Foxlink Opens First US AI Factory in Texas

FORT WORTH, TX – Foxlink Group has opened its first US AI Factory, launching an advanced manufacturing facility in Fort Worth as part of its strategy to integrate artificial intelligence into electronics manufacturing.

The facility combines large-scale GPU computing infrastructure with AI-driven robotics and automation, supporting Foxlink’s transition from a traditional electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider to an AI-enabled manufacturing model.

Keiron Raises $24M to Scale LiFT Solder Paste Printing

EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS – Keiron Printing Technologies has raised $24 million to accelerate commercialization of its laser-induced forward transfer (LiFT) solder paste printing technology for electronics assembly.

The funding will support production scale-up, global commercial expansion across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, and continued development of the company’s next-generation printing platforms.

Keiron’s HF2 LiFT printer replaces conventional stencil printing, jet printing and solder paste inspection (SPI) with a digital, non-contact process designed for high-mix, low- to medium-volume manufacturing and high-reliability electronics applications.End of article content 

SEL Breaks Ground on Idaho Electronics Manufacturing Facility

MOSCOW, ID – Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) has begun site preparation for a new $50 million electronics manufacturing facility in Moscow, ID, that will expand the company’s production capacity.

The facility will be constructed adjacent to SEL’s existing printed circuit board factory on the company’s Schwartz Campus. Production is expected to begin in summer 2027, with the completed site employing approximately 1,000 workers.

Construction is scheduled to begin later this summer, with completion anticipated in late 2027. SEL manufactures electronic devices at facilities in Washington, Indiana and Illinois.End of article content 

East West Expands with Vexos Acquisition

ATLANTA – East West Manufacturing has acquired electronics manufacturing services provider Vexos, expanding its engineering, manufacturing and supply chain capabilities across the Americas and Asia.

The acquisition adds Vexos’ operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China and Vietnam to East West’s global manufacturing network.

Vexos specializes in high-mix, high-complexity manufacturing for medical, aerospace, AI data center and other regulated markets. East West said the acquisition strengthens its product lifecycle capabilities from design and industrialization through manufacturing, fulfillment and global delivery.End of article content 

Solstice Makes $14B Play for Element Solutions

HOUSTON – Solstice Advanced Materials has agreed to acquire Element Solutions in a $14 billion transaction that expands its portfolio of advanced materials for electronics, AI infrastructure and data center applications.

The combined company is expected to generate approximately $6.8 billion in 2025 net sales. Solstice said the acquisition will add Element Solutions’ formulation technologies, technical services and customer relationships.

The company expects the transaction to generate approximately $180 million in annual net synergies by the third year following closing.End of article content 

Kimball Electronics Acquires Helvoet

JASPER, IN – Kimball Electronics has acquired Helvoet Polymer Technologies, a Netherlands-based contract development and manufacturing organization specializing in highly automated micro-molding and precision injection molding for medical applications.

The $103 million acquisition expands Kimball’s medical manufacturing footprint in Europe and adds production facilities in India. Helvoet generated approximately $56 million in revenue in 2025 and serves customers in the microfluidics, diagnostics and drug delivery markets.

Kimball said the acquisition strengthens its global medical manufacturing platform, creates opportunities for vertical integration and is expected to be accretive to fiscal 2027 adjusted earnings.End of article content 

Dymax Opens Mexico Distribution, Technical Center

QUERÉTARO, MEXICO – Dymax has opened a distribution and technical center in Querétaro, expanding support for customers throughout Mexico and Latin America.

Located in Parque Terra Park Centenario in El Marqués, the facility provides local inventory, application testing, product development resources and technical support for regional manufacturers.

Compeq Acquires Taiwan Site for HDI PCB Expansion

TAOYUAN, TAIWAN – Compeq Manufacturing has acquired a manufacturing site in Taoyuan’s Guanyin Industrial Park for approximately $64 million to expand production of advanced printed circuit boards.

The facility will support growing demand for high-density interconnect (HDI) PCBs used in optical networking, AI infrastructure, cloud computing and high-performance data center applications.

Compeq said the investment will increase manufacturing capacity and strengthen its ability to supply next-generation PCB technologies for high-speed communications markets.End of article content 

TTM Expands into Europe with Swiss, German PCB Acquisitions

SANTA ANA, CA – TTM Technologies is expanding its PCB manufacturing footprint into Europe through the acquisitions of Swiss Technology Group AG (STG) and Germany-based ILFA GmbH.

Expected to close in the third quarter, the transactions add PCB fabrication capabilities serving the aerospace, defense, medical and industrial markets. STG specializes in PCB technologies for surgical robotics, hearing aids, medical imaging and implantable devices, while ILFA manufactures complex printed circuit boards for high-reliability applications.

Separately, TTM is completing a $130 million manufacturing facility in DeWitt, NY, that will produce ultra-high-density interconnect (UHDI) PCBs for US defense applications.End of article content 

FTG Opens Aerospace Manufacturing Facility in India

HYDERABAD, INDIA – Firan Technology Group (FTG) has opened a new aerospace manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, expanding production of high-technology printed circuit boards and electronic assemblies.

