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We’ve discussed the silver tsunami on the show numerous times, the unprecedented rate of which employees are retiring. When engineers and other employees retire from companies, they take with them more than a set of gold cufflinks or an engraved plaque. In many cases, they also take with them wisdom and knowledge.Perhaps this is never truer than in the case of Mike Konrad's guest today. And who is that? Doug Pauls.Pauls holds a B.A. in chemistry and physics from Carthage College, and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He worked nine years for the Navy, eight years as technical director of Contamination Studies Labs, and more than 20 years at Rockwell Collins (now Collins Aerospace), in the Advanced Operations Engineering group where he is a technical fellow and, a principal materials and process engineer. He was awarded the Rockwell Collins Arthur A. Collins Engineer of the Year Award in 2004 as well as numerous other awards.Paul is a longtime (well over 30 years) IPC chairman and was awarded the IPC’s Hall of Fame Award in 2017. Most notably, he is known for his expertise in surface insulation resistance testing, cleaning and cleanliness assessment, conformal coatings, and how to investigate and qualify manufacturing processes. He has been a U.S. representative to ISO and IEC working groups on SIR, electromigration, and cleanliness reliability standards. He has participated in numerous national and international consortia on electronics manufacturing materials and processes. He recently led a team of SMEs to redefine the cleanliness provisions of J-STD-001, culminating in what is presently J-STD-001H.To take liberties with a famous Mark Twain quote “rumors of my retirement have been greatly exaggerated”. For several years now, I’ve heard rumors of Pauls' retirement. Well, that day has finally come. Konrad talks with Pauls about his long career within the electronics assembly industry: his triumphs and challenges, and his journey in this ever-changing, dynamic, and challenging industry.
If you’re new to this industry, stick around listen to Doug's advice to young people entering our world, the world of electronics assembly.
 
00:00:00 - Introduction to Doug Pauls' Career in the Electronic Assembly Industry
00:02:57 - Reliability Matters Podcast Introduction
00:06:04 - Sharing wisdom with early career individuals
00:09:34 - Hobbies Outside of Work
00:12:44 - The Minions and World Domination
00:16:23 - Overcoming Shyness through Theater and Public Speaking Lessons
00:19:41 - Lessons Learned from Skilled Trades People
00:23:03 - Working in the Department of the Navy
00:26:21 - Learning from Asking Questions and Trying New Things
00:29:38 - Learning from the Old Guys
00:33:05 - Participating in Standards Development
00:36:32 - The Power of Networking and Technical Committees
00:40:01 - The Value of Leadership Skills in Collaborative Industries
00:43:15 - Collaboration in the Electronics Industry
00:46:18 - Developing Valuable Skills in Problem-Solving
00:49:39 - Transitioning to Rockwell Collins
00:52:59 - The Four Pillars of Career Advancement at Collins Aerospace
00:56:32 - Finding Resources for Personal Growth
01:00:01 - Industry Updates and Resources
01:03:26 - The Value of Old Guy Stories
01:06:46 - The Importance of Understanding How Things are Made
01:10:08 - Retirement Plans, Consulting, and the Future
01:13:10 - An Unconventional Industry Presentation
01:15:59 - Thank You for Listening to the Reliability Matters Podcast
 
 

Businesses are not immune to the many complex social situations present on many prominent college campuses today. Executives and managers must grasp with how best to understand the changing environment as part of their talent acquisition and talent building processes, and implement those methods in practical ways to accommodate today's employees' life cycle. 
Audrey McGuckin is a global HR executive who for more than 25 years has lived and worked across the globe in Asia, Europe and the US.
She spent more than 20 years at Jabil, rising to vice president and chief talent officer. Today, as head CEO of The McGuckin Group, McGuckin consults with top CEOs and CHROs to solve complex business challenges through innovative talent and people solutions. Her client base includes a broad spectrum ranging from startups to Fortune 100 organizations.
She shares her thoughts and approach to business leadership, team building, managing employee movements and needs, and the power of empathy with PCB Chat host Mike Buetow.

This episode was recorded at SMTA's Pan Pacific Strategic Electronics Symposium on the Big Island of Hawaii.Mike Konrad's guests on this episode are Dr. Chuck Bauer, founder of PanPac, Keith Bryant, and Dr. Ron Lasky. We discussed the history of PanPac, technologies introduced at PanPac, and what makes PanPac so unique. We also discuss Dartmouth College's unique engineering innovations program.
 
