A Conversation about Solder Voiding with Solder Materials, Stencil, and Cleaning Experts

Episode 56: A Conversation about Solder Voiding with Solder Materials, Stencil, and Cleaning Experts

Voiding is the cause of multiple failure mechanisms. I spoke with solder material expert Tim O’Neill of Aim Solder, stencil manufacturer Prakash Gango of StenTech, and cleaning materials manufacturer Kalyan Nukala of Zestron about how solder voiding leads to product failures and methods to reduce voiding.

My guests may be reached here:
Tim O’Neill
Aim Solder 
toneill@aimsolder.com
www.aimsolder.com

Prakash Gango
StenTech
prakash@stentech.com
www.stentech.com

Kalyan Nukala
Kalyan.Nukala@zestronusa.com
www.zestron.com

 

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A Conversation with SMTA President Dr. Martin Anselm

My guest today is Dr. Martin Anselm. Martin is a professor at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and is also the newly elected President of the Surface Mount Technology Association or SMTA.

Martin also worked for Universal Instruments. During his 12 year career at Universal Instruments, Martin was, among other positions, a Process Research Engineer and Manager of Failure Analysis Services.

Martin completed his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering through Binghamton University. His research topic involved Copper Nickel Tin intermetallic formation kinetics on electroless Nickel substrates. Martin also completed a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson and an undergraduate degree in Physics from SUNY Geneseo.

 

 

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A Conversation with Michael Ford about Digital Twin

Episode 54: A Conversation with Michael Ford about Digital Twin
Michael Ford and I talk about Digital Twin, its purpose, value, and its future.

Michael Ford, Sr.
Director of Emerging Industry Strategy
Aegis Software

Michael Ford has more than 30 years working within the electronics assembly manufacturing space.

Michael has a degree in Electronics from the University of Wales, Michael started his career with Sony in the UK, creating software solutions as he acquired a broad range of manufacturing knowledge. He spent eight years working in Japan which provided Michael the opportunity to expand his innovation and leadership on a global enterprise scale.

Today, Michael is the Sr. Director of Emerging Industry Strategy for Aegis Software. Having worked with specialized software solution providers in the industry, Michael is an established thought leader for Industry 4.0 and Smart factories. Michael is also actively working on industry standards with the IPC, including his position as chair of new traceability standard, IPC-1782.

Earlier this year, Michael’s Thought leadership on Industry 4.0 manufacturing and development of the IPC Connected Factory Exchange (CFX) was formally recognized when IPC awarded him with the prestigious president’s award.

Michael spoke to me from his office in the UK.

Michael may be reached at:
mford@aiscorp.com

 

 

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Meet the Press – A Conversation with Industry Journalists about the State of the EMS Industry

Episode 53: Meet the Press – A Conversation with Industry Journalists about the State of the EMS Industry

In this episode, I speak with Mike Buetow, Editor In Chief of Circuits Assembly and Printed Circuit Design and Fab magazines, Trevor Galbraith, publisher of Global SMT and Production magazine, and Philip Stoten of Scoop TV. We discuss the state of the electronics assembly industry, the affects of COVID-19 on our industry, emerging technologies, and more.

Mike Buetow may be reached here:
https://www.circuitsassembly.com/ca/
mbuetow@upmediagroup.com

Trevor Galbraith may be reached here:
https://globalsmt.net/global-smt-podcast/
tgalbraith@globalsmt.net

Philip Stoten may be reached here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzfiQYhqvxKU3hwojy4onA
pstoten@me.com

 

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A Conversation with Conformal Coating Expert Dr. Sean Clancy of HZO

Episode 52: A Conversation with Conformal Coating Expert Dr. Sean Clancy of HZO
Dr. Sean Clancy and I discuss the various types of conformal coatings designed to protect circuit assemblies from moisture and other hazards. We discuss coating best-practices and current IOT-based products that are increasing the need for protecting circuit assemblies from harsh environments. 

