Pick, Place, Podcast
Episodes
Smarter Test Plans for Inevitable Failures w/ Blue Clover CEO & Co-founder, Pete Staples
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chris and Melissa welcome Pete Staples, CEO & co-founder of Blue Clover Devices, for a deep dive into how to plan tests, capture evidence, and deb...
Inevitable Failures
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a long break (and a few listener wellness checks!), Chris and Melissa return to catch up on what’s kept them busy and share some updates from ...
Meet up with Chris in California!
01 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chris will be in California and would love to meet up with anyone interested.He will be in the San Francisco Bay Area March 11 - March 14 and the Los ...
IPC's Leadership on Sustainability in Electronics w/ Dr. John W. Mitchell and Dr. Kelly Scanlon
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this insightful episode, we delve deep into the pressing issues of sustainability within the electronics manufacturing industry with IPC President ...
Innovations in Motorsport Sensor Technology with Caleb Holloway of Izze Racing
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, join us as we continue our exploration into the high-speed world of motorsport sensor technology with Caleb Holloway, founder of Izze...
The Challenges of Motorsport Sensor Design with Izze Racing Founder, Caleb Holloway
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a bit of a break we are back with a new, exciting episode! This week we are joined by Caleb Holloway, founder and owner of Izze Racing. Izze Rac...
Mastering Vias: Plugging, Filling, and Best Practices
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we continue our conversation from last episode with Dave Wilcox, PCB CAM engineer at CircuitHub, to explore the intricacies of plug...
Vias, Tenting, and Tiny Fireworks
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Chris and Melissa we are focused on the topic of tenting vias. Joined by our favorite PCB guru, Dave Wilcox, we dive into the thrilli...
Navigating the Environmental Impact of Electronics w/ Component Sense Founder, Kenny McGee
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Chris and Melissa continue their conversation with Kenny McGee, founder of Component Sense. We explore the environmental impact of el...
How Component Sense helps components fulfill their destiny w/ Kenny McGee
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Chris and Melissa sit down with Kenny McGee, founder of Component Sense, to dive into the intricacies of the electronics supply chain....
The RGB LED Dilemma in Manufacturing
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the PickPlace Podcast, Chris and Melissa discuss the challenges and intricacies of working with RGB LEDs, specifically the popular ...
RF Shields and Restroom Rants
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we delve into the topic of RF (Radio Frequency) shields. . Chris explains the different types of RF shields—open top, closed top, ...
Stencils: The Unsung Heroes of PCB Perfection Pt. 2
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Chris and Melissa continue their deep dive into the critical role of stencils in electronics assembly, with expert insights from Brett...
Stencils: The Unsung Heroes of PCB Perfection Pt.1
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into the crucial role of stencils in electronics manufacturing. Joined by Brett Babilonia, we explore the complexities of ste...
IPC APEX EXPO Meetup Recap
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this slightly random catchup episode Chris and Melissa discuss Chris' recent trip to California where he attended IPC APEX EXPO and hosted out...
How IPC President and CEO, Dr. John W. Mitchell is working on solving the workforce problem
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we uncover the multifaceted persona of IPC President and CEO, Dr. John Mitchell, from his educational background to his Ironman pursu...
What factors influence PCB quotes w/ Brett Babilonia
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we're happy to welcome back Brett Babilonia, who we spoke to way back in episode 3 and 4 on the show. In addition to purchasing, ...
Stick It Up Your Tube
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Parts packaged in tubes are awful and Chris has had enough. He's starting a movement to end the use of tubes once and for all. Why do they still ...
How New Solder Products Are Developed w/ AIM Solder Content Marketing Specialist, Gayle Towell
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the first episode of 2024 (which was recorded in 2023)! In today's show we're joined by AIM Solder's Content Marketing Speci...
A digitized solution to managing manufacturing workflow processes w/ Praxie CEO, Michael Lynch
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We like to talk to interesting people on this show so when Praxie reached out to us wondering if their CEO, Michael Lynch could come on the show we kn...
