Cern Releases Open Source KiCad Component Library

GENEVA – Cern released its complete KiCad component library under an open source license, making more than 17,000 electronic component symbols and footprints available to PCB designers worldwide.

The library supports KiCad, the open source PCB design software suite, and includes the same component resources used internally by Cern hardware designers. Cern said the release aligns with its broader open science and open hardware initiatives.

The organization added that engineers can now access, modify and redistribute the library within open PCB design workflows.End of article content 

PTC Integrates Onshape with Altium for Cloud PCB Collaboration

BOSTON – PTC integrated its Onshape CAD platform with Altium to improve cloud-based collaboration between electrical and mechanical engineering teams.

The connector enables PCB designs created in Altium to transfer directly into Onshape while synchronizing updates between both platforms in real time. PTC said the integration eliminates manual file transfers and format conversions traditionally required in ECAD-MCAD workflows.

Doosan Invests $135M in Thailand PCB Materials Facility

ARAYA, THAILAND – Doosan is investing approximately $135 million to establish a new copper clad laminate production facility in Thailand to support growing AI infrastructure demand.

The 73,000sqm site will produce CCL materials used in PCB manufacturing for high-performance computing and semiconductor applications. Construction is expected to begin this year, with mass production targeted for the second half of 2028.

Doosan said the investment will expand production capacity for PCB materials as AI data center demand accelerates globally.End of article content 

Ventec Evaluates US Manufacturing Expansion for PCB Materials

PINGZHEN CITY, TAIWAN – Ventec International Group is evaluating the potential establishment of a US manufacturing facility focused on high-performance laminate and prepreg materials for mission-critical PCB applications.

The proposed facility would support aerospace, defense, industrial and medical markets while strengthening regional supply chain resilience and localized manufacturing capabilities. The evaluation is part of Ventec’s broader “China + Taiwan Plus One” strategy aimed at diversifying production and improving supply continuity.

Comments from industry sources suggest that the laminates maker is strongly considering Arizona for the site.

ASE, Wus to Team on Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Plant

KAOHSIUNG, TAIWAN – Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) and Wus Printed Circuit in May announced a strategic collaboration for the construction of a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the Nanzih Technology Industrial Park here. The two companies plan to jointly deploy resources to expand advanced manufacturing capacity that will reinforce Taiwan’s critical position in the global semiconductor value chain.

The new facility will focus on advanced packaging processes, including fan-out chip on substrate (FOCoS) and flip chip ball grid array (FCBGA) technologies to serve the emerging AI, cloud computing and autonomous driving applications. The facility will also integrate automation and smart manufacturing processes, the companies said in a joint release.

“This landmark agreement is a strategic collaboration between ASE and WUS to improve land use efficiency and allow ASE to expand our manufacturing capacities to meet market demands,” said Mike Hung, executive vice president, ASE. “We are also excited to establish a new benchmark for future collaborative industrial development.”End of article content 

Flex to Spin Off AI Infrastructure Business, Targets 75% Growth

AUSTIN, TX – Flex announced plans to spin off its cloud and power infrastructure segment into a standalone public company focused on AI data center infrastructure, power management and thermal technologies.

The new company, referred to as SpinCo, will focus on digital and electrical infrastructure systems for AI and mission-critical applications, while Flex continues operating as an advanced manufacturing provider serving healthcare, automotive, industrial, communications and lifestyle markets.

Wislab EMS Buys Fremont Headquarters for $61M

FREMONT, CA – Wislab EMS purchased its headquarters and manufacturing facility in Fremont for $61 million, expanding its long-term manufacturing presence in Silicon Valley.

Property records filed May 5 show the EMS provider acquired the 126,000 sq. ft. facility through an all-cash transaction. The company said it currently employs at least 125 workers at the site and is actively hiring across engineering, procurement and manufacturing operations.

Wislab manufactures PCBs and electronics products supporting mission-critical computing, networking, storage and communications applications.End of article content 

Industry Coalition Pushes Congress to Extend Semiconductor Tax Credit

WASHINGTON, DC – A coalition of 18 business and trade groups led by the Semiconductor Industry Association is urging Congress to extend and expand the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit beyond its scheduled 2026 expiration.

The groups called for the semiconductor production tax credit to also support semiconductor design and research and development activities. The coalition represents industries spanning semiconductors, AI, aerospace, cloud computing, wireless communications, medical technology and manufacturing.

