ROSEMONT, IL – Keynote speakers for SMTA International this year will focus on packaging trends, wearables and extreme environments, the trade group announced.

Speakers include Rozalia Beica, CTO at market research firm Yole Développement, who will present 3D Technology Trends and Manufacturing Challenges. The talk will give an overview of packaging technologies, highlighting the miniaturization trends and future roadmaps. Beica will focus on the impact of new packaging technologies on assembly needs and rework, highlighting new advancements in materials and equipment, as well as assembly and manufacturing processes needed to address these challenges.

Also speaking will be Murad Kurwa, vice president of engineering at Flextronics, whose talk Wearables Technology - The Next Manufacturing Wave will discuss substrate advances like stretchable conductive fabrics, interconnects, new sensor technology, including printed sensors (ECG) and OLED, assembly concerns for flexible conductive adhesive and nano-sintering, and encapsulation techniques such as low pressure molding and waterproof coating. New equipment like roll-to-roll printing and assembly, fabric laser cutting, and ultrasonic welding on fabric will be discussed. The presentation will also address how reliability testing has adapted with flexibility testing, washability, salt spray, and sweat testing.

Finally, Jim Springer, vice president of quality at John Deere Electronic Solutions, will present Extreme Environment Electronics - Where We’ve Been, Where We Are Going and What Could Be Next. Springer will provide a genesis and the evolution of electronics designed for use in harsh physical and electrical environments, particularly those used in farming and automotive industries. Examples of ruggedization protocols will be discussed.

SMTAI takes place Sept. 27-Oct. 1 in the Chicago suburbs. For more information, visit http://www.smta.org/smtai.