On the sidelines of APEX 2024 in Anaheim, California, ILFA CEO Thomas Michels and Xaver Feiner (Vice President Marketing & Sales at Zollner Elektronik AG) were in conversation with Philip Stoten for SCOOP tv. Together, they outline the steps needed to ensure the resilience of the European supply chain.
The network is joining forces with an open letter, which is initially addressed to all member companies of the EIPC (European Institute for the PCB Community). In an urgent appeal to European government representatives to do more for domestic PCB manufacturers, the current situation of the PCB industry is highlighted and the importance of PCB as a basic technology is emphasised.
25 April 2024 was once again the nationwide Future Day for girls and boys in school years 5 – 9. Of course, we also offered places again and welcomed twelve girls and boys who wanted to get a taste of PCB production at ILFA for a day.
During the IPC APEX Expo 2024 in Anaheim, California, we awarded I.T.C. Intercircuit, one of the leading suppliers of equipment for the PCB industry, the contract for a new plugging machine. The CF 200 high-vacuum plugging machine is a real innovation: filling and cleaning take place in just one fully air-conditioned chamber, and through-holes and blind holes on both sides of the PCB are filled in a single operation.
The ILFA business model combines the best of both worlds for its customers: The in-house production of complex printed circuit boards in Hanover as well as the trade with printed circuit boards from controlled external production. Our Asian partners are personally qualified by our own local office in Shenzhen. Regular audits ensure consistent material quality and smooth production processes. From small batch sizes for samples to large series, we can fulfil any request. This makes us particularly interesting for all electronics companies that do not have their own contacts in Asia.
The requirement for high circuit densities in combination with short signal paths and low space requirements can be realised in PCB production with so-called HDI PCBs. HDI stands for “High Density Interconnect” and, as a relatively new technology, plays an important role for ILFA GmbH in the fulfilment of demanding customer requirements. In the following article, we present a sequential structure with 6 electrical layers. The customer requirement included 50 µm line/space on all layers, in combination with 300 µm BGA pitch on the outer layers, as well as a smallest pad diameter of 150 µm.
In February, we had 14 vocational students training to become electrical engineering assistants visit ILFA. In addition to four of their teachers, they brought with them a great thirst for knowledge and numerous questions about ILFA and our printed circuit boards. The 14 young people attend the BBS ME in Hanover, where they complete the two-year school-based training programme.
In mid-February 2024, a delegation of high-profile business representatives accepted the invitation from Lower Saxony’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Construction, Transport and Digitalisation, Olaf Lies, to discuss current economic issues. The guest house of the Lower Saxony state government in Hanover provided an appropriate setting to jointly develop requirements for a resilient Lower Saxony economy.
Choosing a career is not easy these days. There are numerous options open to young people, and deciding whether it would be better to study is not exactly trivial. Numerous dual study programmes have therefore emerged as a good combination option. As a PCB manufacturer, we can first of all confirm that an apprenticeship or a job in the electrical industry offers the best future prospects and development opportunities.
Shortly before Christmas, it was finally time to organise a joint event for all ILFA employees. It was to be a joint Christmas barbecue and so we quickly decorated our foyer and parts of the outdoor area, got the barbecues out, organised meat, vegetarian dishes, salads and much more and spent a few enjoyable hours together.