Industry organizations said extending the incentive would encourage additional domestic investment, strengthen supply chain resilience and reinforce US competitiveness in advanced technologies.End of article content 

AI Computing Surge Reshaping PCB Material Landscape

Taoyuan, Taiwan – As AI computing continues to drive a comprehensive upgrade in hardware specifications, the global printed circuit board industry is undergoing a profound structural transformation. According to a report released in May by the Taiwan Printed Circuit Association (TPCA) and the Industry, Science and Technology International Strategy Center (ITRI), the global copper-clad laminate (CCL) market is expected to exceed $21.5 billion in 2026, driven by AI demand, with annual growth projected to reach 34%.

While Taiwanese suppliers have established competitive advantages in high-speed materials and key process consumables, high-end IC substrate materials and glass fabrics remain largely dominated by Japanese manufacturers. In response to supply bottlenecks and geopolitical uncertainties, Taiwan’s supply chain is accelerating high-value positioning through deeper independent R&D, further strengthening its critical role in the global AI supply chain.

In the CCL sector, strong demand from AI servers for large-format, high-layer-count PCBs with more than 40 layers and ultra-low-loss characteristics has placed the market in a strong growth cycle driven by both volume and pricing. The global CCL market reached $16 billion in 2025 and is forecast to expand sharply to $21.5 billion in 2026, supported by AI-related specification upgrades, representing annual growth of up to 34%. (more)

How Flexible Circuits are Revolutionizing Electronics

Flex PCBs are enabling smaller, lighter and more reliable electronic systems by improving packaging efficiency, mechanical durability and electrical performance.
by Akber Roy

In today’s fast-changing electronics industry, new technologies play an important role in improving performance and functionality. One major advancement is the flex circuit board, which has transformed modern electronic design. Flex circuit boards not only save space and reduce weight but also provide exceptional design flexibility, expanding what electronic devices can achieve. That’s why flex circuit boards are widely used today, as their unique features support smaller, lighter and more efficient products.

The use of flex circuit boards in electronic design is growing due to their many benefits, such as lightweight structure, the ability to fit complex shapes and improved heat management. As industries move toward smaller, multi-functional devices, flex PCBs are changing traditional manufacturing methods and supporting new design solutions across sectors.

Ultra HDI PCB Design: Why Registration, Alignment and Tolerance Stackup Drive Manufacturability

As PCB layouts move into UHDI territory, registration, alignment and tolerance stackup become critical factors in determining whether designs can be manufactured consistently and reliably.
by Anaya Vardya

Ultra high-density interconnect (UHDI) design gets attention for all the right reasons. For PCB designers, UHDI enables smaller feature sizes, higher routing density, fewer layers and greater flexibility in areas where conventional HDI begins to run out of room. Those benefits are real. Just as important is the shift in design mindset that comes with them, however. Once a layout moves into UHDI territory, the challenge is no longer only whether the design can be routed. The challenge is whether the design can still align, repeat, and build consistently during fabrication.

That is where registration, alignment and tolerance stackup begin to matter in a very different way. In traditional PCB design, there is often enough physical margin that small process shifts can be absorbed without materially changing the outcome. In UHDI, the available margin shrinks quickly. The result is that many structures that look clean and acceptable in CAD only remain acceptable if the design has been developed with realistic process behavior in mind.

What registration means in PCB fabrication. At its simplest, registration is the ability to hold intended positional relationships between different features during fabrication. In practice, that includes copper layer-to-layer alignment, drilled features to capture pads, solder mask openings to copper and imaged geometries to their intended dimensions. None of those considerations is new. What changes in UHDI is how little extra room remains once those relationships begin to move.

From Design Intent to Manufacturing Reality: Why Early Collaboration Still Wins in PCB Development

As laminate shortages reshape PCB development timelines, early collaboration is becoming critical to keeping complex designs manufacturable and on schedule.
by Geoffrey Hazelett

Printed circuit board development timelines continue to compress, driven by faster design cycles, tighter launch windows and increasing product complexity. While EDA tools and automation have improved dramatically, one long-standing challenge persists: translating design intent into a manufacturable, buildable and repeatable product.

