Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - 'From Possibility to Reality': Next-Generation Technologies to be Highlighted in PCB East Keynote

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – PCB East today announced the international electronics industry consultant Gene Weiner, fresh off a trip across the Atlantic where he visited several emerging companies, will keynote this year’s conference. Weiner’s talk, “From Possibility to Reality,” will paint a picture of exciting possibilities in additive manufacturing, materials, equipment, components and other developments that may be in full swing in the next few years.

The PCB East conference and exhibition will return April 11-13, 2022, to Marlborough, MA. Weiner's keynote, which is free to all conference and expo registrants, takes place April 12 at 11 a.m.

“It’s a new day for industry engineers,” says Weiner, “facing challenges and opportunities with new tools, products and software at their disposal to create never before possible interconnected packages.

"A realm of new possibilities in design and manufacturing are being made possible by rapidly emerging advances in a wide variety of additive manufacturing processes of printed circuits and precision components, as well as specialty substrates.

“Looming new technologies, including AI, offer the chance to create new designs, such as precision capacitors in situ, odd-shaped precision inductors (in place), precision shielding in place, rapid precise placement of Type 6 or 7 solder pastes permitting higher first-pass yield on assembly of very fine components, and more that could reduce re-spins or make faster adjustments.

“Design engineers who are aware of these innovations in equipment, processes, and materials and their capabilities can be more creative. One of the challenges will be to establish standards for newly designed products and their compositions.”

In this keynote, Weiner will draw upon his more than a half-century of global firsts and experiences with major inflection points and new product entries into the PCB fabrication and EMS sectors of electronic packaging to introduce and predict the possible and the probable.

“Few people in the world have seen the variety of printed circuit, semiconductor and electronics packaging technologies that Gene Weiner has, and ever fewer are able to put them in the context of how they can be implemented,” said Mike Buetow, president of PCEA and conference director, PCB East. “I guarantee attendees will come away with their eyes opened to new possibilities for design and manufacturing.”

About the Keynote Speaker

Gene Weiner is a recipient of the IPC’s President Award, a member of the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame (the association’s highest form of recognition), and was voted one of the PCB industry’s 10 most influential people. His industry “firsts” include building the first print wired memory plane by additive technologies, introducing alkaline etchant, and introducing aqueous processing dry film photoresist. His global executive experience includes president of a copper-clad laminate company, vice president of business development of an Occidental Petroleum subsidiary, member of the board of directors of a $750 million public company, and chairman of the advisory board of directors of a $250+ million public company.

About PCB East

PCB East is a three-day technical conference for electronics design, fabrication, assembly and test engineers. It will take place April 11-13, 2022, in Marlborough, MA. The event includes a one-day exhibition on April 12.

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event.

For more information about PCB East, visit pcbeast.com.

About Printed Circuit Engineering Association, Inc.

Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) (pcea.net) is a nonprofit association that promotes printed circuit engineering as a profession and encourages, facilitates, and promotes the exchange of information and integration of new design concepts through communications, seminars, workshops, and professional certification through a network of local and regional PCEA-affiliated groups. PCEA serves the global PCB community through print, digital and online products, as well as live and virtual events. PCEA publishes PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB (pcdandf.com) and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY (circuitsassembly.com), as well as the PCB UPdate (pcbupdate.com) e-newsletter. UPMG also produces the PRINTED CIRCUIT UNIVERSITY (printedcircuituniversity.com) online training platform, and trade shows and conferences, including PCB East (pcbeast.com), PCB West (pcbwest.com) and the PCB2Day workshop series.