Conveyers, An Episode You Didn't Know You Needed
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why would we dedicate an entire episode to conveyers, you ask? Because it just so happens to be Chris' favorite topic! Chris has an addiction to ...
An Answering Your Questions Grab Bag
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At the end of our episodes we've been asking you to send in any questions you had...and we're finally answering them. In this grab bag epi...
Impedance Control Demo w/ NCAB Group Field Application Engineer Ryan Miller
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we welcome back NCAB Group Field Application Engineer Ryan Miller. The first time we had him on the show he gave us a lesson on what i...
Catch up with Chris
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What's been going on at the factory while we've been away? Chris catches up Melissa and all of you listeners on all of the new people, machi...
ESD Flooring w/ SelecTech CEO Tom Ricciardelli
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a LONG hiatus, we're back! Our break was for a very good reason though. Listen to find out why!In this episode, we welcome SelecTech CEO an...
Soft Skills of Engineering w/ Being an Engineer Host, Aaron Moncur
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're joined by fellow podcast host Aaron Moncur who runs the Being an Engineer Podcast and is also the founder of Pipeline Design an...
How Small Manufacturers Manage Large Volume Orders
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do smaller manufacturers like Worthington and CircuitHub manage larger volume orders? Recently we've seen a big increase in these types of or...
What Happens After the CHIPS Act w/ the Printed Circuit Board Association of America
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're back after a bit of a break! In this episode, we're excited to welcome David Shield from the Printed Circuit Board Associated of Ameri...
Even Cleaner Cleaning With Cleaning Expert Mike “Mr. Clean” Konrad
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're very excited to have Mike Konrad, founder of Aqueous Technologies as well as host of his own podcast, Reliability Matters, back on the show...
The Benefits of Asynchronous Design Review for Engineers & Manufacturers w/ AllSpice.io
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are joined by Valentina Ratner and Kyle Dumont, co-founders of AllSpice.io. Valentina and Kyle met while doing an MBA program at Harvard ...
Outer Layer Imaging w/ CAM Engineer Dave Wilcox
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
CircuitHub CAM engineer, Dave Wilcox is back on the show to teach us more about the PCB fabrication process. In our last episode with Dave, we went in...
Understanding Controlled Impedance w/ NCAB Group Field Application Engineer, Ryan Miller
05 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We apologize for our extended break! Chris has been hard at work from morning til late at night every day setting up Worthington's two new Fuji p...
How PCB panelization methods inform depanelization
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 19, we focused on the different types of depanelization methods that can be used during assembly. In this episode, we take a deeper dive in...
A Conversation with The Awkward Engineer
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, which might just be our nerdiest one yet, we are joined by Sam Feller, aka The Awkward Engineer. First and foremost he would like e...
The nitty gritty details on solder
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We're back! In this episode we talk about what we were busy doing on our "break", the different types and formats that solder comes in,...
All the Tricks and Gotchas in Surface Mount Assembly (Repost from the Coriolis Effect)
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week Chris was a guest on the Coriolis Effect, a podcast hosted by Bil Herd and Ben Jordan. Since we are still on hiatus (and because the episode...
Custom tooling to the rescue
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes things are difficult to build....enter the help of custom tooling! In this episode, we highlight some of the applications for which we might...
Benefits of intrusive soldering
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Intrusive soldering, also known as pin-in-paste, is a method that uses solder paste to solder the thru-hole leads instead of hand soldering, wave so...
The role of flux in PCB assembly
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Flux is friend. Not foe.To create a solder joint, you have a lot working against you. Boards, parts, the air...it’s all very cold compared to the me...
Debugging PCB Assemblies
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's a fact of life that defects and failed boards will sometimes occur, which is why it's so important to have a debugging procedure prepar...
Advanced Drilling w/ CAM Engineer, Dave Wilcox
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We've finally managed to convince CircuitHub CAM Engineer, Dave Wilcox, to come back on the show to continue our series about the intricacies of ...
How to Manage Moisture Sensitive Devices
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Similar to our discussion on ESD a few episodes back, moisture is also a "silent killer" for many electronic components. In this episode, we...
