A futurologist (yes there is such a job) once remarked that the future is always oversold and underimagined. Advances in microelectronic packaging technology, things like stacked die and chip scale packaging, will mean that you'll see more I/O's on a single device with smaller pitches. Perhaps that will mean fewer components on any one PWB but with finer detail with fewer products being amenable to hand assembly or rework. Things like buried capacitors may become more common but I suspect they will prove to be more trouble than they're worth in most instances. I suspect that automation will become more sophisticated and less expensive but that will be automation of existing processes and not new ones. I don't see any revolutionary changes on the horizon but suspect someone will prove me wrong in the next post on this thread. If you're doing high rel stuff then have a look at what's inside a mobile phone today and expect to see adaptations of that appearing in avionics etc. in a few years time. Regards, On 17/01/2012 14:53, Mike Buetow wrote: > As a wise man told me, Never underestimate the tenacity of incumbent > technologies. > > > Best, > Mike > > Mike Buetow > PCD&F/Circuits Assembly > w/m 617-327-4702 > Twitter: @mikebuetow > > Join our new LinkedIn Group: EMS -- Electronics Manufacturing Services > > The CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY Directory of EMS Companies -- Over 2,200 listings -- > circuitsassembly.com/dems > > > -----Original Message----- > From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ioan Tempea > Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 9:49 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: [TN] What is the future of electronics assembly? > > Dear Technos, > > > > I can't help but thinking about the future of our trade. Will electronics > assembly, the way we are doing it now, still be around 5 years from now? > > > > I mean, with printed electronics and nano materials, a manufacturing plant > equipped with solder paste printers, insertion machines and wave, will > still be in use? Even Joe Fjelstad's Occam process requires completely > different machineries. > > > > As you might have guessed, the bottom line is: what technologies and > equipment should we start looking at NOW, so that we still be able to make > ends meet by the end of the decade? > > > > Thanks, > > > > Ioan Tempea, ing. > Ingénieur Principal de Fabrication / Senior Manufacturing Engineer > T | 450.967.7100 ext.244 > E | [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> > W | www.digico.cc<http://www.digico.cc/> > > > N'imprimer que si nécessaire - Print only if you must > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ > This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service. > For more information please contact helpdesk at x2960 or [log in to unmask] > ______________________________________________________________________ > > --------------------------------------------------- > Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 16.0 > To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in > the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet > To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to > [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) > To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to > [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest > Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives > For additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or > 847-615-7100 ext.2815 > ----------------------------------------------------- > > ______________________________________________________________________ > This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service. > For more information please contact helpdesk at x2960 or [log in to unmask] > ______________________________________________________________________ > > --------------------------------------------------- > Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 16.0 > To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in > the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet > To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) > To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest > Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives > For additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 > ----------------------------------------------------- > . > -- Eric Christison Consumer& Micro group Imaging Division STMicroelectronics (R&D) Ltd 33 Pinkhill Edinburgh EH12 7BF United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)131 336 6165 Fax: + 44 (0)131 336 6001 The contents of the email are ST confidential. ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service. 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