30 The PCB Design Magazine • May 2015
PCB007
Highlights
Bernie Kessler: Pioneering Spirit
Then and Now
I-Connect007's Patty Goldman sat down with long
time friend and IPC Hall of Famer Bernie Kessler at
IPC APEX EXPO 2015 in San Diego. Among other
things, the two discussed the early days of IPC and
the origins of APEX EXPO.
Manz: A Total Process Solution
At the recent CPCA Show in China, I-Connect007
Publisher Barry Matties had a chance to speak with
Alex Liu, the deputy general manager of the PCB
business unit for Manz. Manz has focused on creat
-
ing a process from direct imaging to wet process-
ing. With more entrants into the direct imaging
arena, Liu feels that this approach gives Manz and
their customers an advantage.
ESI's New Gemstone Changing the
Rules for Laser
I-Connect007 Publisher Barry Matties sat down
at CPCA 2015 with ESI's Mike Jennings, who ex
-
plained the company's newest addition: Gemstone,
an ESI-designed and manufactured laser system
with 10,000 guaranteed hours, which is poised to
change the rules in flex and other printed circuit
processing.
Key PCB Makers Strategize to Meet
Industry Demands
The computer/peripheral application is expected to
witness the highest growth followed by the com
-
munication applications. Nippon Mektron, Zhen
Ding Technology Holding Limited, Young Poong
Electronics Co. Ltd., Unimicron Technology Corp.,
and Samsung Electro-Mechanics are among the
major suppliers of PCBs.
N.A. PCB Book-to-Bill Ratio
Strengthens
"Although North American PCB sales continued
slightly below last year's levels in February, book
-
ings strengthened," said Sharon Starr, IPC's direc-
tor of market research. "This increased the book-
to-bill ratio…it has been in positive territory for the
past five months, which is a positive indicator for
sales growth in the first half of 2015."
Multek CTO Excited about the Challenges
of Fast-Moving Wearables Market
I-Connect007 Publisher Barry Matties and recently-
appointed Multek CTO Dr. Joan Vrtis sat down at
IPC APEX EXPO to discuss the rapidly evolving wear-
ables market, especially for medical, and the myriad
questions that must be addressed. Other topics in-
clude Multek's contribution to the wearables indus-
try and what it sees as the main challenges to put-
ting their circuits into various applications.
Raising a Unified Voice for an Advanced
Manufacturing Economy
The electronics manufacturing industry is an impor-
tant sector in the global economy, and John Hassel-
mann, VP of Government Relations at IPC, is an ad-
vocate for policies that will help our industry as well
as the prosperity and welfare of billions of people.
Reliability and Harmonization of Global
Standards at Forefront of EIPC Efforts
At IPC APEX EXPO 2015, I-Connect007 Technical
Editor Pete Starkey caught up with EIPC's Michael
Weinhold and Alun Morgan, who were happy to
discuss both recent and ongoing focuses for EIPC.
Also touched on was the importance of the align
-
ment of global standardization processes, especially
for Asia.
Are There Advantages to Changing
Your Registration System?
I-Connect007 Publisher Barry Matties recently had
a conversation with DIS's Tony Faraci at IPC APEX
EXPO 2015, to learn more about their pinless regis-
tration system. What was most interesting to Matties
was the potential advantages a pinless system offers
and why the process has not been widely adopted.
Schmoll Keeping an Eye on the Future—
and on LDI
In this interview, Thomas Kunz, who has been at
the helm of Schmoll Maschinen as president since
1993, discusses the company's lengthy history in
mechanical engineering (more than 70 years), cur-
rent global scope, and what he sees as a steady pro-
gression in directions that make the most sense to
customers, which includes laser direct imaging.
30 The PCB Design Magazine • May 2015
