Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/636678
8 The PCB Magazine • February 2016 There's a lot that's new. It's not just new equipment and materials to build the PCBs we've been making forever; there are also new ways to build a whole different type of PCB. You've probably heard lots of buzz about print- ing—not just inkjetting circuit patterns, but building entire PCBs, from layer 1 to layer n. Is it a reality? Will it take the industry by storm? Or will we continue making our boards the tra- ditional way, but with some modifications and with new, improved processes to get us there? Will PCBs as we know (and love) them disap- pear? Of course, the jury is out. But my experience is that the old never really disappears. Thirty or so years ago the demise of single-sided boards was widely predicted as multilayer technology matured and came into its own. But I was work- ing with a Chicago facility that made a ton of those "punch-and-crunch" boards by discover- ing ways to fit the circuitry from two sides onto one side, eliminating much processing (PTH and electroplating processes) and saving their customers big bucks. And those are still with us in greater volume than ever—when your cat's toy has a circuit in it, you know they are every- where. So too, I believe, with the technologies we have today. They don't go away but other technologies will grow up beside them, probably cannibalizing some amount of square footage in the process. Considering the seemingly end- less applications that arise at an ever-increasing rate these days, I believe there is room for all. We cover quite a lot of ground in this month's issue, from articles on what is truly new and very different in the way to create a PCB to better processes for building the tradi- tional ones. We also have a couple pieces for you guys out on the floor who need a little how- to info. Let's get going and do it! Joe Fjelstad of Verdant Electronics starts us off with a dissertation on one of those new ways by Patty Goldman i-connect007 So… What is New in PCB Fabrication? patty's perspeCtive 8 The PCB Magazine • February 2016