Reliability Matters

Mike Konrad
  • 4.8 (9)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Reliability Matters is a podcast on the subject of reliability of circuit assemblies. Reliability "best practices" and success stories are discussed. This podcast features interviews with experts in the electronic assembly industry. All electronic production segments which effect product reliability are on the table. This includes contamination, coating, cleanliness assessment, inspection, building for harsh environments, reflow, printing, failure analysis, board fabrication, and much more. Your Host: Mike Konrad began his career in the electronic assembly equipment industry in 1985. Mike founded Aqueous Technologies in 1992 in response to the Montreal Protocol and the resulting international treaty banning most popular cleaning/defluxing solvents. Mike is an internationally known speaker on the subject of increasing reliability through contamination removal and cleanliness quantification techniques and procedures. Mike was awarded “Distinguish Speaker Status” with SMTA in 2018 and received the “Rich Freiberger Best of Conference Award” in 2019. Mike is a member of the SMTA Global Board of Directors where he is Vice President of Communications. Mike is also Vice President of Technical Programs for the Los Angeles / Orange County SMTA Chapter. Visit the Reliability Matters Podcast Website: https://www.reliabilitymatterspodcast.com

  1. An Academic Look at Al in Electronics Manufacturing: Where It Works, Fails, & Why It Matters - # 187

    MAR 10

    An Academic Look at Al in Electronics Manufacturing: Where It Works, Fails, & Why It Matters - # 187

    Artificial intelligence is being promoted as the next revolution in electronics manufacturing, but what happens when the people evaluating it aren’t traditional AI experts, aren’t software vendors, and aren’t selling anything?  Today’s conversation brings together engineers and professors who live at the intersection of education, reliability, and real-world manufacturing to separate meaningful progress from speculation. Each episode brings together engineers, researchers, and industry leaders to examine best practices, emerging technologies, and real-world lessons, always with a focus on data, physics, Best practices, and long-term performance. Today’s episode is a little different—and the setting couldn’t be better. I’m recording live from the Big Island of Hawaii, in Kona, at the SMTA Pan Pacific Strategic Electronics Symposium, better known as PanPac. At PanPac, academia meets industry in a way that’s truly unique. Leading international universities join forces with CEOs, inventors, senior engineers, and decision-makers from around the world.  This is where the brightest research collides with the most pressing industry challenges — and sparks solutions that drive the future of electronics. I’m honored to be the conference chair, especially on this 30th anniversary of PanPac. This episode is all about “AI in Action: Progress, Pitfalls, and the Future of Electronics.” Artificial intelligence is becoming a frequent topic in electronics manufacturing—from inspection and process optimization to predictive maintenance and reliability modeling.  But rather than approaching this conversation from the standpoint of AI evangelists or software developers, we’re taking a different path. My panelists are: Eva Hymes, Hayden Lee, Dr. Ron Lasky, Dr. John Evans, and Dr. Pradeep Lall.  None of today’s panelists claim to be AI experts. Instead, they are engineers and professors who sit at the intersection of education, engineering, and real-world manufacturing challenges. Their perspective is grounded in physics, data, reliability science, and decades of experience teaching the next generation of engineers—many of whom will be working alongside AI-driven tools whether they choose to or not. Because all of our panelists come from academia, this conversation intentionally steps back from hype and buzzwords. We’ll focus on how AI is actually being used, where it shows promise, where it introduces risk, and where critical gaps still exist—especially in high-reliability electronics manufacturing. And because PanPac serves the electronics manufacturing community, we’ll keep this discussion connected to the factory floor, workforce readiness, education, and long-term product reliability.  We’ll also touch on broader societal questions, including how AI is shaping engineering education and professional intuition. So if you’re looking for a grounded, thoughtful discussion on AI—one rooted in engineering reality rather than marketing claims—this episode is for you.

    54 min
  2. Readiness Through Repair: How the U.S Military is Strengthening Capabilities with Right to Repair - Episode 187

    FEB 24

    Readiness Through Repair: How the U.S Military is Strengthening Capabilities with Right to Repair - Episode 187

