Insights from the Technology Pavilion at APEX EXPO 2026 

KEY SUMMARY

Automated micro-sectioning is transforming PCB quality measurement by replacing manual inspection with data-driven metrology. Insights from APEX EXPO 2026 highlight how faster analysis, correlated metrology, and 3D reconstruction improve defect detection, reduce cycle time, and enable smarter manufacturing decisions.

At APEX EXPO 2026, one discussion focused on a foundational issue: how the electronics industry measures PCB quality and how much actionable insight that process can deliver.

In “Automated Spatial Micro-Sectioning: Advancing Metallography and Correlated Metrology,” Geoffrey Leeds of SCAN Laboratories outlined a shift from traditional, manual inspection toward automated, data-driven metrology. The implications span fabrication, supplier validation, and design-for-manufacturing, and use results in:

• Reduced cycle time
• Improved readability
• Faster corrective action

Micro-sectioning is still a cornerstone of PCB validation, providing cross-sectional evidence of plating integrity, microvia structures, and hole quality. But the process is slow, labor-intensive, and highly dependent on operator skill. Conventional workflows --  manual grinding, polishing, imaging, and interpretation -- introduce variability and can delay results by days or weeks. As interconnect density increases and reliability margins tighten, these constraints are becoming more pronounced.

Micro-sectioning is not a lab task; it’s a data pipeline.

Leeds presented an automated workflow in operation at SCAN Laboratories that standardizes grinding, polishing, imaging, etching, registration, and reporting, while retaining expert oversight for validation. The system is compatible with existing IPC test coupons, allowing adoption without redesigning panels or sampling strategies, an important consideration for cost and process continuity.

A notable advantage is the speed and accessibility of data. Results can be generated and shared in near real time, enabling engineers to begin analysis before the full process is complete. This shortens the feedback loop between defect detection and corrective action.

Central to the approach is “correlated metrology”: integrating multiple measurement perspectives to improve confidence in results. While common in semiconductor manufacturing, this method is less mature in PCB fabrication. By tying cross-section images to the exact board location and AOI record, teams confirm they’re measuring the same feature across modalities, boosting confidence and speeding root-cause analysis.

The presentation also highlighted serialized microscopy and 3D reconstruction. Instead of analyzing a single cross-section, sequential imaging enables volumetric reconstruction of structures. This allows evaluation of geometry, alignment, and interactions across the entire feature, not just at a single slice. For advanced designs with tight tolerances and complex failure modes, this shift from 2D inspection to 3D insight is significant.

Insights and improved outcomes from the data

When micro-sectioning outputs are digitized and integrated into engineering workflows, they become a source of manufacturing intelligence rather than static reports. This supports faster design validation, improved process control across facilities, more effective supplier oversight, and stronger root cause analysis.

As the industry invests in automation and smart manufacturing, metrology will remain a strategic capability. Automated micro-sectioning addresses a clear need: reducing variability, increasing throughput, and transforming inspection into usable data.

The trajectory is clear. The future of PCB manufacturing will depend not only on what can be built, but on how precisely and how intelligently it can be measured.

Key Summary

• The future of electronics manufacturing will be driven by the convergence of AI, advanced packaging (e.g., chiplets, 3D integration), and digitalized production ecosystems.
• AI is becoming a core competitive differentiator, extending beyond design into supply chain resilience, compliance, and operational decision-making.
• Advanced packaging is a key inflection point, enabling major gains in performance, power efficiency, and system-level capability.
• A widening talent gap—particularly in cross-disciplinary skills—threatens to constrain progress, making workforce development and leadership training mission-critical.

What will be the single most transformative shift in electronics manufacturing over the next decade? For select Global Electronics Association members, representing leading companies across the industry, the answer centers on the convergence of AI-driven design, advanced packaging, and the industry’s ability to close a widening talent gap.

