JANUARY 2021 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 87
Use of IMS Thermal Materials in Multilayer
Stackups for Power Applications E
This roundtable discussion brings together the
expertise of Ventec International Group's Global
Head of IMS Technology Chris Hanson and
Technical Manager Denis McCarthy. Rax Ribadia
of Excello Circuits provides hands-on fabrication
experience from a specialist PCB manufacturer,
and I-Connect007 editors Andy Shaughnessy and
Pete Starkey contribute to a conversation that
explores applications, materials, design consid-
erations, and mechanisms of heat transfer.
The Government Circuit:
Looking Ahead to 2021 E
Before the 116th Congress adjourned for the
holidays, IPC expected to secure some policy
victories for the electronics manufacturing
industry and keep its policy agenda moving
forward. Read on—and watch this space—to
learn how it all turns out.
2021 Symposium on Counterfeit Parts and
Materials: Call for Abstracts E
The Surface Mount Technology Association
(SMTA) and CALCE University of Maryland are
inviting the industry to submit technical papers
for presentation at a virtual 2021 Symposium
on Counterfeit Parts and Materials. The event
is scheduled August 3–5, 2021.
Defense Speak Interpreted:
What's a VITA? E
Ever wonder how military electronics users
could swap out circuit cards rapidly and keep
their defense systems running? What about
a "hot swap" of a circuit card that was ques-
tionable. The DoD has helped private industry
develop a highly sophisticated set of standards
for circuit card input/output (I/O) to make
quick change possible.
Understanding MIL-PRF-31032, Part 6 E
Concluding this six-part discussion on under-
standing the military printed circuit board perfor-
mance standard MIL-PRF-31032, Anaya Vardya
covers the remaining procedure required to
address the unique requirements of the military.
Stephen Chavez and Happy Holden on
Designing Reliable Vias E
Andy Shaughnessy and Happy Holden speak
with Stephen Chavez, a staff engineer with
an aerospace company and chairman of
the Printed Circuit Engineering Association
(PCEA), about designing vias for greater reli-
ability. They also address several areas where
they can look to improve reliability, a variety of
steps that designers should take to help ensure
more robust vias, and some testing and educa-
tional resources that PCB designers and design
engineers should be aware of.
U.S. Congress Approves Funds
for R&D on Lead-Free Electronics
in Aerospace, Defense and
High-Performance Applications E
On Monday December 21, 2020 the U.S. Con-
gress approved $10 million for research into
the issues surrounding lead-free electronics in
mission-critical applications. IPC and its allies
had called for these funds to be included in the
Fiscal 2021 defense appropriations bill.
Raytheon and United Technologies
Merger: Stronger Together E
The 2020 merger of Raytheon Company and
the United Technologies Corporation aero-
space businesses brought together two com-
panies with distinctive legacies of developing
and deploying advanced technologies to solve
some of the world's most pressing and com-
plex challenges.