Dr. Sean Clancy is the Director of Coating Technology at HZO, where he leads a group developing thin-film conformal coatings.

Throughout his career, Sean has assisted hundreds of organizations with electronics manufacturing failure analysis, as well as developed functional coatings and materials for corrosion protection, charge storage, chemical sensing, light emission, and medical research.

Sean holds an Adjunct Professor appointment at the University of Utah’s Materials Science and Engineering Department and has previously provided consulting services in the STEAM fields (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics).

Sean earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Southern California, his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of North Florida, and his Certificate in Project Management from the University of Delaware.

Dr. Clancy may be reached here:
sclancy@hzo.com

 

 

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A Conversation with X-Ray Expert and Entrepreneur Dr. Bill Cardoso

Episode 51: A Conversation with X-Ray Expert and Entrepreneur Dr. Bill Cardoso 

Bill started his first company in Brazil at age 17 and sold it a few years later to move to the US to work for the Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory to do nuclear and high energy physics research. As the Department Head for Systems Engineering and after a 10-year long career at Fermilab, He moved from Chicago to southern California to start Creative Electron from his garage 

Bill was what could be described as an early achiever, earning his associates degree at age 13!

Bill earned a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and MS and a PhD from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and, if that weren’t enough an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Bill may be reached here:
bcardoso@creativeelectron.com

 

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A Conversation with IPC’s Matt Kelly on IPC Technology Focus & Investment

Episode 50 – A Conversation with IPC’s Matt Kelly on IPC Technology Focus & Investment

IPC’s New Chief Technologist Matt Kelly talks about Factory and Supply Chain of the Future Modernization

In this new leadership role, Kelly will help IPC’s members to engage in latest technology trends and supply chain transformation that continues to evolve across the electronics industry. He will work to define the scope of what future products and services the association should develop inthe areas of standards, education and advocacy. Kelly’s primary areas of focus will be leading the following initiatives: “factory of the future” standards and technical research; industry intelligence funding; and creation and launch of an Industry CTO Council.

Kelly comes to IPC following a 14-year career at IBM Corporation, holding several senior technology and engineering leadership positions within IBM Systems Division. His technical contributions include 25 patents, 80 publications, and numerous industry awards from NAM, ASM, SMTA, IPC, and IBM.

Very familiar with IPC’s standards development process, Kelly has served on seven technical committees and currently serves as vice chair of the 5-21H Bottom Termination Components Task Group and co-chair of the 2-17 Connected Factory Initiative Subcommittee.

“Matt is widely recognized in the global electronics industry as a premier thought leader and an innovator, and his work will play a pivotal role in helping us know our members and the industry – with greater depth and breadth,” said Sanjay Huprikar, vice president, Solutions. “We are thrilled to welcome Matt to the IPC team, and we look forward to the new contributions he will make to the electronics industry.”

Based in Toronto, Kelly can be reached at MattKelly@ipc.org.

 

 

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A Conversation with SMTA’s Tanya Martin and Greg Vance about SMTAI 2020

Episode 49 – A Conversation with SMTA’s Global Executive Director Tanya Martin and Greg Vance, Member of SMTA Global Board of Directors about SMTAI 2020’s new virtual format. 

Numerous exhibitors are taking part in this new format. More than 100 technical presentations and papers will be available on-demand. Additionally, nine 3.5 hour professional development courses will be presented live!

Register to attend the virtual exhibition and technical conference here: 
https://smta.org/mpage/smtai

 

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A Conversation with a China Supply Chain Expert about Importing from and Exporting to China

Episode 48: A Conversation with David Alexander, a China supply chain expert about Importing from and Exporting to China.

We are all familiar with the pros and cons of importing goods from China. China supply chain expert David Alexander discusses pros and cons of doing business in China. David also discusses the lesser known opportunities of exporting US goods to China and China’s appetite for western brands.

