PCEA Announces Dates for PCB West 2026

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – The PCB West 2026 one-day exhibition will take place Sept. 30, while the four-day technical conference will take place Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, PCEA announced.

All events will be held at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.

Attendance at the PCB West 2025 conference and exhibition rose 3.5% year-over-year. In all, more than 100 companies, including the top CAD and CAM vendors and leading names in printed circuit fabrication and electronics assembly, exhibited at the show.

For returning 2025 exhibitors, registration will open by mid-November for PCB West 2026. Dates for other companies to register will be announced shortly.

“The show floor will be open to 2025 show exhibitors for an exclusive period,” said Frances Stewart, vice president of marketing and sales, PCEA. “Then we will open it to any companies that want to exhibit at the electronics industry’s largest exhibition and conference in the Silicon Valley.” 

Contact Frances Stewart at frances@pcea.net for details or visit pcbwest.com.

CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY Announces 2025 Service Excellence Awards Winners

ROSEMONT, IL – CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY in October announced the winners of its 2025 Service Excellence Awards (SEAs) for electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers and electronics assembly equipment, materials and software suppliers. CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY recognized companies that received the highest customer service ratings, as judged by their own customers.

In the EMS category, the overall winners were Creation Technologies (sales over $500 million), Mack Technologies (sales of $100 million to $500 million), Imagineering (sales of $20 million to $100 million), and RBB Systems (sales under $20 million). 

The EMS companies with the highest scores in each of the seven individual service categories also received awards. (Overall winners were excluded from winning individual categories.) In the small-company category, BEST, Inc. won for dependability/timely delivery, manufacturing quality, technology, value for the price, and overall satisfaction; Precise Connections won for responsiveness; and Surf-Tech Manufacturing won for flexibility.

For companies with revenue between $20 million and $100 million, ACDi won for responsiveness; Electronic Systems, Inc. won for manufacturing quality, technology, value for the price, and overall satisfaction; and XLR8 EMS won for dependability/timely delivery and flexibility.

For firms with revenue between $100 million and $500 million, Vexos won for dependability/timely delivery, technology, value for the price, flexibility, manufacturing quality, responsiveness, and overall satisfaction.

For EMS companies with revenue over $500 million, Kimball Electronics won for dependability/timely delivery, technology, value for the price, flexibility, manufacturing quality, responsiveness, and overall satisfaction.

Electronics assembly supplier award winners were Aegis Industrial Software for automation/manufacturing software; Europlacer Americas for screen printing; Anda Technologies for dispensing; Europlacer Americas for placement equipment; KIC for soldering equipment; Kyzen for cleaning/processing materials; Koh Young for test and inspection; Datest for test laboratories; and Win Source for distribution.

CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY has sponsored the awards program for over 30 years.

Winter PCB Design Training Classes Scheduled

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – PCEA Training will hold its next scheduled sessions for the Certified Professional Circuit Designer (CPCD) training and certification program starting Feb. 6 and continuing once a week through Mar. 6.

The 40-hour instructor-led course is designed for printed circuit engineers, layout professionals and other individuals currently serving in the design engineering industry or seeking to get into it.

The classes cover the gamut of printed circuit design engineering, from layout, place and route to specifications and materials to manufacturing methods. Schematic capture, signal integrity and EMI/EMC are also part of the comprehensive program.

Each class includes a copy of Printed Circuit Engineering Professional, a 400-page handbook on circuit board design, and the optional certification exam recognized by PCEA.

There are no prerequisites to enroll. Classes are held online and led by experienced instructors.

To enroll, visit pceatraining.net/registration.

PCB West 2025 Reports 4% Attendance Growth

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – Attendance at the PCB West 2025 conference and exhibition held in the Silicon Valley in October grew 3.5% year-over-year, the PCEA announced. The figures include attendance for both the one-day exhibition and the four-day conference.

The event, which took place at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center, attracted an international audience of engineers and other professionals from a range of printed circuit and electronics design, fabrication, assembly and advanced packaging companies.

“We are thrilled with this year’s response to PCB West and to the debut of the PCB Management forum for executives,” said Mike Buetow, president, PCEA. “It really is a testament to the direction and efforts of our board of directors and Conference task group, who put together the leading event for training design engineers, designers and manufacturers.

