Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1546933
OCTOBER 2026 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 19 are very different. My call to action for the industry is that we need to stop treating reliability as something we verify at the end of product development. It has to begin with the materials and the design, continue through the PCB fabrication and assembly, qualification, and manufacturing process control, and then continue into the field. That's the approach I'm trying to emphasize, and achieving that requires participation across the supply chain, from material and compo- nent suppliers to PCB fabricators, EMS companies, Tier-1 suppliers, and vehicle manufacturers. We also need qualification methods and standards that better reflect how EV electronics are actually used, including the combined effects I mentioned previously—high voltage, temperature, humidity, and vibration—and the long-term electrical bias condi- tions. Perhaps most importantly, we need to close the feedback loop, which is possible now. Field data, failure analysis, and fleet monitoring, along with predictive diagnostics, should feed back into materials, designs, manufacturing processes, qualification methods, and standards. Reliability should be a continuous engineering process rather than a pass-fail event. We have this capability now to retrieve information from the field, and we can use that to improve reliability as we go along. What needs to be understood throughout the entire supply chain is how it affects each member and how they contribute to the reliability shift we're looking to achieve. Stan, you've gained a new following through this series. How can people follow up with you? What conferences or shows will you be at? The Advanced Electronics Packaging Confer- ence will be part of APEX EXPO, April 3–8, 2027, in Anaheim. For papers, the call for participation is already out, and we're accepting contributions through Sept. 18. We've already planned sessions on power module materials and design, high- voltage assemblies and reliability, and a special EV session featuring invited speakers to help shape the roadmap for where the industry's going. So that's an excellent venue. Other power electronics conferences I'll be attending include APEC in New Orleans in March, PCIM in Nuremberg in May, and The Battery Show series in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Thanks so much for taking the time to have this conversation. I'm sure your "Road to Reliability" series will have a lasting impact on our readers. I appreciate this, Nolan. SMT007