How IPC helps the global manufacturing ecosystem build electronics better w/ Teresa Rowe and Patrick Crawford
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
IPC is a global trade organization whose goal is to help OEMs, EMS, PCB manufacturers, and suppliers build electronics better. They provide numerous s...
Building a product at a big organization vs a startup w/ Barnacle Systems CTO, Darren Beckwith
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we are joined by Darren Beckwith, CTO of Barnacle Systems. Barnacle Systems is a startup based in Victoria, Canada which pr...
How to Protect PCBs from ESD Damage
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
ESD (Electro Static Discharge) is an invisible, silent killer for PCBs. Protecting your boards from ESD damage while they're in the factory and b...
How to Send Consigned Material to Your CM
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Consigned material is material purchased and sent to the CM by you, the customer. From your CMs point of view, managing consigned material can somet...
How to develop a PCBA functional test system w/ FixturFab
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are joined by Duncan Lowder and Joe Selvik, co-founders of FixturFab, to learn about how to develop a PCBA functional test syste...
Alternative Component Mounting
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, Chris teaches us about different categories of components that don't use a traditional surface mount or through-hole mou...
How to keep morale high in a high-stress manufacturing environment
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We talk a lot about equipment and techniques used to assembly PCBs, but wanted to dedicate an episode to focus on the people who are actually getting ...
How Chinese New Year Impacts Manufacturing
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chinese New Year (aka Lunar New Year or Spring Festival) is a welcome and well-deserved break for Chinese workers. However, it is also a notoriously s...
Showstoppers that delay PCB assembly w/ Production Manager, Rob OConnell
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We love it when PCB orders run through the assembly line smooth as butter. Inevitably, however, sometimes things do get delayed. On today's episo...
When to request first articles
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
First articles, also known as batch run or first-run amongst other terms, is when a customer requests the first several finished PCBAs from a producti...
Evaluating Pick and Place Machine Suppliers
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Worthington is in the process of upgrading its pick and place machinery. In order to do that requires a long process of evaluating potential new suppl...
What are fiducials and why you should use them
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is dedicated to fiducials which, for those who are unfamiliar with the term, are the small copper dots you may have seen on your bare PCB...
Get to know Melissa and Chris
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
To celebrate reaching 10,000 downloads of the podcast, Chris and Melissa mix things up and interview each other so that you can get to know your hosts...
An EDA Tool Walks Into a CM w/ Fusion 360 Electronics Product Manager, Ben Jordan
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're very excited to be joined on this episode by Ben Jordan. Ben, who was previously at Altium for many years, now works at Autodesk as a Sen...
The basics of the PCB drilling process w/ CAM Engineer Dave Wilcox
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As a continuation of last week's episode with CircuitHub CAM Engineer, Dave Wilcox, we discuss the basics of what happens during the PCB drilling...
Inner Layer Production w/ CAM Engineer Dave Wilcox
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're joined again by CircuitHub CAM Engineer Dave Wilcox to talk more about bare circuit board manufacturing. In this episode we Dave teaches us...
Small PCB layout decisions that have a significant impact on assembly
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode Chris, a self proclaimed novice engineer, touches on the layout process and how small decisions can have a significant impact ...
Our top suggestions for customers w/ CircuitHub Account Manager, John Jacquinet
19 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Although we like to keep our episodes targeted towards anyone who is interested in PCB assembly as a whole, we know that many of our listeners are Cir...
When to use through hole vs surface mount components
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When are through hole components recommended over surface mount components, and vice versa? The answer is not always straightforward. In this episod...
The role of electronic components distributors w/ Digi-key
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we continue our conversation with Mike Rankins and Gary Shanahan, supply chain specialists at Digi-Key. (If you haven't listened ...
Discussing the Global Electronics Parts Shortage w/ Digi-Key
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The current global electronics parts shortage is affecting all of us in this industry. We had the pleasure of chatting with Mike Rankins and Gary Shan...
Board Cleaning w/ Mike Konrad (part 2)
10 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the second half of our conversation with Mike Konrad of Aqueous Technologies we talk all about how to implement a board cleaning process. If you&ap...