“A special thank you to all those who attended the second PCB Community Meetup, which we hosted with Mobius Materials during the show,” he added.

Conference registrants and exhibitors were effusive in their praise of the access to experts and attendance on the show floor.

“PCB West 2025 was a huge success. We met with designers and teams across the industry…. We look forward to attending again next year!” said Justin Sears, head of product marketing, Altium.

“PCB West … was an amazing experience to learn directly from industry leaders, explore cutting-edge PCB design technologies, and connect with so many talented professionals who share the same passion for hardware design and innovation,” said Gabriel Joda, hardware design engineer, Sealevel Systems.

“It was wonderful catching up with old friends, making new connections, and having meaningful conversations about where our industry is heading. Already looking forward to the next one,” said Cameron Burke, CEO, Suntech Circuits and Fineline-USA, who exhibited at the show. 

“What an incredible week at PCB West 2025! From engaging conversations to discovering new technologies, the event reaffirmed why PCB West remains a must in the electronics world,” added Jeff Stephens, senior sales manager, InstaDeep.

Mike Buetow Receives 2025 PCEA Lifetime Achievement Award

SANTA CLARA, CA – PCEA announced Mike Buetow as the first individual awarded the PCEA Lifetime Achievement Award and as the first inductee in the newly established PCEA Hall of Fame. The announcement was made at the PCEA annual meeting in conjunction with the PCB West conference and exhibition.

For more than three decades, Buetow has influenced every corner of this industry. From his early years in electronics manufacturing to his role today as president of the PCEA, he has built bridges across design, fabrication and assembly. He has been an editor, a publisher, a community leader, and most importantly, a mentor.

He has played a key role in:

• Expanding education and certification for PCB designers, ensuring the next generation can thrive.
• Relaunching vital industry events like PCB East, PCB West, and now PCB Detroit, bringing designers, fabricators and assemblers together to share knowledge and strengthen community.
• Guiding PCEA’s growth through acquisition and outreach, expanding its reach and resources for engineers worldwide, and bridging the gap between industry and academia.
• Championing thoughtful leadership on new challenges, whether it’s AI, ML, cloud-based connectivity, design constraints, and advanced technologies, or the human side of engineering.

“Mike’s career has been a testament to both excellence and generosity,” said Stephen Chavez, PCEA chairman. “He has inspired collaboration, nurtured new talent, and elevated the standards of our profession. And through it all, he has carried himself with humility, focusing not only on what we build, but on who we become as a community.”

Stephen Chavez Receives 2025 PCEA Leadership Award

SANTA CLARA, CA – PCEA on Sept. 30 announced Stephen V. Chavez as recipient of the annual PCEA Leadership Award, for his lifetime service in the pursuit of educating and training PCB design engineers.

Chavez was one of the cofounders of PCEA in 2020, and has been chairman of the organization since its inception. He is also a member of the Education Committee and Conferences Task Group. He coauthored and is a master instructor of the PCEA Certified Printed Circuit Designer curriculum, and helped introduce the program into universities.

He is also a regular presenter at the PCB West, PCB East and PCB Detroit conferences.

“Stephen Chavez has been the biggest and most-effective advocate for PCEA, and is a constant, positive supporter of the industry and the professionals who dedicate their lives to it,” said Mike Buetow, president, PCEA, in announcing the award. “He is the best example of the power of determination and positivity, and is the consummate example of PCEA’s mission to collaborate, educate and inspire.”

Troy Hopkins Receives 2025 PCEA Membership Award

SANTA CLARA, CA – Troy Hopkins has been named recipient of the fourth annual PCEA Membership Award. For the past three years, Hopkins has chaired the PCEA Conferences Committee. The committee is responsible for developing the technical conference programs for PCB East and PCB West. During that time, Hopkins has led the review of more than 400 abstract submissions, and developed more than 600 hours of programming for event attendees.

“Troy Hopkins has demonstrated poise and vision in heading the Conferences Committee,” said Stephen Chavez, chairman, PCEA, in announcing the award. “His organization and commitment have helped ensure the committee stays focused and up to date with the meeting the industry’s training needs. It gives me great pleasure to recognize him with the PCEA Membership Award.”