PCB Chat

RM 189: Predict, Prevent, Produce: RoviSys' Bryan DeBois on Manufacturing's Al Future

24 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What if your factory could predict failures before they happen, capture decades of human expertise, and make better decisions than ever before—witho...

PCB Chat 155: Breadboard's Nemanja Jokanovic on Automating BOM Management

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Nemanja Jokanovic is the executive leader of Breadboard, an AI-powered platform that he believes will revolutionize BOM management. In this interview ...

RM 187: An Academic Look at Al in Electronics Manufacturing: Where It Works, Fails, and Why It Matters

16 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence is being promoted as the next revolution in electronics manufacturing, but what happens when the people evaluating it aren’t...

PCB Chat 154: Wally Rhines on the Latest ECAD Market Data

13 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Wally Rhines is the spokesperson for the ESD Alliance, part of Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International. He joined Andy Shaughnessy to shar...

PCB Chat 153: Karen Burnham on Taking the Pain out of EMC

27 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Karen Burnham feels your pain - the pain of EMC, that is. Karen is an EMC engineer, instructor, and founder of EMC United, a consulting company that a...

PCB Chat 152: Mike Buetow on the Cadence Acquisition of EMA

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What does Cadence's acquisition of EMA Design Automation mean for the respective companies, and the market? Mike Buetow considers the issues related t...

PCB Chat 151: Scott Bright of Cadstrom IO

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Scott Bright is co-founder and COO of Cadstrom IO, a new company that is coming up with tools for resolving some of the engineering problems that desi...

RM 185: How Accuracy & Force Compliance Contribute to Better Quality & Reliability, with Michael Sivigny

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In electronics manufacturing, defects don’t usually announce themselves. They happen in milliseconds, far faster than human perception, and often lo...

PCB Chat 150: Wally Rhines on the Latest ECAD Market Data

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Wally Rhines the spokesperson for the ESD Alliance, part of Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International. He joins Mike Buetow each quarter to ...

RM 184: Advances in Dispensing Automation and Thermal Management with PVA’s Jon Urquhart

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Jon Urquhart is director of global applications engineering at Precision Valve and Automation — one of the world’s leading developers of dispensin...

PCB Chat 149: Maggie Frachioni on the Evolution of a PCB Designer

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Margaret (Maggie) Frachioni is a semiconductor hardware engineer at General Motors, where, armed with a bachelor’s in computer engineering from Rose...

RM 1834: A Reliability Matters Podcast Year-End Reflection

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

ince 2018, Reliability Matters has been building a knowledge vault, capturing the wisdom of industry experts for engineers everywhere.  In this sp...

RM 182: How to Work Effectively with your CM - with Daniel Stanphill & Sean Kincaid

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Konrad continues a dive into the world of contract manufacturing—a vital piece of the electronics ecosystem. Joining him are two industry le...

RM 181: Working with Contract Manufacturers - with Raymond Novara

30 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The next two episodes of Reliability Matters will be all about contract manufacturing, an area that can make or break the reliability and success of a...

RM 180: Low Temp Soldering for a High-Reliability World

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Note: This is the fourth of four episodes on the subject of soldering materials.   Today, we're diving into a topic that's reshaping how we think abo...

PCB Chat 147: Matthias Wagner of FluxAI

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s guest is Matthias Wagner, chief executive and cofounder of Flux. Flux is maker of a Agentic AI-based PCB design platform and programmable si...

RM 179: Indium's Ross Berntson

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is the third of four episodes on the subject of soldering materials. Today, we’re continuing our deep dive into the world of soldering material...

PCB Chat 146: The Latest EDA Market Results

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Wally Rhines joins Mike Buetow each quarter to share details from the latest ESD Alliance report on sales of PCB design software, computer-aided engin...

RM 176: The Chemistry of Reliability: Choosing the Right Solder and Flux

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Mike Konrad is joined by Chris Ward, founder and managing director of Solderking Assembly Materials, a UK-based manufacturer of solde...

