TMG Electronics Blog

Custom Electronic Assembly Solutions. Over 30 years of industry experience. Made in USA.

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The Best Electronics on the Market Right Now

Remember to check out TMG Electronics for all of your printed electronics needs! Enjoy our high-tech holiday gadget list!

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Why Your Manufacturing Company Needs Embedded Components

In this month's edition of PCB Magazine, the cover story dives into one of this generation's most interesting technological developments.  That is, embedding components into the substrate of circuit boards in order to increase the efficacy of said assemblies.  So, what exactly makes this such a big deal? Haven't advanced manufacturers been experimenting with the idea of embedding components onto PCB for decades? The short answer is that not only does placing larger systems into circuit boards enable designers to create smaller products, but those products use less materials and occasionally end up costing less to manufacture. Of course, since size and expenses are two of the primary drivers of innovation in modern tech, we have been toying with the idea of embedded components for some time now, but due to the meteoric rise of mobile's popularity in recent years, it has become more timely and urgent than ever to engineer smaller PCB assemblies for ever-smaller applications.  

Why embed?

Placing components closer to the board's substrate is more efficient and potentially cheaper—for both PCB companies and ultimately their entire supply chains. More specifically, the reduction of electrical path lengths cuts down not only on material used, but on the clarity of high-frequency signals. Reducing the amount of physical space that the PCB occupies reduces superfluous thermal activity and minimizes capacitively and inductively coupled noise, both of which will adversely affect overall product performance. 

High-density, low-profile

Embedded components are the wave of the future, at least within the world of printed electronics. They can enable us to design and execute the production of thinner, more powerful mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, and perhaps even flexible televisions.  

Embedded components will keep your firm competitive

Whether you are the manager of a well-established manufacturing company that creates medical devices or you've just broken ground on a new startup that is looking to get its feet wet in its own niche in the world of manufacturing, the fact of the matter is you're probably going to need a reliable electronics provider.  Unequivocally, there has never been a better time to consider the fiscal and executional advantages of circuit boards with embedded components.

If you produce something that’s powered by advanced electronics, contact TMG Electronics for a free quote. As a company that is obsessed with staying up-to-date on the latest industry innovations, they’ll be able to suggest a way to improve your products, at a better price.  

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Powerful Printed Electronics: CubeSats

It just became a whole lot easier to get into space. Well, not to get you into space per se, but to blast your own satellite up into orbit.  With the advent of better circuit board technology, lighter and cheaper building materials, and some enterprising minds, it’s become possible to send small rocket-ships into space for about $80,000.  We’re not saying that’s cheap, but we are saying that nations can send up a loaf-of-bread-sized satellite into space for less than the price of a Tesla. They’re called CubeSats, and they help countries keep tabs on the landscape of outer space.

The technology isn’t new—in fact, it’s been around since the late 90s, when US students crafted the tiny devices to be used in miniaturized mock space missions.  The quality, however, has been vastly improved, and these PCB-powered shoeboxes and now identify terrestrial gamma ray events.  The original models used Sputnik-era radio communications, but that has since been upgraded for long-distance pinging.  Over the past 20 years, over 200 countries have launched CubeSats, and there are currently 24 projects in space.  

Technological advances in world-changing products like the CubeSat remind us that each day is a new opportunity to educate our customers on how far we’ve come in the printed electronics industry. If you’d like to see how the latest in lightweight materials, blazing-fast conductors, and innovative design can be implemented into your current line of products, contact us today. We’d love to hear from you!

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The Bicycle with Whiskers, and How Printed Electronics are Making Us Safer

One of the coolest (and most useful) electronic innovations we’ve seen in a while has come from students at California State University – Long Beach.  The technology is called Vibrisee, and it's a printed electronics-powered device that attaches to the front of a bicycle’s frame in order to help keep rider’s more visible (and therefore, less prone to being hit) at night when roads are dark.

Here are 5 reasons Vibrisee and similar devices will create a new niche for printed electronics and redefine what modern PCB can do:

1.  Sets a precedent for biomimicry

Biomimicry, or the phenomenon of adapting natural forms for use in emerging technology, is the way of the future, and if PCB-based technologies can be used effectively in biomimicry-based designs, then it will bring science closer to replicating (and ultimately improving upon) human and animal biology.

2.   Encourages more student-based research projects

The only way any industry or movement will survive is if it is continually backed by future generations of dreamers, makers, and doers. Projects like Vibrisee, which empower tomorrow's engineers to start thinking realistically about today's problems and how to solve them will ensure that we continue to nurture a love and respect for PCB and its applications. 