Operating as FTG Aerospace Hyderabad, the facility will manufacture PCBs and assemblies for aerospace applications, complementing the company’s existing North American manufacturing operations.

FTG said the investment expands its global manufacturing footprint and provides additional capacity to support aerospace customers worldwide.End of article content 

MKS Atotech Expands Guangzhou Equipment Plant

GUANGZHOU, CHINA – MKS Instruments will invest $25 million to expand the manufacturing facility of its MKS Atotech business in Guangzhou, doubling production capacity by late 2027.

The expansion will increase manufacturing, final assembly, logistics, testing and validation capabilities while supporting research and development and technical collaboration with customers.

MKS said the investment will strengthen support for semiconductor, advanced packaging and printed circuit board customers across Asia while incorporating solar power generation to improve energy efficiency at the site.End of article content 

TPCA: Forecast PCB Market by Following the CapEx

TAIPEI – Want to know where the PCB industry thinks it’s headed? Watch where the money goes. Trace the capital spending of Taiwan’s listed PCB fabricators over the past few years and the story writes itself: capex and industry health move in lockstep.

That’s according to a new report from the Taiwan Printed Circuit Industry Association. From 2020 through 2022, pandemic-driven shortages and a run on electronics pushed output and capital spending up together. That was the last peak. Then came the hangover. In 2023 and 2024, with the channel choking on inventory and end demand limp, fabricators pulled in their horns and spending slowed hard.

Now the pendulum has swung back. Starting in 2025, AI demand lit the fuse, and capex is climbing again. The projection for 2026 is NT$203 billion ($6.2 trillion), an all-time high, according to TPCA. (more)

The Charge of the Bucket Brigade

An exploration of the PDN bucket brigade concept as a practical way to understand time-domain energy delivery in high-speed PCB design.
by Daniel Beeker

Why do otherwise good PCB designs still fail EMC testing, exhibit excessive jitter or require multiple redesign cycles? The answer often begins with a misunderstanding of how electromagnetic field energy moves through a power delivery network (PDN).

Every switching event in a modern electronic system creates a request for electromagnetic field energy. The question is not whether the energy exists – the question is whether the PDN can deliver it fast enough.

For decades, PCB design has often been taught from a conductor-centric perspective, where electrical current is viewed primarily as electrons moving through copper traces.

Flex DfM Guidelines, Part 1

Understanding key flex DfM guidelines can improve yields, reduce production risks and enhance long-term product reliability.
by Akber Roy

Design for manufacturability (DfM) is critical in ensuring high yield, reduced production risks, controlled costs and long-term product reliability. This guideline outlines essential DfM principles to help flexible circuit designers optimize performance, durability and production efficiency while meeting the demands of the modern electronics industry.

Because of the breadth of the topic, this guideline is presented in two parts. Part 1 focuses on internal layout and drilling considerations, while Part 2 will address design outline requirements and other design-related features.

Why Don’t UHDI Capability Charts Tell the Whole Story?

Understanding the difference between process capability and design intent enables engineers to maximize UHDI performance while improving manufacturability and yield.
by Anaya Vardya

Ultra high-density interconnect (UHDI) is a PCB fabrication technology that achieves trace and space geometries of 75µm or smaller, as defined by IPC-2226 Class C. These finer geometries enable higher routing density within a smaller board footprint.

A UHDI capability chart defines the minimum feature sizes a fabrication process can achieve, including trace and space, microvia diameter and layer-to-layer registration. What it does not define is which of those minimums are repeatable in production or appropriate for a particular design. Using capability data effectively requires understanding the difference between what is possible, what is repeatable and what is best suited to the application. IPC-2226 defines density levels A, B and C that correspond to these capability tiers, with Class C covering the sub-75µm geometries characteristic of UHDI.

One question comes up early in almost every UHDI discussion: “What is the minimum trace and space that can be used?”

Seeing Electronics Manufacturing Through New Eyes

A new perspective on electronics manufacturing reveals how continuous learning, quality and process improvement shape both personal growth and the products that power modern technology.
by Will O’Neil

When I entered electronics manufacturing earlier this year, I quickly realized I was stepping into a field unlike anything I had experienced before. I came in with a strong interest in technology and a background that had already exposed me to electronics, troubleshooting and repair, but this industry opened my eyes to a much larger and more complex world. It was not just about understanding individual components or fixing a single piece of equipment. It was about seeing how people, processes, standards, customers, materials and technology all come together to build products that serve real-world purposes.

My background has always involved technology and electronics in one way or another. Growing up, I was fortunate to take computer classes through the Boys & Girls Club, and that’s where my fascination with technology really began. I still remember how exciting it was to use computers not just as tools, but as systems I could explore, learn about and eventually improve. Before long, I was helping repair and upgrade computers. I learned how to replace parts, diagnose problems and think through issues step by step. That interest eventually led me into robotics and later into careers involving electronics repair, from biomedical robotics and fire alarm systems to other electronic equipment. Each experience gave me another piece of knowledge and helped me become more comfortable working with technology in practical, hands-on ways.