PCB Chat 147 with Margaret Upshur of Mobius Materials

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Margaret Upshur is CEO of Mobius Materials, a global online marketplace for excess electronic components. Before founding Mobius, she was senior direc...

RM 177: Humidity: Small Cause, Huge Reliability Risk with Viktoria Rawinski

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Chapters: 00:00 Introduction & Episode Overview 02:12 Meet Victoria Rawinsky: Expertise & Industry Impact 05:09 Social Media Challenge & M...

PCB Chat 146 - Stephen Chavez on PCB Design Trends and Needs

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen Chavez is principal technical product marketing manager with Siemens, but he’s best known for his three decades as a printed circuit design...

RM 175 - SMT War Stories with Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Konrad is joined by two of the most respected names in the electronics manufacturing industry, Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall. Together, they bring dec...

RM 173: Reliability as a Service: How ChargerHelp! Keeps EV Charging Running

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As the electric vehicle market accelerates, the reliability of the charging infrastructure becomes increasingly vital. Chargers that are down or malfu...

PCB Chat 145: David Schild on Congress Priorities

17 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of PCB Chat, David Schild of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America and Mike Buetow discuss the current legislative environm...

PCB Chat 144: The Latest PCB Design Software Market Trends

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Wally Rhines, spokesperson for the ESD Alliance, joins Mike Buetow to discuss the first quarter electronic design automation market results. The good ...

RM 172: Steering ERP Projects Back on Track with Chintan Sutaria

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we're diving into a topic that keeps many executives awake at night—ERP implementations. More specifically, why so many of them fail and, perh...

Cofactr on Supply Chain Execution

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cofactr is a supply chain execution platform that includes source-to-pay and 3PL solutions for electronics hardware developers. Live from the show flo...

RM 171: Pick & Place Machine Selection and Optimization

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we're turning our attention to a cornerstone of modern electronics manufacturing: pick-and-place technology. Joining Mike Konrad is Tim Kang,...

RM 169: On the Road - Soldering

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of the Reliability Matters podcast, Mike Konrad left his usual studio for the IPC Apex Expo trade show. He interviews two subject m...

RM 168: On the Road - Electronics Assembly

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Konrad interviews three subject matter experts on various topics related to electronics assembly. The guests are: Greg Beck, director of sales ...

Chris Banton of EMA Design Automation on Board Optimization

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Chris Banton of EMA Design Automation joins Matt Leary, Geoffrey Hazelett and Mike Buetow to talk about how the EDA vendor's helps printed circuit boa...

PCB Chat 143: Frank Mullaney and Emma Hudson of iNEMI

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For early 30 years, the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (INEMI), has been the go-to consortium for many leading OEMs companies and ...

Tom Britton and Nataliia Matsiuk on an AI Solution for PCB Manufacturing

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tom Britton and Nataliia Matsiuk join Geoffrey Hazelett of FreedomCAD, Matt Leary of Newgrange Design and Mike Buetow of PCEA to share work on a Depar...

Robert Byrne of Allspice

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Robert Bryne, director of marketing at Allspice.io, joins Geoffrey Hazelett of FreedomCAD, Matt Leary of Newgrange Design and Mike Buetow of PCEA to t...

RM 167: Meet the Press: A Conversation with PCEA President Mike Buetow

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we’re diving deep into the world of electronics manufacturing from a unique vantage point—that of the press.   Mike Konrad's guest is s...

PCB Chat 142: The Latest PCB Design Software Market Trends

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Wally Rhines, spokesperson for the ESD Alliance, which is part of Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, joins Mike Buetow to share the ...

RM 166: Electronics: Down Memory Lane and a Vision for the Future

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is a little different in two ways. First, host Mike Konrad recorded it not in his studio but at the SMTA Pan Pacific Strategic Electronic...

PCB Chat 141: Integrated Library Management and Component Procurement

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Supply chain management looms over everything we do, but it has been more pronounced than ever over the past five years as the Covid pandemic steered ...

