IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1543307
10 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2026 focus on advanced electronic packaging in the Technical Conference. Nolan spoke with Matt Kelly, Devan Iyer, Stanton Rak, and Udo Welzel to learn what will be covered and why this is exactly the right time for this exciting forum. Also in this issue, Peter Tranitz explains the Design Village, Chris Jorgenson talks about the new Technology Pavil- ion, and Carlos Plaza recounts the creation and growth of the Learning Lounge. From our columnists, John Watson writes a tale of an overworked engineer visited by the "ghosts" of APEX EXPO past, present, and future. Don Ball recounts some memorable stories from his time at APEX EXPO, Schmoll's Kurt Palmer discusses the challenges presented by manufacturing XXL board formats, and Steve Williams continues his narrative of his 50 years in the industry. GreenSource Engineering introduces a new series by addressing the challenge companies face in marketing cutting-edge technology. Flex- ible Circuit Technology provides an educational overview of the use of T-type thermocouple in foil heater technology. For PCB designers, we focused on AI in design tools, which turns out to be much more than the dreaded auto-router. Zuken and AllSpice.io high- light which of their specific tools offer what in AI, and Siemens provides a thoughtful discussion of the legitimate reasons PCB designers have been skeptical of AI tools in the past and how these concerns must be adequately addressed in all AI tool solutions to be of any real value. We will continue this discussion in March with EDA tool disruptor, Quilter. Columnist Barry Olney demystifies common- mode radiation, and Matt Stevenson continues his tutorial on the PCB manufacturing process, moving onto the strip-etch-strip (SES) process. Finally, I'm delighted to highlight the next article in Stan Rak's popular series, "Road to Reliability," a deep dive into the aspects of building for EV. It's another big issue of I-Connect007 Magazine, so grab your coffee and look inside. Hope to see many of you in Anaheim next month. I-CONNECT007 Marcy LaRont is the manag- ing editor of I-Connect007 Magazine and executive director of IPC Publish- ing Group. Marcy started her career in PCBs in 1993 and brings a wide array of business experience and perspective to I-Connect007. To contact Marcy, click here. M A RCY ' S M U S I N G S " This month, I-Connect007 Magazine takes you inside the show, from exhibitors and special events on the show floor to new insights from the technical conference, details on apprenticeships, keynotes, and advancements in critical industry standards."