Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/649323
10 The PCB Magazine • March 2016 had on the electronic materials and equipment used in the manufacture and assembly of PCBs. And as a finale, we're introducing a new col- umnist this month—from Brazil! Renato Peres, with Circuibras, gives us a quick overview of the electronics industry in Brazil, and promises a column on process engineering for April's is- sue. We'll bring you Renato's Brazilian perspec- tive every month. Time to see what the rest of the world is up to. Enjoy our March issue, and be sure to tune in next month when we will discuss process engineering, trouble shooting and testing new processes and equipment. PCB Patricia Goldman is a 30+ year veteran of the PCB industry, with experience in a variety of areas, including R&D of imaging tech- nologies, wet process engineering, and sales and marketing of PWB chemistry. Active with IPC since 1981, Goldman has chaired numerous committees and served as TAEC chairman, and is also the co-author of numerous technical papers. To contact Goldman, click here. keys to profitability as well as valuable informa- tion on systems thinking. Several columnists offered their thoughts on profitability for this issue. Omni PCB's Tara Dunn discusses how your sourcing strategy can affect yields and hence, profitability. Dave Beck- er of All Flex Flexible Circuits chimes in with the case for Lean manufacturing and NPIP to reduce waste, thereby enhancing profitability. And guest columnist Akber Roy of RUSH PCB shares his favorite cost-saving tips for PCB fab- rication. A slightly different approach put forth by Mike Jennings and Patrick Riechel of ESI has to do with optimizing laser processing for great- est efficiency to minimize cost of ownership. They touch on a number of issues including automation, utilization and extending system longevity. To satisfy the hardcore techies out there, we have a great article by Dr. Rita Mohanty, et al., of MacDermid Enthone Electronics Solutions. It covers a new direct metallization process spe- cifically designed for flex and rigid-flex circuits. Karl Dietz gives us a very thorough overview of the green legislation around the world that affects our industry, explaining each in clear language. He then details the impact these have profiting from adviCe Figure 1: Reader survey results to the question, "What part of your process and business has the greatest impact on your profit?"