On the Line with...
Episodes
PCB Materials: What’s Next? Innovations Shaping the PCB Industry
30 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In the series wrap-up, Marcy LaRont discusses with CTO Kirk Thompson the turning point facing the PCB industry as innovation speeds up. With increasin...
PCB Materials: The Global Supply Chain—Lessons From Disruption
15 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Lessons learned from recent global supply chain disruptions. Drawing on recent events to shed light on current issues, Jim explains that many supply c...
Reliability Under Pressure—PCBs in Harsh Environments
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Marcy LaRont speaks with Laura Martin, Director of Strategic Markets at Isola, about PCB reliability in harsh environments across aerospace, automotiv...
The Green Circuit—Sustainability in PCB Manufacturing
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As each area of electronics and manufacturing take a more serious look at sustainability and end product circularity, the base material of the PCB sho...
5G, AI & Beyond—Designing for High-speed Performance
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's no surprise to anyone that AI is transforming the rules of electronics, demanding speed, power, and frequency performance beyond what traditi...
Material Selection—The Key to Manufacturing Success
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The base laminate of a printed circuit board is its literal and functional foundation. Making the right material choice for your build is key to manuf...
WT: Remtec: Ceramic Comes of Age in the Complex Design World
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Remtec president, Brian Buyea, leads us through ceramic as a board substrate, including a discussion of the ideal applications, technical advantages, ...
Ultra HDI? It Depends
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, John Johnson wraps up this series with some frequently asked engineering questions about UHDI adoption and gives some tips on when it...
Beyond UHDI—The Future of PCB Technology
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
So, what's in the future for UHDI? John Johnson imagines how UHDI technologies will change PCBs, fabrication, and the tools available to OEM desig...
UHDI for Medical Innovation
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Possibly the most life-critical application sector is medical devices. John Johnson explains how UHDI can not only improve reliability, but deliver mu...
Exploring Technology Market Dynamics and AI's Impact
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Inspection systems continue to find themselves at the center of the EMS manufacturing equipment evolution. Joel Scutchfield shines a three-dimensional...
High-reliability Applications
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
High reliability and sustainability are of increasing importance in the products we design and manufacture. How does Ultra High Definition Interconnec...
How Elephantech is Revolutionizing PCB Production
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Voices of the Industry, Marcy LaRont sits down with Satoshi Konagai of Elephantech to spotlight the cutting-edge technology behind ...
Materials, Up and Coming Capabilities
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Materials are the surface upon which all the interconnects are placed. If the material specification cannot accommodate UHDI, the boards will not be s...
Bonding Innovation: How Adhesives and Coatings Are Powering the Next Generation of Electronics
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Adhesives and coatings are responding to changing industry requirements in innovative ways. Doug Katze delivers a master class on adhesive technologie...
Solder Mask: Beyond the Traces
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Solder mask: So easy to just gloss over this step but when UHDI is involved, you'd best not. John Johnson explains the crucial adjustments to be m...
Testing Innovation: Advances in Test, Inspection & Failure Analysis
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Circuit test, inspection, and failure analysis are enjoying a rapid increase in capabilities and sophistication. Test companies, such as Datest, are c...
What to think about beyond the traces: Copper Filling of Vias
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing our discussion with ASC's John Johnson, we explore the pluses and minuses of copper plating microvias from the perspective of the fabri...
What to think about beyond the traces: Via Structures
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nolan Johnson and ASC's John Johnson explore the implications of UHDI on via from a designer's perspective. The metallurgy, chemistry, mechani...
Building Reliability: KOKI’s Approach to Solder Joint Challenges
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Solder joint reliability is essential to product performance and longevity in electronics. Failures can lead to costly repairs, dissatisfied customers...
Ultra HDI: SWaP Considerations
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
John Johnson continues this series, outlining UHDI's contributions to reduced SWaP—size, weight and power—considerations.
Optimize the Interconnect: Wrapping Up OTI
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a thoughtful conclusion to the series, Kuldip Johal connects the key themes, examining market drivers, the technological implications of semiconduc...
How does Ultra HDI benefit: Routing Capabilities
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
American Standard Circuits' John Johnson details how the new capabilities in UHDI can fundamentally change what it means to design for manufactura...
Meet the Co-Author of Low-temperature Soldering, Volume 2
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Because solder formulations have been enjoying rapid development in the low-temperature solder arena, co-author Pritha Choudhury, senior R&D scien...
How Ultra HDI Benefits RF Performance
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
John Johnson leads the way straight into UHDI's benefits to RF style design.
Ultra HDI - What does it mean to people, why would they want it?
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To launch this series, ASC's John Johnson introduces us to ultra-high-density interconnect. Johnson sets the agenda for further discussion by shar...
Optimize the Interconnect: MKS' Atotech's role in OTI
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Brooks discusses the role of wet processes—in conjunction with laser systems—in delivering on the “Optimize the Interconnect” idea. On...
Optimize the Interconnect: MKS' ESI's role in OTI
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Laser via drilling is a critical process window for MKS's Optimize the Interconnect concepts. Casey Kruger joins the podcast to explain exactly ho...
Optimize the Interconnect: Understanding How Chemistry and Drilling Collaborate for OTI
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
MKS' Atotech's Frank Bruening and Roger Massey join us to discuss the emerging complexities in achieving optimal interconnect, and the key rol...
Optimize the Interconnect: OTI —Why it Matters
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We continue our conversation with Chris Ryder on the Optimize the Interconnect(SM) concept. Chris shares some specific examples and details how and wh...
Meet the Author: Encapsulating Sustainability for Electronics author (MacDermid Alpha)
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Beth Turner joins the podcast to discuss her book, The Printed Circuit Assembler's Guide to Encapsulating Sustainability for Electronics. The conv...