    If a $26,000 drone repair can be done in the field—but policy says it has to be shipped back to the manufacturer, do you really have a reliability problem… or a repair access problem? Today on the show, I’m joined by William Santos, International Sales Manager at ABI Electronics and a global advocate for the Right to Repair movement. William recently wrote a compelling article titled “Readiness Through Repair: How the U.S. Military is Strengthening Capabilities with Right to Repair,” where he explores how repair access—or the lack of it—directly impacts mission readiness, lifecycle cost, and operational resilience within the U.S. military. For decades, highly trained military technicians have been prevented from repairing mission-critical equipment due to restricted access to diagnostic tools, software, and spare parts. That model is now being challenged.  In April 2024, the U.S. Army announced plans to embed Right-to-Repair provisions into both new and existing contracts—a major shift with enormous implications for reliability, sustainment, and cost control. Today, we’ll unpack what this policy change really means, why repair capability is inseparable from readiness, and what lessons commercial industry can learn from the military’s pivot toward repair empowerment. Willian's Posts: Exposing the Myths and Truths of the Repair Industry! https://tinyurl.com/mr47r33p Readiness Through Repair: How the US Military is Strengthening Capabilities with Right to Repair https://tinyurl.com/4pytbvcs ABI Electronics https://www.abielectronics.co.uk Repair Don't Waste Podcast https://tinyurl.com/du8skcxk

    59 min
  3. Electronics Manufacturing Today: Pressures, Priorities, and the Path Forward With Trevor Galbraith - Episode 186

    FEB 10

    Electronics Manufacturing Today: Pressures, Priorities, and the Path Forward With Trevor Galbraith - Episode 186

    When you talk to one manufacturer, you hear a story. When you talk to hundreds, patterns emerge. Today, we step back and examine what those patterns tell us about the real state of electronics manufacturing. Today’s episode takes a step back from individual processes and technologies to look at the electronics manufacturing industry through a broader, editorial lens.  My guest is Trevor Galbraith, publisher of Global SMT & Packaging—one of the industry’s valuable trade publications. As a publisher, Trevor speaks with manufacturers, suppliers, technologists, and industry leaders from around the world. That gives him a unique vantage point—not just on where the industry is investing, but where it’s struggling, where expectations and reality diverge, and how issues like reliability, workforce challenges, supply chain pressure, automation, and standards are truly playing out on the factory floor. In this Meet-the-Press–style conversation, we’ll explore the current state of electronics manufacturing, how reliability is being prioritized—or deprioritized—amid cost and speed pressures, whether manufacturing processes are keeping pace with design complexity, and what Trevor sees ahead for the industry over the next five to ten years. This episode isn’t about promoting solutions. It’s about understanding the landscape, asking hard questions, and gaining perspective from someone who hears unfiltered voices across the entire electronics manufacturing ecosystem. Global SMT & Packaging Magazine https://www.globalsmt.net

    56 min
  4. How Accuracy & Force Compliance Contribute to Better Quality & Reliability with Michael Sivigny

    JAN 28

    How Accuracy & Force Compliance Contribute to Better Quality & Reliability with Michael Sivigny

    In electronics manufacturing, defects don’t usually announce themselves. They happen in milliseconds, far faster than human perception, and often long before anyone realizes a process has drifted out of control. By the time failures show up in test, inspection, or worse, in the field, the root cause may be buried deep inside machine behavior that no one thought to question. When machines are assumed to be accurate instead of proven to be accurate, and when force is set but not verified, hidden variation creeps in. That variation can translate directly into cracked components, misalignment, latent damage, and long-term reliability risk. My guest today is Michael Sivigny, SMT Productivity & Profit Strategist and owner and General Manager CeTaQ Americas, a company that has spent decades doing what most factories don’t, objectively measuring machine performance under real production conditions.  Michael’s work has repeatedly shown that even well-maintained, recently serviced equipment can operate outside of specification, quietly generating defects at high speed. In this conversation, we’ll dig into how accuracy validation and force measurement expose problems traditional troubleshooting misses, why OEM calibration alone is no longer enough for today’s miniaturized electronics, and how statistically sound measurement practices improve not only yield and uptime, but long-term product reliability. If you believe reliability starts long before functional test, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. CeTaQ Americas https://cetaq-americas.com msivigny@cetaq-americas.com

    48 min
  5. Advances in Dispensing Automation and Thermal Management with PVA’s Jon Urquhart - Episode 184

    JAN 13

    Advances in Dispensing Automation and Thermal Management with PVA’s Jon Urquhart - Episode 184

    Today, I’m joined by someone who has spent more than three decades at the intersection of materials science, automation, and high-reliability manufacturing.  Jon Urquhart is the Director of Global Applications Engineering at Precision Valve and Automation — one of the world’s leading developers of dispensing, coating, and industrial motion-automation systems. Since joining PVA in 1993, Jon has become widely recognized for his expertise in fluid material processing, precision dispensing, and the engineering-to-manufacturing handoff that so often makes or breaks product reliability. Jon holds multiple patents and has helped shape advanced processes used in industries where the stakes couldn’t be higher — from aerospace and EV battery systems to semiconductor packaging, medical devices, and high-density electronics assembly. His work spans everything from protective coatings that safeguard electronics in extreme environments, to next-generation thermal interface material (TIM) deposition, to automation strategies that reduce human error, improve consistency, and dramatically scale production. We’ll discuss the real-world challenges of protecting critical electronics and batteries, the latest advances in TIM materials and deposition, sustainable precision-coating techniques, and the power of a strong collaboration model between vendors, manufacturers, and lab technicians. PVA Website: https://www.pva.net Jon Urquhart: jurquhart@pva.net