Chapters:00:00:00 - Introduction to the Reliability Matters Podcast00:01:35 - Introduction: Dr. Chuck Bower and Keith Bryant00:03:23 - The Motivation Behind Starting IMAPS and SMTA00:05:16 - Global Participation in the Event00:07:25 - High Level Participants and Learning Experience00:09:23 - The Conference of Interesting Things00:11:01 - Speaking to the Thought Leaders of the Industry00:12:40 - Preconceived Notions about the Event00:14:26 - The Best Event for Networking and Fundamental Research00:16:05 - Networking at Conferences00:17:42 - The Advantage of Combining Innovation and Engineering00:19:17 - Fostering Entrepreneurship among Students00:20:57 - The Future of Young People00:22:34 - Challenging Stereotypes about the New Generation00:24:03 - Advice for Emerging Engineers and Technicians00:27:17 - The Benefits of a Liberal Arts Education in Engineering00:28:48 - Bringing Students to the Conference for Experience00:30:11 - Entrepreneurship and Thinking Outside the Box00:31:46 - The Value of Thinking like an Entrepreneur00:33:22 - The Advantages of Ignorance in Starting a Business00:34:51 - Throw caution to the wind and pursue your passions00:36:25 - Appreciation and Thanks00:37:49 - Stay Safe, Stay Happy, Stay Healthy

Optimization has become an important goal within the electronics assembly industry. While modern electronics assembly techniques utilize a variety of equipment, one specific type of equipment often consumes a disproportionate percentage of the overall equipment budget, that is the place machine. The cost of the machine, associated conveyors and feeders, require that the machine is running as often as possible.The airline industry refers to this as “wheels up” time. Airlines make money when the aircraft is in the air “wheels up.” On the other hand, anytime the wheels are down, the aircraft is not making money for the airline.I listened to an interview a few years ago with the CEO of Southwest Airlines, a US discount carrier. Unlike most other airlines, Southwest does not charge its customers to check bags. The CEO was asked by the reporter why they have not joined the rest of the industry in charging for checked bags. The CEO's answer was genius. If Southwest Airlines began charging for check bags, it would actually slow the boarding process as more and more passengers would drag their bags onto the aircraft, most likely resulting in a number of those bags having to be checked at the gate. Southwest Airlines is famous for having the fastest aircraft gate turns in the industry, frequently under 30 minutes. Yet, if Southwest Airlines charged for checked baggage, it would require more time at the gate before the next flight would be ready to depart. That would result in fewer flight segments per aircraft per day. In other words, allowing customers to check bags for free equates to more “wheels up” time and, subsequently, more profit for the airline.The same principal can apply to pick-and place machines. When pick-and-place machines are running product, they are making presumably making money. When they sit idle, they are arguably costing money. What can assemblers do to improve the optimization or “wheels up” time on their pick-and-place machines?Mike Konrad's guest, Larry Welk, believes he has an answer. Welk, a.k.a. Professor Splice, is coowner of Smart Splice, a manufacturer of tape splicing tools.Welk reviews tape splicing best practices and explain how tape splicing, when performed correctly, can lead to higher pick-and-place machine optimization.So, buckle your seatbelt: this podcast episode is officially wheels up!
Chapters:00:00:00 - The Importance of Optimization in Electronic Assembly00:02:34 - Tape Splicing: Best Practices00:05:12 - Tape Splicing and its Advantages in the Industry00:07:42 - Continuous Tape Splicing00:10:10 - Splicing Techniques in Machine Assembly00:12:31 - Ensuring Quality and Reliability of Tape Splices00:14:57 - The importance of alignment in splicing00:17:21 - Types of Tapes and Their Impact on Splicing00:19:54 - Challenges with Tape Splicing00:22:09 - Adjusting Feeder Tension00:24:25 - Splicing and Reel Management in the Industry00:26:46 - Splicing Parts in the Electronics Industry00:29:02 - Common Mistakes in Tape Splicing00:31:34 - Issues with Tape Splicing00:34:03 - The Crimping Tool and Tape Issues00:36:25 - The Importance of Switching Techniques00:38:53 - Improving Production Efficiency through Component Evaluation00:41:44 - A demonstration of the old tape splicing method00:44:08 - Splicing Tape Procedure Comparison00:46:38 - Faster Splicing Technique00:49:15 - The Negative Experiences with Splicing00:51:55 - The Benefits of Splicing00:54:22 - Transitioning from Technician to Salesman00:56:40 - Conclusion and Farewell
 

Electronic System Design (ESD) industry revenue increased 14% to $4.4 billion in the fourth quarter 2023, with printed circuit board design software leading the way, up 21% for the period. 
Wally Rhines, executive sponsor of the SEMI Electronic Design Market Data report, gives his quarterly update on the state of the electronics design software market.

The High-Density Packaging User Group, the nonprofit consortium of electronics manufacturers and suppliers that collaborate on various technical problems in order to reduce cost and time to market, has nearly 25 projects underway, several of which are due to be completed this year.
We spoke this month with Madan Jagernauth, marketing director and project facilitator of HDP, about their current research on lead-free solder alloys, the recent conference Best Papers, and whether the consortium members are ready to tackle artificial intelligence.