3.  Makes people safer

Vibrisee's proprietary "whisker" design was adapted from the way seals and cats use their whiskers to interact with and learn from their environment in order to prevent themselves from entering into risky situations. 

4.  Encourages crowd-sourced research and development

California State University has engendered a great spirit of community by working together on the Vibrisee project and hopefully this sets a standard for the sort of awesome endeavors that can be undertaken in the PCB community when great minds come together for a common cause.

5. Connects electronics to a zero emissions technology

The more next-generation electronics that are produced that are carbon-neutral (or close to it), the more favorable society's view of these electronics will be.

Vibrisee institutes some groundbreaking technologies, and we can't wait to see what these students have up their sleeves next! Of course, this sort of innovation will only advance society if it can be mass-produced and mass-distributed. If your company has a product in the design or nascent stages of production, and you're thinking about introducing it to a larger market, it just might be time to consider looking for a proven printed electronics supplier that has the experience and vision to make your dreams a reality!

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Color-Changing Fabrics: Printed Circuit Boards Make It Possible

A Budapest-based electronics firm has just announced that it has harnessed the power of 20 custom-printed printed circuit boards to create a battery-powered fabric that automatically changes colors to blend into its environment.  Call it chameleonic electronics, call it an “e-textile”, or call it just plain crazy, but whatever you think of the new Arduino-powered technology, you have to admit that it would make a pretty darn good camouflage!

Judit Eszter Karpati spearheaded the research, which is a part of her “Chromosonic” project, and she hopes that it demonstrates the capacity for marrying the worlds of digital media and textile art.  Though the fabric looks like the preferred clothing material for the costumes in a bad straight-to-DVD science fiction movie, it in fact houses some really innovative technology.  The device can sense heat, touch, and even sound, and react in real-time with pre-programmed color animations. In a world moving ever-closer to wearable devices and malleable electronics, this recent innovation focuses less on the thinness of the device (there’s no graphene to be seen here!) and focuses more on interweaving the tech directly within the actual fabrics of the clothes.

If this technology were to be used one day in tandem with super-thin supercapacitors like the one recently announced in Singapore, clothes of the future, with their digital camouflage and other advanced tech, could still have the exact same weight structure and feel as the normal, “analog” clothes of today.  Only time will tell whether the latest PCB-based device out of Budapest will be a fad, a one-time art exhibition, or the groundwork for a new line of wearable technology, but one thing is for certain: TMG Electronics will follow the story and keep you posted! If you’re in a small to medium manufacturing company or you administer research projects for products that implement new and innovative technologies, then reach out to us to discuss your printed electronics sourcing.  With 30 years’ experience, we’ve got a knack for spotting and capitalizing on ways to improve advanced manufacturing!

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America's Best High-Tech Printed Electronics: Stanford’s Neurogrid

As advanced manufacturers, we at TMG love staying up-to-date on the latest and greatest printed electronics solutions on the market today.  It’s not only fun for us to learn about our passion, but we have to keep our heads in the game if we want to continue to improve what we do here in-factory and maintain the level of PCB manufacturing performance that our customers have come to expect!  The most recent tech story that’s captured our team’s imagination has been researchers, developers, and students’ tireless search for a way to mimic human brain activity with computers.  It’s an exciting prospect. The idea of a world where computers work like brains would be extremely rewarding for the advanced manufacturing industry as well as cognitively-disabled medical patients across the globe.  Let’s take a look at just how fast the world’s fastest computers are, who’s making them, and when we might expect to see the first “digital brain.”

Great Britain and the US have both announced campaigns recently that aim to create computer-generated brains in order to push the bounds of what is possible in tech and medicine.  Yesterday, Stanford University announced that they’ve designed and tested a microchip that has been modeled on the human brain.  Unfortunately, up to this point, these “exascale brains” have only been able to mimic the activity of a human brain.  However, as long as science and technology progress at their current speed, one would imagine that a finalized version of these sorts of cutting-edge electronics will undoubtedly one day help us make huge strides in medicine and robotics.

  Stanford’s “brain,” straight out of a sci-fi film, is modeled on an energy efficient microchip that operates 9,000 times faster than today’s most powerful PCs. Computers have been developed in the past that can rival the human brain, but one of the biggest drawbacks was the overwhelming amount of energy that they required.  This latest development uses 40,000 less power to complete the same tasks. The design is based on a breakthrough setup called “Neurogrid,” which is a circuit of 16 chips that can simulate billions of synaptic connections and do the work of up to 1 million neurons.  But here’s the real kicker: the device runs on an iPad battery! The future is here!