For Francis D’Souza of Banyan.eco, the shift is already underway. He points to AI as a defining force not just in design, but in operational decision-making—from compliance with critical materials regulations to strengthening supply chain resilience. As customers move beyond cost-based sourcing toward reliability and value, D’Souza sees AI-enabled intelligence as a competitive differentiator.

At Flex, Tiberiu Baranyi identifies the transformation in terms of talent. The next decade, he argues, will hinge on building a workforce that can bridge semiconductor manufacturing, system-level integration, automation, and data science. As factories evolve into digitally connected ecosystems, the ability to operate across disciplines becomes essential—not optional.

From a technology standpoint, Bhanu Sood of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center sees advanced packaging as the true inflection point. Innovations like chiplets and 3D integration are no longer supporting actors; they are driving performance gains, power efficiency, and system capability across high-performance computing, aerospace, and defense. AI-enabled design, paired with these architectures, accelerates both scale and complexity.

That complexity is already surfacing in reliability challenges. Bob Cooke of NASA’s Johnson Space Center highlights conductive anodic filamentation (CAF) as a growing concern in high-density PCB designs, where tighter spacing, higher power loads, and increased signal speeds create what he describes as a “perfect storm” for failure mechanisms.

Meanwhile, David Caputa of Lockheed Martin points to additive manufacturing as another transformative force, enabling new PCB form factors and significantly reduced lead times. And in the automotive sector, Hisao Nishimori of Toyota Motor Corporation underscores the importance of maintaining stable, high-quality production of foundational semiconductor technologies—even as innovation accelerates elsewhere.

Across these perspectives, a consistent theme emerges: technology is advancing faster than the workforce can adapt. Helena Paquito of EPTAC emphasizes the need for more intentional leadership development, particularly in building communication, critical thinking, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Even as AI expands its role, Sood offers a grounded perspective: the future belongs to a hybrid model. Machine-driven exploration can dramatically accelerate design, but it is still human intuition—built over years of experience—that closes the loop.

Taken together, these leaders point to a decade defined not by a single breakthrough, but by integration: AI with advanced packaging, digital systems with physical manufacturing, and technology with talent. The companies that can align all three will set the pace for the next era of electronics manufacturing.

Read full article on I-Connect007's SMT007 website: What APEX EXPO Award Recipients See for the Future of Electronics Manufacturing :: I-Connect007

KEY SUMMARY

Mexico is strengthening its position in electronics manufacturing through skilled talent, robust infrastructure, reliable energy, and access to the supply chain. Insights from APEX EXPO 2026 highlight how regions like Sonora, Guanajuato, and Querétaro offer distinct advantages, shifting the focus from low-cost production to long-term resilience and certainty.

The Learning Lounge at APEX EXPO 2026 session explored the question: what makes a region competitive today?

In the session, “Building in Mexico: Regional Advantages for Electronics Manufacturing,” government leaders from Mexican states Sonora, Guanajuato, and Querétaro shared with attendees the factors shaping Mexico’s growing role in electronics manufacturing: 

• talent, 
• infrastructure, 
• energy, and 
• access to the supply chain

The panelists included:

• Arturo Fernández Díaz-González (President & Founder, Sonora Global EDC)
• Alejandro Hernández Fonseca (Undersecretary of Investment Promotion, Ministry of Economy, State of Guanajuato)
• Alejandro Rolland Ruiz (Industrial Development Director, Ministry of Sustainable Development, State of Querétaro)

Together, they shared why Mexico is becoming a key destination for electronics manufacturing. 

(Alejandro Rolland Ruiz, Arturo Fernandez, Lorena Villanueva, Alejandro Hernandez)

1.  Mexico is competing on talent, not just cost. 
One of the clearest messages from the panel was that Mexico is focused on certified talent, workforce development, and scalability. Panelists highlighted training programs, university partnerships, and industry certifications as key advantages. 

