Electronex to reconnect the electronics industry

Following severe disruptions to exhibitions due to COVID-19, with many events cancelled or postponed, Electronex charges back to life on 5–6 April at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney.

Electronex – The Electronics Design and Assembly Expo and Conference will feature over 90 companies and exhibitors who are looking forward to meeting with industry decision-makers and electronics enthusiasts. Show organiser Noel Gray said, “With restrictions lifted, borders again open and business returning to normal in Australia, there is pent-up demand from visitors to return to face-to-face discussions with companies to explore the latest products and technology and discuss their manufacturing requirements. The increased focus on high-tech manufacturing in Australia is expected to boost attendance, and Electronex brings together Australia’s leading suppliers to showcase the latest technology and solutions.”

In addition to featuring a wide of range of electronic components, surface mount and inspection equipment, test and measurement products and other ancillary products and services, companies can also discuss their specific requirements with contract manufacturers that can design and produce turnkey solutions for specific applications. Electronex is pitched as a must-see event for designers, engineers, managers and other decision-makers who are involved in designing or manufacturing products that utilise electronics. A large number of companies will also be launching and demonstrating new products and technology at the event. A series of free seminars with overviews of some of the latest technology and insights into future developments will be also held on the show floor and the sessions and times are available on the show website.

Visitors to the expo can register for free at www.electronex.com.au and their badge will be emailed to them to avoid crowding and queuing at the entrance. Hours are 10 am–6 pm on Tuesday, 5 April and 9 am–4 pm on Wednesday, 6 April. Free parking is also provided at Rosehill Gardens with entry off James Ruse Drive.

SMCBA Conference

Since 1988, the Surface Mount & Circuit Board Association (SMCBA) has conducted Australia’s only conference dedicated to electronics design and manufacture. The 2022 conference is again being held in conjunction with Electronex and workshops and presentations will be held concurrently with the expo.

Susy Webb, Snr PCB Designer at Design Science PCB, USA, is conducting two half-day workshops. ‘Designing the Signal Return Path’ will address how, when designing a PC board, the signal routing and its return are critical to the circuit working properly. The presentation will talk about the importance of designing the return path, with a discussion of the physics involved, where the energy flows, the interference caused when it is not controlled, and the planes and stack-up needed.

‘HDI Routing Solutions’ will meanwhile go into the different possible stack-up types and discuss ways to get signals and powers from layer to layer in the board. Then it will move on into possible patterns and grids to maximise fanout and routing opportunities, all the while keeping routing return, power distribution and layer paired routing in mind. Lastly, it will talk about the benefits to other parts on the board that HDI can provide, and the manufacturing needs of these types of boards.

Keith Sweatman, Senior Technical Advisor at Nihon Superior, Japan, will present ‘Low-Temperature Soldering — A new challenge in electronics assembly’. Just as the electronics industry is getting settled into the use of the current generation of lead-free solders, new issues are forcing consideration of a change to lead-free solders that can be used at process temperatures even lower than those that were used with tin-lead solder. This presentation will review the emerging low-temperature soldering technology and identify the challenges to be addressed.

Bob Willis operates a training and process consultancy business based in UK and has created one of the largest collections of interactive training material in the industry. In ‘Printed Circuit Board Inspection & Field Failures — Causes and Cures’, Willis will highlight test methods you can try and tricks of the trade to understand how PCBs can fail and how to eliminate many of the common causes.

Matt Wild, General Manager at Future Electronics Australia and New Zealand, is presenting ‘Supply Chain Challenges and Strategies’, a discussion about the current issues and their causes with their resulting change in supply trends and costs, with a focus on recommended practices to mitigate impact and what is being done to ensure future supply.

Delegates can see the full program and book for sessions at www.smcba.asn.au.

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