Board Cleaning w/ Mike Konrad (part 1)
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we are joined by Mike Konrad to chat about board cleaning. Mike founded Aqueous Technologies in 1992 in response to the Montreal Pro...
How to safely and successfully ship assembled PCBs w/ Nicole Poirier
05 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we are joined by Nicole Poirier who works in the receiving and shipping department at Worthington. She walks us through how we prepa...
The PCB CAM Process w/ Dave Wilcox
29 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we have CircuitHub CAM engineer, Dave Wilcox, back on the show to walk us through the CAM process. -What is the CAM process all about...
How Blue Robotics is enabling the next generation of ocean exploration robots w/ Rustom Jehangir
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does a NASA JPL underwater vehicle that monitors methane bubbles in the arctic, robots that kill invasive species of starfish, and a robotics...
PCB Depaneling
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
PCB Depaneling is the process of breaking the individual PCBs out of the panel that is used to assemble the boards and is typically one of the very la...
How sensors.AFRICA empowers citizens to fight against pollution w/ Jack McLeans
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone deserves to live in an environment free of pollutants. This is something that today's guest is especially passionate about. On this epis...
Bare PCB Materials w/ Dave Wilcox
01 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Dave Wilcox, CAM engineer at CircuitHub, joins us again to educate us on bare printed circuit board materials....think prepreg, lami...
The selective soldering process
18 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On today's episode we continue on with our technical subseries about the assembly process. We delve into selective soldering, which is used to so...
The importance of having different perspectives in engineering w/ Eli Hughes of Tzero Labs (Part 2)
04 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the new year! This episode is a continuation of our conversation with Eli Hughes of Tzero. If you haven't checked out the first part...
How to build and manage a great team w/ Eli Hughes of Tzero Labs (Part 1)
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we chat with a CircuitHub customer, Eli Hughes. He tells about how his work at the Penn State Applied Research Laboratory and backg...
Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) for PCB Assembly
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we delve into the process of Automated Optical Inspection (AOI). We cover what details of the circuit board AOI looks at, what kin...
An overview of bare PCB fabrication w/ Dave Wilcox
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Even though we talk a lot about PCB assembly on this show, one aspect of the process still remains a bit of a mystery to Chris and Melissa - the ins a...
Reflow soldering
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to another week! This episode Chris and Melissa discuss reflow soldering - the high volume soldering method that melts all of the solder at th...
How Joel Murphy went from visual artist to electronics design engineer
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our 10th episode of the podcast! Not only is this our 10th full episode, but we also have recently surpassed 1,000 episode downloads.As a t...
The PCB assembly inspection process
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We think one of the best ways to understand what goes into PCB assembly is to speak to the experts themselves, those who spend day in and day out buil...
How Loci Controls automates landfill methane gas collection
21 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What happens to your bag of trash after you throw it in the dumpster? Most of us probably don't want to think in depth about this, but it's ...
Solder paste printing
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's episode we talk about something that at first glance might seem mundane, but is actually one of the most importantsteps and litera...
The Open Source Ventilator Project with Dugan Karnazes and Nadim Conti
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are joined by Dugan Karnazes, CEO of design firm Velocity Research and Nadim Conti, System & Electronic Designer at the Italian Natio...
The pick and place assembly process
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's episode we talk about the pick and place assembly process (which also served as the inspiration for our show name) - the process o...
All about parts purchasing - part 2
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In part 2 of our episode about parts purchasing with Brett and Magnus from Worthington, we talk about things we think customers should know about the ...
All about parts purchasing - part 1
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are joined by Brett and Magnus from Worthington to talk about parts and parts purchasing. They answer frequent questions customers ask us...
The PCB assembly process
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 2 of the Pick, Place, Podcast, Chris Denney gives us an overview of the pcb assembly process - everything that happens after you place an o...
Get to know the show
12 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join hosts Chris Denney and Melissa Hough as they discuss their involvement with CircuitHub and Worthington. Find out what you can expect to learn on ...