Throughout those experiences, I was always curious about how things worked. I wanted to understand what was happening behind the scenes and why circuits behaved the way they did. If something failed, I wanted to know what caused the failure. That curiosity led me to spend a lot of time researching electronics on my own and learning as much as I could. I developed a habit of looking beyond the surface level of a problem and trying to understand the process behind it. That mindset has helped me throughout my career, and it continues to help me now.

The Workday You Lose to Documentation, and How to Get It Back

AI can turn routine reports, meeting notes and work instructions into editable first drafts, helping engineering teams reclaim hours each week for higher-value work.
by Sean Patterson

It’s 5:15 p.m. on a Friday, the floor has gone quiet, the last shift has clocked out, and you are still at your desk. You are not solving a yield problem; you are writing the weekly production summary from a legal pad covered in notes you scribbled between meetings.

Maybe it is not the production summary for you. Maybe it is the meeting recap nobody will read, the work instruction you have rewritten four times, or the customer email you have started and deleted twice. The real work, the engineering and the problem solving, ended hours ago, and what is left is the writing about the work.

I spent the better part of my career in operations across submarines, PCB shops and high-volume logistics, and for a lot of that time my real job was paperwork. Travelers, status reports, corrective actions, shift handoffs. I was strong on the technical side, but I lost evenings to documentation that any clear-thinking assistant could have drafted for me. The tools to fix it did not exist yet. Now they do, and most of us still are not using them.

AI Is Reshaping the Semiconductor Supply Chain

AI-driven demand is reshaping semiconductor supply chains, prompting manufacturers to prioritize capacity, adjust pricing and tighten availability for mature-node devices.
by Marc Schwanbeck

The second quarter of 2026 made one thing clear: AI’s influence on the semiconductor market has moved well beyond processors.

What started as surging demand for advanced computers is now reshaping manufacturing priorities, capital allocation and supplier behavior across the entire industry. That includes the analog, power management, automotive and industrial categories that customers depend on every day.

Supply hasn’t tightened to 2021–2022 levels. But the easy, oversupplied market of 2024 and early 2025 is fading. Pricing discipline is returning, lead times are shifting and the sourcing strategies that worked 18 months ago deserve a second look.

Claude Mythos and Project Glasswing: What OEMs Need to Know Now

As AI transforms cybersecurity, OEMs must rethink embedded product security before tomorrow’s threats become today’s vulnerabilities.
by Rajeshpal Singh

In April, Anthropic announced Claude Mythos – its most capable AI model to date – but chose not to release it publicly due to unprecedented cybersecurity risk. Instead, Anthropic launched Project Glasswing, a defensive coalition of over 50 major technology organizations tasked with finding and fixing critical software vulnerabilities before similar capabilities proliferate.

For OEMs building connected EMS products, Project Glasswing signals an accelerating shift in the threat landscape, reinforces growing regulatory expectations around secure-by-design engineering, and creates practical opportunities to strengthen product security across the design, manufacturing and field-service lifecycle. Action taken now will compound in value.

Claude Mythos, Anthropic’s publicly confirmed but unreleased frontier AI model, has demonstrated the ability to autonomously discover software vulnerabilities, prompting the launch of Project Glasswing, a defensive initiative that gives select technology partners early access to identify and remediate critical flaws. As AI accelerates vulnerability discovery, OEMs with long-lifecycle embedded products face increased exposure from software weaknesses that can persist long after certification. At the same time, cybersecurity regulations are becoming more closely aligned with product safety requirements, raising compliance expectations for manufacturers. While the challenge is growing, OEMs can reduce risk through practical, phased security improvements without undertaking a complete product redesign.

In Case You Missed It

Assembly Reliability

“Reliability Analysis and Parameter Optimization of Board-Level BGA Packaging Structures under Thermal-Drop Impact Load”

Authors: Yanxi Sun, et al.

Abstract: This study investigates the reliability of a board-level BGA package structure when subjected to simultaneous thermal and drop impact loads. The investigation encompasses the effects of dimensional parameters on the stress and fatigue life of solder balls. The findings of this study provide a theoretical foundation for enhancing the reliability of BGA package structures under the sequential coupling of thermal-drop impact loads. In this work, a three-dimensional finite element model of a board-level BGA package structure is established, and numerical calculations are performed based on thermal-drop impact load sequence coupling. The effects of chip thickness, solder ball height, diameter and array on its temperature field distribution, solder ball stress and average impact life are investigated. Optimization schemes were designed using Taguchi quadrature and surface response method. The optimal combination of structural parameters to minimize solder ball peeling stress was obtained by mathematical-statistical analysis and regression analysis. (Soldering & Surface Mount Technology, vol. 37, no. 4, June 2026; https://www.emerald.com/ssmt/article-abstract/37/4/308/1256208/Reliability-analysis-and-parameter-optimisation-of)