Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/989774
8 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2018 We recently released the inaugural issue of Flex007 Magazine, which is dedicated to flex system designers, electrical engineers, flex PCB designers, and anyone responsible for integrat- ing flex into their products at the OEM/CEM level. (If you haven't seen the first issue yet, which features some of the top flex experts sharing thoughts about flex, rigid-flex, and the flex market, click here.) As my colleague and Flex007 Managing Editor Andy Shaughnessy wrote, it was time to expand our Flex007 Weekly Newsletter into a magazine after seven years due to the increas- ing use of flex circuits in many electronics applications. Indeed, the flex printed circuit market contin- ues to be one of the fastest-growing segments of the PCB industry. According to a report by industry analysts Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global market for flexi- ble printed circuits is expected to expand at a CAGR of 11.8% to reach a value of $38.27 billion by 2026, up from about $14.51 billion in 2017. Mainly driving this growth is the signif- icant rise in the consumer electronics indus- try, led by the growing demand for smart- phones, tablets, and LCD displays. Meanwhile, multilayer flex circuits are enjoying a greater demand among products in this sector, and this trend is projected to remain so over the next few years, according to TMR. Editor's Note by Stephen Las Marias, I-CONNECT007 Tackling the Challenges in Flex Assembly