RM 163: Sebastian Schaal of Luminovo on Supply Chain Management

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're tackling a topic that has become increasingly vital in recent years: supply chain management.  With global supply chains recently unde...

RM 162: Battery Selection and Safety Best Practices with Alex Norman

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re diving into a critical yet sometimes overlooked component that powers so many of the devices we rely on: batteries. Batteries are the h...

PCB Chat 140: Kenny McGee on Component Circularity

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s guest intersects two key areas for electronics manufacturers: circularity and inventory management. "The cost of a component isn't just the ...

RM 161: AI-Based Inspection Technologies with Priyansha Bagaria

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we’re exploring a transformative topic: AI-based inspection technologies.    Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing how we detect, a...

The Semiconductor/Packaging/PCB Technology Stack

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is Part 2 of a new podcast in which guest Geoffrey Leeds of Leeds AI joins Matt Leary (Newgrange Design), Geoffrey Hazelett (FreedomCAD) and Mike...

The Electronics Supply Chain and How Companies Can Adapt

25 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Supply chain issues are rearing their ugly heads -- again -- with the latest blow the decision by Nippon Denkai to close and liquidate its copper foil...

RM 160: Opportunities and Challenges within the EV Industry

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we’re diving into one of the most transformative innovations of our time: electric vehicles and the vast infrastructure needed to support the...

PCB Chat 139: PCB Design Software Market Analysis with Wally Rhines

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sales of software for printed circuit board and multichip module design rose to a record $450 million in the third quarter ended in October, extending...

PCB Chat 138: A Look at PCB Industry Legislation in 2025 with David Schild of the PCBAA

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Questions about over how the new administration and Congress coming in January will approach government investment in capital projects, workforce deve...

RM 158: D-Code Podcast Interview

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The hosts of the D-Code podcast are a dynamic trio of young professionals making waves in the electronics manufacturing industry.  With experience...

RM 156: An Introduction to Flexible Circuits with Joseph Fjelstad

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode, we’re turning our focus to a pivotal innovation that has transformed design and manufacturing processes: flexible circuits. ...

RM 155: Ultra HDI Panel Discussion - Recorded Live at SMTAI

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's podcast comes from the Surface Mount Technology Association SMTAI trade show.   As the demand for smaller, faster, and more powerful devices...

RM 154: Thermal Profiling Best Practices

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most critical aspects of manufacturing high-reliability circuit assemblies is thermal profiling during the reflow process.  Whether you...

RM 153: Contract Manufacturing Best Practices with Adrian Leal

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you're part of the electronics landscape, you've likely encountered the role contract manufacturers play — and it's a critical one. These special...

PCB Chat 137: The Q2 PCB Design Software Market

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sales of software for printed circuit board and multichip module design surged 8.2% to $399 million in the second quarter ended in July, continuing a ...

PCB Chat 136: Jim Rathburn on UDHI Using LCPs

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim Rathburn may not be a household name in the printed circuit industry, but maybe he should be. A self-styled serial technologist and innovator, Rat...

RM 152: High-Reliability Solder Paste Selection Best Practices

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the demand for more durable and dependable electronics continues to rise across industries, the choice of soldering materials, such as solder paste...

PCB Chat 135: Duncan Haldane of JITX

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

JITX is a San Jose-based developer of PCB design automation tools. The company's novel platform takes design concepts and convert them into schematics...

RM 151: Optical Inspection System Best Practices

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two episodes ago, in RM 149, we talked all about automated optical inspection. Today we're exploring the impact of less automated inspection Technolog...

RM 149: AOI and X-Ray Best Practices

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we're exploring automated optical inspection (AOI) and x-ray inspection technology within the electronics assembly industry. Jo...

PCB Chat 134: Zachary Feuerstein on Supply Chain Management

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Zachary Feuerstein founded his latest venture in 2022 after running into problems purchasing basic white goods and consumer electronics due to the pos...

