In this interview, Wolfgang Heinecke, head of global product management at Mycronic, discusses advancements and applications of jet printing technology, which offers solutions to the challenges faced by traditional stencil printing. He highlights the key benefits of jet printing, and explains the qualification process for solder paste compatibility as well as the software-driven nature of jet printing, which allows for quick program creation and real-time adjustments.

As CPU and GPU packages grow larger and contain higher pin/ball counts, the importance of managing the printed circuit board (PCB) surface coplanarity for package assembly increases. The PCB surface coplanarity under a package is a product of both the global bow/twist of the PCB and the local surface topography under the package. In general, the surface topography is dependent the choice of material and layer stackup and the interaction between the innerlayer copper patterns and prepreg resin flow.

Nolan Johnson speaks with Juan Briceno, Vice President of Sales for Viscom, about the current state of the Mexican electronics market. Briceno reports that while the automotive and contract manufacturing sectors in Mexico remain strong, the industry as a whole is preparing for more purchases in late 2024 and early 2025. Briceno emphasizes the growing need for automated solutions and AI technologies to address the challenge of finding qualified personnel in the Americas.