IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1545855
10 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2026 chose to expand the assembly operations, and he provides foundational tenets for what successful diversification requires. Dan Beaulieu, who's been working with PCB companies for decades, shares insight into what diversification might look like and the important steps on how to begin. Our columnists also take on this subject. Steve Williams harkens back to his master's degree disserta- tion on vertical integration and business diversification for U.S. PCB fabrication. Happy Holden approaches competing in this complex global environment from a slightly different perspective, reinforcing the critical need for fabricators not to delay automation. Don Ball points out the very cyclical nature of the advice to diversify. "The reasons for diversification or de-diversi- fication during economic uncertainty are not unsound, but not for everyone," he writes. In PCB design, we explore how display elec- tronics, specifically LED displays, change a design- er's approach. Kelly Dack states, "Displays and illu- minated human-machine interfaces have become essential components of modern electronic systems. From aircraft cockpits and mission-control displays to medical equipment, industrial controls, and consumer devices, we depend on these visual interfaces to interact with technology." Kristin Moyer defines the different types of display technology and breaks down some of the design "gotchas" that one inevitably faces. John Watson writes, "The display becomes the center of the interaction, and the PCB is no longer hidden inside the product; it becomes the foundation of what the user sees and feels." Stephen Chavez examines the uniqueness of designing for LED display electronics, observing that it is one of the only times you are "engineering for perception." He rightly points out that the respon- sibility of meeting this challenge lies equally with both design and manufacturing. Joe Fjelstad looks at the past and future of LED technology and offers a solution that might help designers and manufac- turers achieve greater success. Columnist Brian Buyea of Remtec talks about the importance of design for assembly, often an after- thought in the process. Anaya Vardya writes about the integration of smart textiles with flexible PCBs, while Michael Carano examines surface-finish choices for high-frequency 5G and 6G applications and extols the virtues of ISIG. We also include the second part of our discussion on every layer interconnect (ELIC). In other news, Summit Interconnect celebrates 10 years, and my interview with Shane Whiteside and Gerry Partida takes us through the milestones that got them to where they are today. PCBAA just celebrated its five-year anniversary, and Chairman Shane White- side looks back at its impressive growth and mile- stones over that time. The EIPC Summer Conference took place last month, and we provide links to some of the coverage. Sean Patterson continues his "how- to" guide for the PCB fabricator to start implementing AI into his operation, and the Global Electronics Asso- ciation released the IPC Q2 2026 standards update. So, here's to the summer slowdown. Grab that icy cold glass of lemonade, put your feet up, and read on. I-CONNECT007 Marcy LaRont is the managing editor of I-Connect007 Magazine and executive director of IPC Publishing Group. Marcy started her career in PCBs in 1993 and brings a wide array of busi- ness experience and perspective to I-Connect007. To contact Marcy, click here. M A RCY 'S M U S I N G S