PCB West Keynote: The Physical AI Boom Starts at the Circuit Level

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – The Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) announced that AJ Cooper, CEO and cofounder of Itera, will keynote PCB West 2026.

His keynote, “The Physical AI Boom Starts at the Circuit Level,” takes place Sept. 30 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.

Itera, a new deep tech startup, has developed the world’s first “fluid” circuit board, which can rewire itself in real time. Built upon an electrowetting platform, the system replaces copper traces with reconfigurable liquid metal interconnects embedded in glass. When the design is updated digitally, the system reroutes the liquid metal traces to match the new design. The company says that this technology can make hardware iteration 1,000 times faster than the traditional PCB design process.

In his keynote, Cooper will discuss fluid PCB technology, its potential for accelerating development of AI infrastructure, and why he believes that hardware updates will eventually be as simple as a software update – triggered with the push of a button. 

Cooper served as director of hardware engineering for Lyft and head of electrical engineering for Uber, as well as a director of engineering at Flex. He holds a Ph.D. and an M.S.E.E., both from the University of Virginia. 

“AJ Cooper has a deep understanding of the fabrication and assembly issues designers face in trying to realize their novel ideas,” said Mike Buetow, president, PCEA. “Itera has developed a unique process for overcoming the up-to-now inherent obstacle that affects every designer and design engineer: in getting a printed circuit board design from a drawing board to a working prototype.”

PCB West will be held Sept. 29 – Oct. 2 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. The event includes a one-day exhibition on Sept. 30.End of article content 

PCB West Assembly Program to Focus on Paste, Process Developments

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – PCB West this fall will feature a dedicated program of electronics assembly tracks, including nine sessions led by leading practitioners in solder paste, placement, reflow, stencil design and cleaning. The assembly program runs Sept. 29 and Sept. 30 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.

Spanning introductory through advanced material, the tracks give assemblers, process engineers and manufacturing professionals practical, noncommercial training on the core processes that determine circuit assembly yield and reliability. Registration is open at pcbwest.com.

The sessions kick off on Sept. 29 with A Data-Driven Solder Paste Qualification Process, a 3.5-hour workshop from Chrys Shea of Shea Engineering. There are numerous avenues by which assemblers can enhance reliability, reduce costs and increase the yields of their products through the qualification of a new solder paste. The problem they face is how to do it. Solder pastes have many properties to consider and test for, and there are many pastes to choose from. It can appear to be a daunting task, and a potentially risky one if something gets overlooked in the process. The solder paste selection scorecard simplifies the process.

On Sept. 30, the morning sessions cover an introduction to circuit assembly processes. Scheduled talks include:

• The SMT Printing Process – Chrys Shea, Shea Engineering
• Introduction to Placement – Daniel Stanphill, Aurora Boardworks
• The Basic Components of Solder Paste – Anna Lifton, MacDermid Alpha
• The Basics of Cleaning – Doug Pauls, ItDepends

In the afternoon, the presentations go more in-depth, looking at advanced circuit assembly processes:

• Advanced Solder Pastes – Type 5 and Beyond – Anna Lifton, MacDermid Alpha
• Stencil Design / Cutting – Elias Malfavon, Metal Etch
• Driving Forces for Advanced Placement – Daniel Stanphill, Aurora Boardworks
• Advanced Reflow Technology: Formic Acid Soldering – Ryan Mayberry, Indium Corporation
• Cleanliness Measurement and Conformal Coatings – Doug Pauls, ItDepends

“Electronics assembly is where a great design either comes to life or comes apart,” said Mike Buetow, conference director, PCB West. “This year’s assembly tracks bring together some of the most respected process experts in the industry to walk attendees through printing, placement, reflow and cleaning – from the fundamentals all the way to the most advanced techniques.”End of article content 

PCEA Board Voting Begins this Month

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – Voting for nominees for the PCEA board of directors for the 2027-28 term will be circulated among PCEA individual members this month.

In accordance with PCEA bylaws, any PCEA member in good standing is eligible to be nominated for the board of directors. Board members are nominated by a nominating task group and voted on by the general membership, with ballots circulated a minimum of 60 days prior to the annual meeting.

The annual meeting takes place Sept. 29, 2026, at PCB West.End of article content