In recent years, this challenge has been exacerbated by ongoing supply chain disruptions, most notably those affecting laminate materials. What was once a relatively stable assumption in stackup planning is now a dynamic engineering variable that directly impacts lead time, cost and program risk. In this environment, early collaboration between design, fabrication and assembly partners is no longer optional; it is foundational to successful execution!

The cost of late-stage discovery. Late-stage discovery of manufacturing constraints remains one of the most common drivers of PCB program delays. Issues such as unsupported drill-to-copper spacing, marginal aspect ratios, overly tight impedance tolerances or ambiguous fabrication notes often surface during front-end CAM review rather than during layout.

PCB East 2026: The Conversations Kept Going

PCB East 2026 combined nonstop show-floor traffic, technical learning and after-hours networking into one of the event’s busiest and most connected years yet.
by Ryann Howard

Trade shows have always had two versions of themselves.

There’s the official one: conference sessions, booth demos, technical discussions, product launches and meetings squeezed between coffee runs and glances at schedules. Then there’s the version that starts forming somewhere around the end of expo day, when people finally loosen their lanyards a little, gather in groups outside the venue and continue the exact same conversations they’d been having all day – just with food and slightly louder laughter.

PCB East 2026 felt like both versions operating at full speed. And honestly, I think Worcester had a lot to do with that.

The move to the DCU Center gave PCB East a noticeably different energy this year. The facility itself was an upgrade: open hallways, better traffic flow, bright spaces, conference rooms that were easy to locate and an exhibit hall that somehow managed to be packed without ever feeling claustrophobic. Attendance numbers reflected it too, with overall attendance up nearly 48% year-over-year and conference attendance climbing 38%.

PCB East 2026: Bigger Venue, Bigger Crowds

PCB East 2026 celebrated its move to Worcester with an increase in conference classes, exhibitors and attendance.
by Andy Shaughnessy

I’ve always enjoyed attending PCB East, but this year was even better because I was there as a PCEA staff member.

As some of you may recall, I worked with Mike Buetow and Frances Stewart years ago as editor of PCD&F and conference chair for PCB East and PCB West. The show felt like Homecoming Week. It’s funny how the old “show mentality” kicked back in after I spent years away from putting on shows and conferences.

There’s never a dull moment in trade show world.

From Chat to Workflow: Turning AI Habits into Automated Processes

Moving from personal AI habits to standardized workflows can help manufacturing teams save time, improve consistency and scale practical AI use across operations.
by Sean Patterson

It’s 6:47 a.m., and Robert is doing what he does every morning before the production standup. He opens his AI chat, pastes in last night’s shift handoff notes and types the same prompt he’s typed every day for three weeks: “Summarize these production notes. Flag anything that needs immediate attention. Prioritize by customer impact.”

Twelve seconds later, he has a clean briefing. The plating line hiccup on the second shift. The AOI false-positive rate is creeping up on the flex jobs. The Acme order that shipped two hours late. He scans it, adds his own judgment on the Acme situation and walks into the standup with a clear picture instead of a foggy one.

Here’s what Robert hasn’t noticed yet: he just built a workflow.

In Case You Missed It

Conductive Adhesives

“An Electrically Conducting Water-based Reversible Adhesive”

Authors: Bassam A. Aljohani, Ama B. Asiedu-Asante, Adriana Sierra-Romero, Katarina Novakovic, Volker Pickert and Mark Geoghegan

Abstract: An electrically conducting reversible adhesive with conductivity up to 2.9 × 10⁵ S m⁻¹ and lap shear strength of up to 1.5MPa is presented. The reversibility of the glue enables debonding of surfaces on exposure to alkaline media. The adhesive comprises polyelectrolyte-stabilized nanoparticles synthesized by emulsion polymerization and silver nanoparticles as conductive filler. The conductivity of these formulations is comparable to, or exceeds, that of commercially available conductive adhesives, while their mechanical performance is consistent with typical water-based adhesive systems. Adhesion is reversed by immersing the bonded joints at pH 14. By heating to 85°C and stirring the solution (500rpm), the debonding time can be reduced to ∼30 min or less. Separation can also be achieved at 85°C at pH 7. Short debonding times can also be achieved at room temperature by using acetone, a recognized green solvent. This electronically conducting reversible adhesive, therefore, presents a great opportunity to improve the reuse or recycling of electronic components. (Advanced Electronic Materials, May 14, 2026; https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aelm.202500617)