David is the Founder and President of Baysource Global, company which provides management of offshore factories, US sales and distribution of Chinese products as well as distribution of US products in to China.

Information on Baysource Global is available here:
https://baysourceglobal.com

David Alexander may be contacted here:
david.alexander@baysource.net

 

 

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A Conversation with Environmental Sustainability Expert Matthew Chalkley

Episode 47: A Conversation with Environmental Sustainability Expert Matthew Chalkley 

Matthew Chalkley has over 26 years of supply chain experience in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. Matthew has held a number of senior operational management positions within, engineering, manufacturing, materials management, procurement, and customer order fulfillment.

Matthew was the Global Program Manager for IBM’s Supply Chain Social & Environmental Management System and the Global Tactical Lead for IBM’s Center of Excellence for Product Environmental Compliance. Matthew currently chairs the Environmental Sustainable Electronics (ESE) Technical Work Group for the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative, known as iNEMI.

Matthew has a Post Graduate Diploma focused in Environmental Management from the University of Ulster.

Matthew may be reached here:
chalklem19@gmail.com

 

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“The Experts” – A Special Episode Featuring a Conversation with Four Industry Experts

Mike Konrad joins Dr. Jennie Hwang, Phil Zarrow, Bob Willis, and Ray Prasad to discuss several industry topics including the pandemic, common technical issues, training and support, and other interesting topics. 

A video version of this podcast is also available here:
https://vimeo.com/433866207/d0f9ac8f65

Dr. Jennie Hwang 
jennie.hwang@h-techgroup.com
www.jenniehwang.com 

Phil Zarrow
phil_zarrow@itmconsulting.com
www.itmconsulting.com

Bob Willis
bob@bobwillis.co.uk
www.bobwillis.co.uk

Ray Prasad
rayprasade310@gmail.com
www.rayprasad.com

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A Conversation with Dr. Chris Jackson About Reliability

Episode 45: A Conversation with Dr. Chris Jackson About Reliability
Dr. Chris Jackson discusses reliability and his five-part article series entitled “3 Ways to do Reliability Allocation.”

Dr. Chris Jackson is the founder of Acuitas, a company dedicated to reliability. 

Chris founded Acuitas in 2010. He was awarded his mechanical engineering degree from the University of New South Wales, and has since receive a Masters in PhD in Reliability Engineering from the University of Maryland. He is an American Society of Quality Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE), and a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) from Engineers Australia.
​
He has been the Senior Reliability Engineer for the Australian Defence Force, and has been the director and founder of multiple research centers at the University of California Los Angeles. He has authored or co-authored multiple textbooks on reliability engineering and implemented several RAM programs across multiple industries.

During the interview, Chris discusses his five-part article entitled “3 Ways to do Reliability Allocation.” This article may be viewed here:
https://accendoreliability.com/?s=3+Ways+to+do+Reliability+Allocation

Additional technical works by Dr. Jackson may be viewed here:
https://accendoreliability.com/page/2/?s=jackson

Dr. Jackson’s book “Reliability Engineering and Management” may be purchased here:
https://www.amazon.com/Reliability-Engineering-Management-Christopher-Jackson-ebook/dp/B071LGDYQG

Dr. Jackson may be reached here:
chris.jackson@acuitas.com

 

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A Conversation with Dr. Jennie Hwang About Reliability

Episode 44: A Conversation with Dr. Jennie Hwang About Reliability

Dr. Hwang’s wide-ranging career encompasses international business operations, sustained leadership in worldwide manufacturing and technology services, innovative research, intellectual property management, global leadership positions, as well as corporate and university governance.

Dr. Hwang held senior executive positions with Lockheed Martin., SCM Corp., Sherwin Williams., and was the CEO of International Electronic Materials Corp. as well as co-founded entrepreneurial companies. Currently, her company provides business, technology and manufacturing solutions to the global industry. She has served as an advisor to many Fortune 500 multinational companies, as well as the U.S. government programs.

