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38 The PCB Magazine • August 2016 My concern: who is going to write the chap- ters? Clyde and I found it very difficult to find the new authors for the 7 th Edition. Those with the most expertise were also the busiest, and maybe didn't have time to write a chapter. For- tunately, we found those experts and they made time to help us. We are eternally grateful that they took time to help the industry. Next time, the selection may be much smaller—or for me— not English speaking. Q: Is there going to be enough new technology to justify an eighth edition? A: There is probably enough new technol- ogy now to start an eighth edition. The growth of digital imaging alone would need its own chapter. Not just laser direct imaging, but the use of powerful LEDs as light sources and TI's DMD micro-mirrors have started to proliferate. Inkjet printing of etch, plating, solder mask and legends is also growing. Given the use of these techniques at the new Whelen Engineering PCB fab facility, we also should bring back green tech- nology (as it saved them a lot of money and "no permits required"). I like to call this new captive facility a "Lean plus Green" example. Lean is emphasized and results in a panel cost half that of China but with a two-day turnaround time instead of six weeks. These Lean concepts have simplified the entire PCB manufacturing pro- cess. They used horizontal pulse electroplating technology to reuse the copper from their etch- ing process as well as other novel techniques to totally recycle all their rinse waters. It is also significant that all the technology came out of the U.S. or Europe, not Asia. But now that the cat is out of the bag, we may see more of it im- plemented in Asia. One key attribute is the less than three-year return on investment. Hopeful- ly, this will now interest banks and other loan- ing institutions in financing more PCB factory growth in North America. Q: How will the Handbook be used by newcom- ers to the PCB profession? A: We now have a generation in college, and more coming up through K−12 schooling, that have grown up with digital devices, video gaming, mobile phones and social networking. The effect of all of this has changed the nature of how they learn. To continue their education in electronics manufacturing—and specifically printed circuit fabrication and surface mounted assembly—we will have to adjust our training and education to this new generation of learn- ers. For someone as old as I am, the challenge is to adapt my style of teaching to this new digi- tal learner. I would like to work with the IPC to create a comprehensive, online, self-paced two-year and four-year degree in engineering (or at least a certificate of completion) for man- ufacturing in electronics that has the 7 th edition of the Printed Circuits Handbook as one of its texts. PCB007 has other very good free e-books that can also be tapped in making up this new course. Given the work to create this, an eighth edition of the Handbook would have to wait until the coursework is finished. _____________________________________ Tim Rodgers Adjunct Professor, University of Colorado (Chapters 3, 4, 6, 7, 8) One area that I would have liked to explore in more detail in the latest edition of the Printed Circuits Handbook is the topic of supplier perfor- mance. A lot of people seem to think that the most effective way to en- sure high performance is to threaten suppliers with legal action or the loss of future business. A supplier who works to avoid negative conse- quences may achieve a minimum level of per- formance, but probably not much more than that. If you expect your supplier to represent your interests when you're not actively observ- ing their performance, you have to provide a reason for them to do so. What's in it for them? A supplier is more likely to behave as a part- ner if they get something more out of the re- lationship than money for services rendered. What do suppliers want? The answer varies, but here are some examples: THE AUTHORS OF THE PRINTED CIRCUITS HANDBOOK SPEAK