2. Each region offers a different strategic advantage. 
Sonora emphasized its border location, energy resources, and port access. Guanajuato highlighted its position in Central Mexico, its broad industrial base, and its strong collaboration among government, academia, and industry. Querétaro focused on its skilled workforce, university network, and long-term consistency in industrial development. 

3. The conversation is shifting from low cost to long-term certainty. 
A strong theme throughout the session was that companies are looking for more than proximity. They want reliable infrastructure, strong supply chains, trained labor, and long-term partnerships. As one panelist said, the shift is from efficiency to resilience, and from low cost to high certainty. 

Final takeaway  

This session made it clear that Mexico’s role in electronics manufacturing is growing through intentional investment in people, partnerships, and regional strengths. 

For companies considering nearshoring, expansion, or supply chain diversification, Sonora, Guanajuato, and Querétaro each presented a strong case for why Mexico remains an important part of the conversation. 

By Seth Jacobsen, Sustainability Program Manager, Global Electronics Association

Key Summary

• During in-depth panels and technical sessions at APEX EXPO 2026, industry leaders highlighted how sustainability has transformed into a competitive mandate for the electronics sector. From tracking and reporting environmental data to the business benefits that accompany sustainability efforts, electronics leaders are navigating how to increase sustainability in their operations. 

Sustainability is moving from intention to implementation. That was our resounding takeaway from APEX EXPO 2026, where industry leaders convened to discuss the measurable outcomes, real-world progress, and solutions for overcoming decarbonization challenges.

In sustainability-focused sessions, the Association celebrated measurable sustainability gains – including Panasonic’s strides toward a zero-carbon factory by 2030, Jabil being ahead of schedule on its greenhouse gas emission reductions, and Koh Young helping customers reduce waste via “smart” inspections and data-driven manufacturing. 

What did we hear from industry about their sustainability efforts at APEX EXPO 2026?

• Industry players from around the world shared how sustainability has become a core part of their business strategies, helping to drive tangible benefits to bottom lines. 
• Sustainability measures like reducing defects, improving manufacturing efficiencies, and optimizing energy use are helping electronics players to improve profitability and performance. 
• Improved recycling systems are also aiding the industry to reduce its outsized waste – currently less than 20% of electronics products are recycled – while enabling manufacturers to repurpose working components and metals.
• While the electronics industry clearly aspires to reduce its environmental impact, many electronics players grapple with where to start – and how to report their impact. Companies that track, measure, and report sustainability data have a competitive edge: for some, this data has been the differentiator in winning or losing business.

John Mitchell moderated an executive-level panel featuring Association members Andy Behr, Director of North America, Panasonic Industry – Electronic Materials Division; Thomas Cetta, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer at Jabil; and Joel Scutchfield, General Manager of Koh Young America.

A deep dive into better sustainability data at APEX EXPO 2026:

One common challenge we hear about all the time is how do we track, measure, and report sustainability data better. At APEX EXPO, this conversation took the spotlight. 

Here are our takeaways: 

• Aligning industry through standards: Companies rarely have a standardized approach to measuring sustainability, making results hard to compare. Common standards are needed so customers can trust and compare the numbers they receive.
• Streamlining data: The data that underpins product carbon footprints, life cycles, material composition details, and supply chain information is often missing, disconnected, or hard to use. This information tends not to exist in a single place, follows consistent standards, and can be difficult to obtain from suppliers. 
• Decarbonizing in tandem with suppliers: Supplier data that is detailed and comprehensive can be hard to obtain. While manufacturers may know a lot about their own processes, they have less visibility further down the supply chain – requiring them to engage with suppliers. 
• Automatizing data collection: Manual data gathering is too slow and difficult for large, complex electronics supply chains. Better tools like AI and other forms of automation can help collect data faster and improve estimates, making sustainability reporting easier. 

Association members shared insights on why data Is sustainability’s biggest bottleneck.

The message at APEX EXPO was clear: The electronics industry is making significant strides in addressing its environmental impact. The Global Electronics Association is proud to lead the industry towards an accelerated path to sustainability.