RM 149: SMTA International 2024

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Just like the famous line from the 1984 film, The Terminator, “I’ll be back,” SMTAI is back. Back to the Chicago area. We’re back in Rosemont,...

RM 148: IPC Apex Special (Part 3 of 3)

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of Reliability Matters features three interviews including: • Kimberly Fagan from PVA • Taylor Wagan from CETEC ERP • Neil Hubbl...

PCB Chat 133: Wally Rhines on the PCB Design Software Market

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Wally Rhines returns to give the latest data and analysis on the printed circuit board and MCM design software market, and the broader electronic desi...

PCB Chat 132: David Schild of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The CHIPS Act has hogged much of the oxygen in the tech industry for the past few years, but the industry trade group known as the Printed Circuit Boa...

RM 146: IPC Apex Special: Soldering and Inspection

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Recorded live during IPC Apex Expo this spring, this is the first of three podcasts from the show floor. This episode features three interviews inc...

RM 145: Designing Electronics to be Reliable in Harsh Environments

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The challenging world of electronics becomes even more challenging when the end product is destined for harsh environments. For high-reliability produ...

PCB Chat 131: Sergiy Nesterenko on AI-Driven PCB Design

02 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"Humans just aren't the greatest at designing circuit boards." That's according to Sergiy Nesterenko. Nesterenko is founder and CEO of a new software ...

RM 143: A Candid Conversation with Doug Pauls

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve discussed the silver tsunami on the show numerous times, the unprecedented rate of which employees are retiring. When engineers and other empl...

PCB Chat 130: Audrey McGuckin on Developing Leadership Skills

11 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Businesses are not immune to the many complex social situations present on many prominent college campuses today. Executives and managers must grasp w...

RM 142: Live from SMTA's Pan Pacific Strategic Electronics Symposium (PanPac)

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was recorded at SMTA's Pan Pacific Strategic Electronics Symposium on the Big Island of Hawaii. Mike Konrad's guests on this episode a...

RM 141: Component Tape Splicing Best Practices

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Optimization has become an important goal within the electronics assembly industry. While modern electronics assembly techniques utilize a variety of ...

PCB Chat 129: Electronics Design Market Update with Wally Rhines

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Electronic System Design (ESD) industry revenue increased 14% to $4.4 billion in the fourth quarter 2023, with printed circuit board design software l...

PCB Chat 128: The Latest HDP Consortium Projects

17 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The High-Density Packaging User Group, the nonprofit consortium of electronics manufacturers and suppliers that collaborate on various technical probl...

RM 139: Environmentally Responsible Alternatives to Traditional PCB Fabrication

14 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we delve into an increasingly critical aspect of technology and electronics manufacturing - the pursuit of environmentally responsible electron...

PCB Chat 127: Matthias Wagner on AI-Based PCB Design Tools

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Matthias Wagner is chief executive and cofounder of Flux, a developer of a browser-based PCB design platform and programmable simulator. When spoke wi...

RM 138: Hand Soldering and Rework Best Practices

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we're diving deep into the world of precision and craftsmanship—two crucial elements in the realm of hand soldering and rework of circuit asse...

RM 137: Building a Sustainable Career with a Sustainable Impact

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we delve into the crucial aspects of maintaining well-being on this journey — how to sidestep the notorious burnout, and perhaps more importa...

PCB Chat 127: David Schild on US Strategy for Supply Chain Readiness

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We welcome back one of our favorite guests, David Schild, the executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America. PCBAA was founde...

PCB Chat 126: Andrew Scheuermann on AI in Electronics

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence is perhaps the most discussed – and least understood – topic in technology today. We in electronics design and manufacturi...

RM 136: Environmentally Responsible/Sustainable Conformal Coating

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Reliability Matters covered the topic of ultrathin conformal coatings back in November. We covered various conformal coating materials from traditiona...