Her formal education includes Harvard Business School’s Executive Program, Columbia University Business School Corporate Governance program, and four academic degrees (PH.D., MS, MA, B.S.) in Engineering & Sciences from Case Western Reserve University, Columbia University, Kent State-Liquid Crystal Institute and Cheng-Kung University, respectively. She was the first female to earn a doctorate from Case Western Reserve University’s Engineering School – Materials Science & Engineering and has served on the University’s Board of Trustees since 1996.

Dr. Jenny Hwang may be reached here:
http://www.jenniehwang.com
jennie.hwang@h-techgroup.com
Tel: 216-577-3284

 

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A Conversation with Cal State University’s Dr. Mike Stull

Episode 43: A Conversation with Cal State University’s Dr. Mike Stull about Entrepreneurship and Today’s Challenging Times

Dr. Mike Stull is the Director of the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). He also serves as Chair for the Department of Management in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration and academic director for entrepreneurship. 

With more than 30 years as an entrepreneur in for-profit, non-profit, and public sector environments, Mike describes himself as the “living example” that entrepreneurship is a process that can be applied in any setting and he truly “thinks like an owner.” As someone who likes to challenge his students in and out of the classroom, Mike is viewed as an innovative and demanding teacher that brings the reality of entrepreneurship into the classroom. As one of his students noted “the class projects that Mike assigns, such as having to start and run a business, touch on every aspect of what it takes to be an entrepreneur. It truly is learning applied to the reality of entrepreneurship.” Due to this “hands-on” and entrepreneurial approach, Mike has been recognized with several teaching awards in the Jack H. Brown College, was considered for the CSU system’s highest honor for faculty, the Wang Family Excellence Award, and was the recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year (EOY) award from Ernst & Young.

Directing the university’s entrepreneurship program and Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE), Mike is responsible for program & curriculum management and development, teaching entrepreneurship courses, and overseeing numerous entrepreneurial initiatives. He has raised over $28 million in grants, contracts and sponsorship and achieved national acclaim, including ranking as the #4 graduate entrepreneurship program in the U.S. from The Princeton Review & Entrepreneur Magazine, receiving the prestigious National Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education Award in 2010 from the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) and selected as one of the top 35 entrepreneurship programs globally in 2017 by AACSB International.

Education

BA/MBA – California State University San Bernardino
EDM – Case Western Reserve University

Courses/Teaching

Mike developed nine (9) of the current entrepreneurship courses taught at the undergrad and grad programs in Entrepreneurship. He currently teaches:

ENTR 543 New Venture Opportunity Analysis
ENTR 621 Entrepreneurship and New Ventures

Mike may be reached at mstull@csusb.edu

 

 

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A Conversation with X-Ray Expert Keith Bryant

Episode 42: A Conversation with X-Ray Expert Keith Bryant

Keith discusses the advantages of x-ray technology, its practical uses, and common mistakes made when using x-ray technology. 

Keith’s Bio:
A fully qualified engineer, Keith has over thirty years’ experience in Electronics Manufacturing. He is well known and respected for presenting technical papers at many high-profile events around the world and for his many published articles and interviews.  

He started his career in this industry with bare printed circuit boards in the early days of high-count multi-layer technology, moving through to running contract manufacturing operation. He had ten years’ experience with advanced materials and soldering systems before working with high technology x-ray and AOI Systems, again for 10 years.

Then for almost 3 years Keith worked as a technology and business consultant, assisting many of the major industry names.

From 2017 to 2019 he was Global Sales Director of the leading x-ray manufacturer. Last year reverting to a technology and business consultancy role allowing him to pursue other interesting projects, including i4.0 and working with an advanced x-ray tube manufacturer.

He was Chairman of the SMART Group for 11 years and is now Chairman of SMTA Europe, in 2018 he was presented with the SMTA International Leadership award.

Keith’s Contact Information:
Email: Keith@KeithBryant.net

 

 

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