PCB Chat

Adhesive failures can be frustrating because the problem isn’t always obvious. The adhesive may have been properly selected, the part may look clean, and the process may seem under control. But weeks or months later, a coating lifts, an encapsulant separates, or a bond fails in the field.

So what went wrong?

In this episode of Reliability Matters Mike Konrad is joined by David Dworak, material scientist at Dymax, to discuss the science behind reliable adhesion in electronics manufacturing.

They talk about why adhesive bonding is about much more than choosing the right material. Dworak explains the role of adhesive chemistry, surface energy, wetting, contact angle measurement, surface preparation, plasma treatment, and why even a visually clean surface may not be ready for bonding.

Also explored: how manufacturers can troubleshoot adhesion failures, control their bonding process, and gather objective evidence that a surface is truly ready for adhesive application.

If your process involves conformal coatings, encapsulants, underfills, component bonding, or any adhesive used in electronics assembly, this conversation will help you better understand what really makes a bond reliable.

“The Principals of Adhesion: Understanding Adhesive Chemistry, Application and Surface Science for Optimal Bonding Performance.”
https://circuitsassembly.com/ca/editorial/menu-features/43078-the-principals-of-adhesion-understanding-adhesive-chemistry-application-and-surface-science-for-optimal-bonding-performance.html

Thermal management is a “hot” topic right now, and with today’s rising power densities, thermal issues are moving into more mainstream PCB designs. If you’ve ever wondered whether you could squeeze another heat sink onto your board, you won’t want to miss this episode of PCB Chat.

Chris Parker is the director of product engineering at TCLAD, a company that develops PCB materials designed for managing excessive heat. Today, Chris discusses a case study that TCLAD conducted with the Rochester Institute of Technology. Researchers built two electrically identical test boards – one constructed with standard FR-4, and one with TCLAD’s SFL-12 dielectric.

As Chris explains, the choice of dielectric made a big difference in surface temperatures, with one power component running 26 degrees cooler on the board made with TCLAD material than on the FR-4 test board. He also walks us through what they learned from the use of thermal bridges.

Tom Kastner is the founder of GP Ventures, a company that provides M&A advisory services. He's been involved in PCB industry mergers and acquisitions for decades, and he's written extensively about M&A challenges and opportunities.

In this episode of PCB Chat, Tom discusses his background and the career path that led him to become an M&A expert. He also examines some of the trends he's seeing in mergers and acquisitions, as well as the current PCB fabrication and assembly landscape in the U.S., and around the world.

Plus, he answers this immortal question: How many board shops are still operating in the U.S. right now? Check it out.

Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now. It’s in the headlines, it’s being built into software tools, and it’s showing up in more and more conversations about engineering, manufacturing, quality, and process improvement.

But here’s the problem.

A company can buy the software. A team can attend the training. Everyone can walk away impressed by what AI might be able to do. And then, a few weeks later, very little actually changes. The tool is still there. The potential is still there. But the habits never formed.

And that matters directly to reliability.

In electronics manufacturing, reliability doesn’t come from good intentions. It comes from repeatable processes, disciplined execution, clear documentation, good decision-making, and the ability to recognize problems before they become failures in the field.

That’s where AI can become more than just another interesting tool. Used properly, AI may be able to enhance workflows such as:

• Reviewing ECOs and identifying downstream process, documentation, material, or inspection impacts

• Analyzing AOI, SPI, test, and process data to detect recurring defect patterns

• Supporting root cause analysis by organizing failure data, inspection results, and corrective action history

• Monitoring process drift in areas such as reflow, cleaning, stencil printing, placement, and environmental conditions

• Assisting with corrective action reports, customer responses, and internal documentation

• Capturing tribal knowledge from meetings, shift reports, troubleshooting notes, and past problem-solving activity

Those are all reliability-related activities. They touch the way products are designed, built, inspected, documented, corrected, and improved. 

But AI only helps if it becomes part of the way work actually gets done.

Mike Konrad's guest is Sean Patterson, author of the article, “Why Your AI Training Isn’t Sticking.” 

Patterson argues that AI adoption is not really a training problem. It’s a habit problem. In other words, the goal isn’t simply to teach people what AI can do. 

The goal is to connect AI to the work people are already doing, such as preparing for meetings, reviewing engineering change orders, working through technical questions, or organizing complex problems.

For those of us focused on reliability, that distinction is important. AI doesn’t replace engineering judgment, process knowledge, or verification. 

But when used properly, it may help strengthen the behaviors that support reliability: asking better questions, capturing knowledge, reducing overlooked details, and improving the consistency of technical decision-making.

Here, Sean talks about why AI training often fails to stick, how small triggers can turn occasional use into practical habits, where AI can fit into engineering and manufacturing workflows, and how companies can approach AI in a way that is useful, responsible, and directly connected to reliability.

What if PCB design respins were a thing of the past? What if updating hardware was as easy as updating software?

Itera CEO AJ Cooper co-founded the company to address this exact issue. And now, Itera has developed the world's first "fluid" PCB that can rewire itself in real time. AJ will discuss this groundbreaking technology in his PCB West keynote speech, "It's Time to Retire the Respin." 

In this episode of PCB Chat, AJ discusses his prior work with Lyft and Uber, his efforts to eliminate PCB design respins once and for all, and the ramifications of this "liquid metal" technology on hardware design. He also provides a preview of his PCB West keynote, which takes place at 11 a.m. on Sept. 30 at the Santa Clara Convention Center.