Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1454922
8 I-CONNECT007 I REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2022 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE factories. e implications are clear: Build out your automation now, so you can maximize your participation in the super cycle. We are back, working on challenging problems to keep our manufacturing inastructure sup- plied. Companies like Siemens, CalcuQuote, and many others shared their expertise in opti- mizing the purchasing and procurement func- tions considering all the supply chain chal- lenges facing the industry. It's clear that sup- ply chain management has reached the point where innovation will inevitably happen; necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes. With all the component part avail- ability issues, the experts forecasting that the shortages will continue into 2023, the long lag time to ramp up new production facilities, and the rampant demand for components, this is a set of challenges that requires new approaches, new solutions, and some creative R&D. If ever there were a time and a niche in our industry begging for a "killer app" it would be now, in supply chain optimization. We are back as a community. e electron- ics manufacturing industry finally was back together; as a community we can and must move forward. e good news is I see that happening. IPC reported that this year's tech- nical tracks had plenty of paper submis- sions, that there were many more papers submitted than could be published, and that the quality of the submissions over- all was very high. From what I've read post-show, and in the coverage from both Happy Holden and Patty Goldman, the reports are true: the research presented was top-notch. We're back in the sense that it's time to invest. Especially in board fab. Concur- rent with IPC APEX EXPO, three key news items caught my attention. e monthly PCB fab and EMS sales reports were released, and the industry contin- ues to show ongoing strength and growth (consistent with the idea of a super cycle), but the third report spread caution. I'm refer- ring to Joe O'Neil's detailed report on U.S. PCB fabrication capabilities. For the U.S., at least, the domestic manufacturing chain has been broken in numerous places. e U.S. may still be an innovation leader, but in many cases, we cannot even manufacture in quanti- ties in which we can design. is message was echoed in Dr. John Mitchell's keynote, and in Matt Kelly's interview, both of which are reviewed in this issue. So, yes, we're back. Back and ready to move forward. In a global sense, IPC APEX EXPO reflected the health and vibrancy of being in this industry. at is worth celebrating. ere is, however, much need to invest, modernize, and become more sophisticated. Now is the time; that message was delivered loud, proud, and repeatedly at IPC APEX EXPO 2022. I, for one, can't wait to see how much progress we make between now and 2023. S&T Nolan Johnson is managing editor of SMT007 and PCB007 Magazines. Nolan brings 30 years of career experience focused almost entirely on electronics design and manufacturing. To contact Johnson, click here.