Optimize the Interconnect: OTI—What is OTI?
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
OTI, or "optimize the interconnect," is a concept approach to producing higher quality, higher complexity PCB products. Chris Ryder, MKS Dir...
Meet the Author: Secrets of High-Speed PCB Design From Concept to Production
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Martyn Gaudion spills the tea on his third book, sharing more secrets for successful high-speed design.
PCB Thermal Management - Solutions for Thermal Management – Part 2
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We continue our conversation with Ryan Miller, and we get practical about design and manufacturing techniques to manage thermal effects, including suc...
PCB Thermal Management - Solutions for Thermal Management – Part 1
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan Miller takes Nolan Johnson through strategies for managing heat that can be applied during the design planning and specification phases. Preventi...
PCB Thermal Management - Heat in the PCBs
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this kickoff episode, Ryan Miller makes the case for why thermal management needs to be on the minds of the designers. But what are the main causes...
Meet the Author: Succeeding at Complex PCB Design Through Methodology
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Miller and Brian White join host Nolan Johnson to discuss Miller's book, The Printed Circuit Designer's Guide to Executing Complex PCBs. Miller ...
Meet the Author: The Rapidly Evolving Role of Data in North American EMS
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, my guests are Julie Cliche-Dubois, product manager at Cogiscan, and Andres Luna, general manager at Univertools. Univertools represen...
Designing for Reality: Routing, Final Fab & QC
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The panel full of circuit boards has completed the manufacturing process. We end this journey by routing the panel into individual boards, performing ...
Designing for Reality: Surface Finish
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly finished, phase two of the wrap-up is to apply surface finish to protect that copper from oxidation and to facilitate soldering the components ...
Designing For Reality: Solder Mask & Legend
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
By this point, we have a functioning PCB, but there is still more to do in order to keep the board safe from environmental effects, and also document ...
Designing for Reality: Strip Etch Strip
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At this stage in the process, we have a panel comprised of all the internal layers laminated together, through-holes are drilled, and the outer layer ...
PCB 3.0: A New Design Methodology - Mechanical formats
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our series on Intelligent System Design continues with a discussion on integrating board data with mechanical data. Cadence's Vince DiLello joins ...
Designing for Reality: Pattern Plating
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is where fabrication gets wild—pattern plate. All the prep work has set up the board to receive the copper traces, pads, and other elements as ...
PCB 3.0: A New Design Methodology - Data Management
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Product engineering expert Mark Hepburn joins the podcast to discuss the value of collaboration in the printed circuit board design and manufacturing ...
Designing for Reality: Outer Layer Imaging
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Each circuit board is composed of a one-of-a-kind pattern of metal connections representing the specific design for that circuit. So, how do those uni...
PCB 3.0: A New Design Methodology - More power to the EE
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we continue the theme of bringing more decision-making power to the design process. This time, we're talking with Supreeth Mannav...
Designing For Reality: Electroless Copper
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Now it's time to start getting into the chemistry! In this episode, Matt Stevenson describes the first key step in turning design data into physic...
PCB 3.0: A New Design Methodology - SI/PI for PCB Designers
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cadence's Brad Griffin joins us in this episode where we discuss how an intelligent system design methodology can move some signal and power integ...
Designing for Reality: The Intricacies of PCB Drilling
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nolan Johnson and Matt Stevenson continue down the manufacturing process, this time focusing on the post-lamination drilling process for PCBs. Matt an...
PCB 3.0: A New Design Methodology - Manufacturing
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Davis returns to the podcast to talk about design rules. As design considerations become more and more complex, so too do the rulesets designe...
Designing for Reality: Lamination
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Multilayer boards bring along a completely different set of processes. In this installment of “On The Line With…” Matt Stevenson discusses manuf...
PCB 3.0: A New Design Methodology - How Will AI Play a Role
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, our guests are Taylor Hogan and Patrick Davis. We discuss the role Artificial Intelligence (and Machine Learning) play in intelligent...
Designing For Reality: CAM, Materials and Imaging
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Now it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get “messy.” Once the CAM preparations are complete, Matt Stevenson explains what happens next. In this...
PCB 3.0: A New Design Methodology - Why do we need to change
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
To launch this series on integrated system design, we ask Cadence's Patrick Davis why we need to change how we design printed circuit boards in th...
Designing for Reality: The Design Process
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we begin at the beginning: the design process. Matt Stevenson provides a thoughtful analysis of CAD tool features and data formats in...
Designing for Reality: Summary & Introduction
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast series, we’ll be speaking with Matt Stevenson, vice president and general manager at ASC Sunstone, and author of The Printed Circui...
Sustainability is a Team Effort
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One long-standing sustainability slogan is “think globally, act locally.” In this installment, Siemens predictive analytics expert, Jonathan Fromm...
Sustainability in Logistics, Part 2
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this installment, Zac Elliot, Siemens technical marketing engineer, discusses sustainability in logistics internal to the factory. Listeners will...
Sustainability in Logistics
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The most obvious area of concern for logistics sustainability is the reduction of the carbon footprint. But Christian Wendt, marketing and communicati...
Sustainability in Manufacturing
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Laing, business development manager for digital industries software at Siemens, discusses the role of electronics in achieving sustainability. No...
Sustainability Through Cloud Applications
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are cloud applications and sustainability just a pie in the sky vision? Not if you talk to Susan Kayesar, PCBflow product manager at Siemens. Susan ma...
Sustainability in PCB Design
06 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this introductory episode, Siemens topic experts Patrick Hope and Pat McGoff define sustainability in PCB design and introduce us to Siemens’ sus...
On the Line with... (Trailer)
06 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas