastner shares some thoughts
on acquiring a distressed or
underperforming business.
6
Fresh PCB Nuggets:
Pros and Cons of the 6 Most
Common Surface Finishes E
A surface finish can be de-
fined as a coating, either me-
tallic or organic in nature, that
is applied to a PCB to ensure
the solderability of the met-
al underneath. There are only
two different types of surface
finishes for PCBs: organic and metal. Harry
Kennedy describes the pros and cons of the six
most common finishes on the market.
7
Just Ask Happy: Ranking the
Top Countries by Fab Technology
and Production E
We asked for you to send in
your questions for Happy
Holden, and you took us up
on it! This time, one of our
readers asked Happy to rank
the top countries that pro-
vide PCB fabrication servic-
es. Check out the global fab trends now and in
10 years.
8
One World, One Industry:
A Lasting COVID-19 Lesson—Resilient
Regional Manufacturing Networks E
Sophisticated global supply
chains are generally efficient
in meeting societal demands,
but the COVID-19 pandemic
illustrates that—in times of
crisis—these supply chains
can break down. IPC's Dr.
John Mitchell emphasizes the need for resil-
ient regional manufacturing networks across
North America.
9
AT&S Starts Partnership With
Design Company IMST GmbH E
With the aim of jointly developing high-fre-
quency technology solutions, AT&S has con-
cluded a strategic cooperation agreement with
IMST GmbH in Kamp-Lintfort, Germany.
IMST is a design and development center for
radar, radio modules, communication systems,
chip design, antennas, and regulatory certifi-
cation and has its own accredited test center.
J
Flex Talk: Additive and Subtractive—
When Opposites Attract E
Market dynamics in the elec-
tronics industry are quickly
changing. Some solutions add
considerable cost to the PCB
and often introduce reliabili-
ty and yield concerns. Colum-
nist Tara Dunn explains an al-
ternative that has been installed in three U.S.-
based PCB fabrication facilities: the A-SAP™ pro-
cess, which is Averatek's semi-additive process.
For the Latest PCB News and Information, Visit: PCB007.com
Dr. John Mitchell
Tara Dunn
Tom Kastner
Harry Kennedy
Happy Holden
