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12 The PCB Magazine • February 2016 by Joseph Fjelstad VERDAnT ElECTRonICS Introduction The manufacture of electronics has, for the last several decades, followed a production script that has changed little over time. The vast majority of printed circuits are still being man- ufactured and assembled using materials and processes that the pioneers of the early printed circuit industry would easily recognize. The pri- mary reason is that most circuit design practices are deeply rooted and tied to traditional manu- facturing methods. However, these methods are not the only ones that can be used to manu- facture and assemble printed circuits today. In fact, it is arguable that traditional methods are not as well-suited to the manufacture of today's more challenging product designs. This is a fact that has not been lost on Japanese prod- uct engineers. Over the last nearly two decades, they have conceived of and reduced to prac- tice a number of unique methods for making high-density interconnection product. One of the important keys to making this possible has been the development of materials uniquely de- signed and structured to filling special needs of these advanced circuit designs. Though perhaps not a household name, 70-year-old Tatsuta Electric Wire & Cable Co., Ltd. has been at the forefront of the develop- ment of such materials for many years. As the name implies, the company was originally fo- cused on providing wire and cabling solutions for the electrical and electronics industries. How- ever, realizing that the scope of their business extended beyond wire harnesses and cables, the company began to develop materials suited to the needs of printed wiring manufacturers and assemblers. This article has been prepared to fa- miliarize the readers of this esteemed electron- ics publication of some of the new material and process solutions the company has developed and is making available to the industry. Solutions for the Printed Circuit Industry While the company has solutions spanning everything from high power electrical cable to New Material and Process Solutions for the Electronic Interconnection Industry feature