    50 min
  6. Preserving Knowledge,Advancing Reliability: A Reliability Matters Podcast Year-End Reflection - #183

    12/23/2025

    Preserving Knowledge,Advancing Reliability: A Reliability Matters Podcast Year-End Reflection - #183

    Since 2018, Reliability Matters has been building a knowledge vault, capturing the wisdom of industry experts for engineers everywhere.  In this special year-end episode, we celebrate the journey, the growth, and the community that made it possible.

    10 min
  7. Getting it Right: How to Work Effectively with your CM - With Daniel Stanphill & Sean Kincaid

    12/09/2025

    Getting it Right: How to Work Effectively with your CM - With Daniel Stanphill & Sean Kincaid

    Today, we’re continuing our dive into the world of contract manufacturing—a vital piece of the electronics ecosystem. Joining me are two industry leaders who know this space inside and out. First, we have Daniel Stanphill, SMT Process Engineer at Aurora Boardworks, and alongside him, Sean Kincaid, President of K & F Electronics.  Both Daniel and Sean represent companies that provide contract manufacturing services to a wide range of customers, helping turn design concepts into dependable, production-ready circuit assemblies. In this conversation, we’ll explore what makes for a successful relationship between contract manufacturers and their customers. We’ll talk about the types of customers they look for, the challenges they face in today’s manufacturing environment, and the common mistakes that can derail a project if not addressed early on.  Most importantly, we’ll dig into best practices that can help customers and manufacturers work together more effectively. You may recognize Daniel and Sean. In addition to their day jobs, Daniel and Sean, along with Elias Malfavon Jr. are also co-hosts of the d-code podcast, where they share candid conversations and insights from across the electronics industry.  We’ll hear what inspired them to launch the show and how it ties into their mission of building stronger connections in this field. So whether you’re an engineer, a buyer, or anyone working with contract manufacturers, this episode is packed with advice to help you navigate the process with confidence.  Daniel is an SMT Process Engineer at: Aurora Boardworks https://auroraboardworks.com Sean is President of: K & F Electronics https://www.circuitboards.com

    1h 6m
  8. What Every OEM Should Know About Working with Contract Manufacturers - With Raymond Novara

    11/25/2025

    What Every OEM Should Know About Working with Contract Manufacturers - With Raymond Novara

    The next two episodes will be all about contract manufacturing, an area that can make or break the reliability and success of a product.  My guest on this episode is Raymond Novara, founder and owner of East End Assemblies, a U.S.-based contract manufacturer recognized for its focus on quality, customer service, and compliance with AS9100 and IPC standards. During our conversation, I’ll be asking Raymond some key questions that every OEM should be considering: What are the best practices for selecting a contract manufacturer?What common mistakes do companies make when working with a CM—especially in communication and hand-offs?How can design-for-manufacturability feedback prevent problems down the road?What should customers know about transitioning from prototypes to volume production?And how can contract manufacturers help ensure long-term product reliability, not just passing initial tests? If you’re an OEM evaluating partners, an engineer preparing to hand off a design, or someone interested in how contract manufacturers contribute to product reliability, this episode is packed with insights. Raymond Novara's Company: East End Assemblies https://eastendassemblies.com

    58 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Reliability Matters is a podcast on the subject of reliability of circuit assemblies. Reliability "best practices" and success stories are discussed. This podcast features interviews with experts in the electronic assembly industry. All electronic production segments which effect product reliability are on the table. This includes contamination, coating, cleanliness assessment, inspection, building for harsh environments, reflow, printing, failure analysis, board fabrication, and much more. Your Host: Mike Konrad began his career in the electronic assembly equipment industry in 1985. Mike founded Aqueous Technologies in 1992 in response to the Montreal Protocol and the resulting international treaty banning most popular cleaning/defluxing solvents. Mike is an internationally known speaker on the subject of increasing reliability through contamination removal and cleanliness quantification techniques and procedures. Mike was awarded “Distinguish Speaker Status” with SMTA in 2018 and received the “Rich Freiberger Best of Conference Award” in 2019. Mike is a member of the SMTA Global Board of Directors where he is Vice President of Communications. Mike is also Vice President of Technical Programs for the Los Angeles / Orange County SMTA Chapter. Visit the Reliability Matters Podcast Website: https://www.reliabilitymatterspodcast.com

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Konrad
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    194
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Mike Konrad
  • Show Website
    Reliability Matters

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