PCB Chat 125: Manny Marcano on Spinoff of Accelerated Designs

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

EMA Design Automation has for years been the exclusive distributor of OrCAD Cadence in North America. Through acquisitions and internal development, E...

PCB Chat 124: Wally Rhines on the Latest PCB Design Software Market Data

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Printed circuit board and multichip module design software revenue soared 24% year-over-year to a record $426 million in the third quarter 2023, accor...

RM 135: Zach Peterson about Board Design Best Practices

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today's increasingly connected and digital world, PCBs are the unsung heroes that power our devices, from smartphones to spacecraft. Yet, the art a...

RM 134 -- 2023 Podcast Season Wrap-Up

26 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 134 - 2023 Podcast Season Wrap-Up On this episode, I have no guests as this is the final episode of the Reliability Matters Podcast for the 20...

RM 133: Novel Wireless / Wearable ESD Monitoring

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are all aware of the damage electrostatic discharge can wreak on components and electronic products. We mitigate ESD damage through various forms o...

PCB Chat 123: US PCB Legislation Update with David Schild of PCBAA

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David Schild is executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America. PCBAA was founded in 2021 to advance US domestic production of...

PCB Chat 122: Robert Feranec on PCB Design

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Robert Feranec is a hardware designer with over 20 years’ experience in the electronics industry, and specializes in PCB design, signal integrity an...

RM 132: HZO’s Lisa Rizzo on Ultra-Thin Conformal Coating

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’ll dive deep into the world of conformal coating. More and more assemblies are being subjected to conformal coating to protect the assembly...

RM 131: Industry Icon Bob Willis

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are all aware of the supply chain issues our industry has faced. Beginning with electronic components, it has spread to so many other types of part...

PCB Chat 121: Wally Rhines on the Latest Electronics Design Software Market Data

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Printed circuit board and multichip module design software revenue increased 6.3% in the second quarter to total $369 million, according to the ESD Al...

RM 130: Human-Centered Approaches to Innovation with Dr. Alexis Abramson

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Baby Boomers are entering retirement in greater numbers. From now until 2030, 10,000 Boomers each day will hit retirement age. Millions will begin to ...

RM 129: Network Reliability - Avoiding Cyber-Security Threats

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Reliability Matters podcast is almost exclusively about reliability. Specifically, reliability of circuit assemblies. We discuss production best p...

PCB Chat 120: HDP’s Latest PCB and Solder Research

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

HDP User Group is an industry consortium made up of more than 50 leading companies that collaborate on research in order to reduce cost and time to ma...

RM 127: Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In recent episodes, we’ve covered high-level issues, such as hiring best practices, novel, training, methods, design for manufacturing, highly accel...

RM 126: Moisture Mitigation Strategies with Dan Jenkins and Rob Lowery

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Moisture. The industrial world has been fighting moisture since the beginning of the industrial world. From a general point of view, moisture leads to...

RM 125: DFM Best Practices with Pride Industries’ Engineering Manager Andrew Williams

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As all of you are well aware, Reliability Matters is all about reliability, specifically reliability of circuit assemblies. One challenge that seems t...

RM 124: Dave Hillman’s Amazing 3,600 Mile Kayak Journey Down the Missouri River

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Industry icon Dave Hillman completed a 3,600 mile solo kayak journey down the Missouri River. Mike Konrad spoke with Dave about the inspiration for th...

PCB Chat 119: David Schild on US Government Investment and Policy for PCB Manufacturing

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David Schild, executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA), discusses the latest government policy and legislation f...

PCB Chat 118: Claire Wemp, Ph.D., on Thermal Interface Materials

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Thermal interface materials are used for heat transfer in a variety of electronics applications. On this episode of PCB Chat, Claire Wemp, Ph.D, a the...

RM 123: Introduction to Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) with Dr. Christopher Jackson

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We all strive to build products that are reliable. If you’re listening to this podcast, chances are you are concerned about or at least interested i...