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2021 Global Components Constraints _ Capacity, Lead-time, and Price 2021 could be an extremely challenging year for the electronics industry as we all work to put 2020 firmly behind us. We find ourselves in unprecedented circumstances as we gradually emerge from the global pandemic thanks to the new vaccines now available. The global supply chain is struggling like it has never struggled before, as you may have seen in the many news articles about severe components shortages such as semiconductors. Markus Duesmann CEO for Technical Development at Audi recently spoke to the Financial Times and explained that “Audi will delay production of some of its models because of the ‘massive’ shortage of computer chips”. Reuters are also reported recently that many automotive manufacturers are planning on trimming vehicle production due to a worldwide shortage of semiconductors. (Source :  Financial Times   “Chip shortage forces Audi to delay production”) Given the current situation, it is vital that we work closely with supply chains and coordinate your...

We are often asked about flexibility. Of course, why else would you require a "flex" board? “Will the flex board crack if use ED copper on it?’’ Within this article we would like to investigate two different materials (ED-Electrodeposited and RA-rolled-annealed) and observe their impact on circuit longevity.  Though well understood by the flex industry, we are not getting that important message to the board designer.    Let's take a moment to review these two types of foil. Here is the cross-section observation of RA Copper and ED Copper: <Image source: https://www.bestfpc.com> Flexibility in the copper comes from multiple factors. Of course, the thinner is the copper, the more flexible the board is.  In addition to the thickness (or thinness), copper grain also affects flexibility.  There are two common types of copper that are used in the PCB and flex circuit markets: ED and RA as aforementioned. Roll Anneal Copper Foil (RA copper) Rolled Annealed (RA) Copper has been used extensively in the flex circuits manufacturing and...

Electronics Industry Trends 2020 Welcome back to Smart blog and Happy new year!Rising demand for electronic devices and components has created a dynamic business environment for most Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)to work with overseas component manufacturers and electronic manufacturing service (EMS) providers. We will take a look at few trends in Electronics Industry. : Today we talk about Artificial Intelligent[AI] and how it could make an impact on us.  Artificial Intelligent [AI] By growing IoT & Automotive industry such as 5G or Electronic cars, it is required more features and functionalities on PCB board itself. That means simply thousands of technologies to be stacked onto each board. Most engineers in decades, manually route and design their boards but there are some potentialities to save your time or resources in the manufacturing process.  AI placement is the one of opportunities to operate it efficiently. The more electronic products that are designed, the more that can be manufactured and sold. Although true intelligence seems a little way off yet, but AI...