IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1545855
104 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2026 T here's a moment in every design cycle when the conversation shifts from the elements of a substrate—material selection, thermal con- ductivity, circuit density, layout, and performance on paper— to the how it performs in assembly. No mat- ter how good your substrate is, if the assembly isn't right, none of it matters. Engineers are coming to terms with the fact that performance is more than the circuit. It's now about the system, and that's where assembly stops being an afterthought and becomes the whole game. Assembly Isn't an Add-On, It's the Product When people hear "assembly," they often think PCB assembly, pick-and-place, solder, and reflow. In ce- ramic electronics, and especially in high-power, high- reliability applications, assembly means something very different: BY B R I A N B U Y E A , R E M T EC Performance Is Won in Assembly P OW E R I N G T H E F U T U R E