IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
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46 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2026 Collaboration with fabrication and assembly teams will be critical. As designs push tighter toler- ances and higher densities, we must validate assumptions up front about what we can build, assemble, and inspect. PCB designers will need a clear understanding of manufacturing capabilities, material limitations, and process variation. They will also need to communicate design intent that trans- lates clearly into fabrication drawings, assembly documentation, and inspection criteria. This increased level of collaboration places a premium on communication. Designers must be able to explain not just what the design looks like, but why they made certain decisions, where constraints are rigid, and where flexibility exists. Strong technical collaboration becomes as impor- tant as proficiency in layout. This mechanism ensures all disciplines align toward a common system-level outcome. As a result, PCB design will become less siloed and more integrated into the overall hardware development process. What Your Future Holds Designers who adapt to this broader role by embrac- ing systems thinking, earlier engagement, and deeper collaboration will gain influence and rele- vance; those who do not risk finding that critical deci- sions are increasingly made without their input. In an industry defined by change, the ability to grow has always been the defining skill in PCB design. That truth has never been more relevant than it is today. Today, the difference is the scale and speed at which it is occurring, and the way it is reshap- ing where the PCB designer fits within the larger system. Those who embrace this shift by expanding their perspective, strengthening collaboration, and engaging earlier in the design process will find their roles elevated. As the boundaries continue to blur, the designers who adapt will help define what PCB design becomes next. DESIGN007 John Watson is a professor at Palomar College, San Marcos, California. To read past columns, click here. E L E M E N TA RY M R . WAT S O N What It Will Take to Modernize Defense Solder Standards Interview by Nolan Johnson Long-time lead-free solder investigator, Denny Fritz, hit the SMTA Space Coast Expo in Novem- ber to drum up support for an initiative to include lead-free solder in military and aerospace-based printed circuit board assemblies. In this interview, Denny provides background on the genesis of the "consider all solders" project and why it matters to continue leading this effort. Nolan Johnson: Denny, tell me about your recent presentation at the SMTA Space Coast Expo on Mil-Aero soldering technology and standards. Denny Fritz: I provided an overview of how Defense primes have dealt with lead-free solder, which is that they are notoriously reluctant even to consider it. They have pretty well dug their heels in. For instance, over half of my audience at Space Coast works for a local aerospace company, but they have no lead-free solder on any of their assembly lines. I asked them what happens when you have a commercial program or with a require- ment for lead-free solder. They said that they sub- contract it, because "we do not want any cross- contamination between lead-free and eutectic lead-based solder." Even before the Department of Defense got involved, defense primes gathered under the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) banner, recognizing that, collectively, lead-free was a big- ger problem than any one of them could resolve, yet they needed answers quickly. The solution was to work together. How was the Global Electronics Association involved? Did it take a hands-off approach at the time? Yes, it was developing standards for the acceptance of either leaded solder or the new lead-free assem- blies, which were developed rapidly by the rele- vant IPC committees. Also, the Aerospace Indus- tries Association, being a world trade organization, formed an "in process team" (IPT), a standards sub- committee specializing in defense-related aero- space activities. Click here to read the rest of the interview.