Between Neurogrid and projects like IBM’s SyNAPSE, we’ve never been closer to re-creating the complex and intricate processes of our own human cognitive processes, which means it might only be a matter of time before we see unprecedented advances in prosthetic limbs and other medical and scientific miracles.  The price (40,000 bucks!) is simply too high for mass-production to be possible at this point, but as research advances and the price falls, Stanford’s latest innovation could forever change the way we, as electronics engineers, medical professionals, and patients live, work, and play.

For all the latest on groundbreaking developments in electronics assemblies and to learn how they can work for your manufacturing firm, contact us at TMG. If your firm is looking for modern, blazingly fast PCB, we’re your one-stop shop for PCB solutions. 

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The Best Modern Printed Electronics: A Shot in the Dark?

If modern printed electronics experts are artists (and we at TMG will humbly accept that compliment), then their current palette of choice is undoubtedly the contact lens.  From blood sugar monitors to retina cameras, technology companies are beginning to take advantage of new advancements in nano-electronics in unprecedented ways.  The latest electronics research, executed at the University of Michigan, has led to the field’s biggest break-through yet: contacts that allow the wearer to see in the dark!  Not only does this discovery have huge implications for an electronics manufacturer, but it could change the very structure of society as we know it.

First off, the fact that the American tech community is potentially on the brink of being able to produce a lightweight, unobtrusive alternative to bulky, military-grade night-vision goggles means that all of the money and resources being poured into nano-tech research is well worth it.  Though the product is still in its nascent stage and is currently too expensive to profit on mass-production, this advancement will re-invigorate interest in wearable technology and perhaps spur on the next chapter in the “Internet of Things” (could you imagine a contact lens with WiFi connectivity?)

Graphene, a 1-atom-thick conductive material, has been the object of much research and development recently, and this latest use for the revolutionary conductor could change the way humans interact with their environment forever.  Imagine being able to see in absolute twilight.  Night-shift employees, early-morning deliverymen, security guards, even truckers might be afforded the opportunity work with better vision. The societal implications could be huge, and we can’t wait to see how this positively affects the world.

Now, of course, the microchips used for infrared contact lenses vary in form and structure from those used in our printed electronics assemblies at TMG, but every electronics manufacturer is guided by the same common principle. And that principle is this: Always be improving.  We’re excited to see where graphene research and other breakthrough technologies will take us in the coming years and we’d love to have your manufacturing firm along for the ride! If you’re looking for an electronics company that stops at nothing to bring you the best electronics assemblies available in today’s market, then contact us today.

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Environmentally-Friendly Electronics: 5 Reasons You Should Care About E-Waste

There are no two ways about it: electronics can be dangerous.  If not disposed of properly by an accredited agency, experienced company, or technician, then microchips, cables, and circuit boards can be extremely harmful to a person’s health.  More often than not, electronics that are chucked into public dumpsters or thrown into bags at the ends of driveways will end up in landfills either in the US or abroad, where cadmium, lead, and other poisonous materials can endanger wildlife, and in some cases, humans.  Of course, electronics are the lifeblood of an advanced modern society, and it would be silly to throw the baby out with the bathwater; however, we need to seriously rethink the ways we get rid of e-waste if we want to continue reaping the benefits of both a high-tech world and a healthy environment.

Spreading awareness is the first step to fixing any issue, so we’ve compiled the top 5 reasons why you (and everyone you know) should care about e-waste:

It’s dangerous

Allowing e-waste to simmer in a landfill in a developing country is dangerous because reactions take place as metal and cadmium decay and interact with air, water, and heat.  Oftentimes, young children are sent out to scour these landfills for re-usable parts, which is a major international human rights health concern.  Unfortunately, some companies who are looking to recycle old electronics properly are actually using methods that release cyanide fumes and other hazardous materials into the air, hurting e-waste workers.   

It’s preventable

Of course, we don’t exactly mean that disposal of any and all electronics is 100% preventable.  After all, companies are improving on current electronics all the time, thereby rendering the outdated versions obsolete.  However, throwing these gadgets away can be done in a manner that is far less dangerous than some current e-waste removal operations suggest. The technology is there; it’s just a matter of getting people on board!

It’s finally getting some legislative face-time

Newly-introduced Chilean e-waste legislation requires unprecedented levels of governmental oversight during electronics recycling processes. This is huge!  As Latin America becomes a major player in the urban e-mining game, implementing these types of laws could potentially improve the quality of life for thousands of citizens in Chile and surrounding nations.

It’s getting people riled up

There are already various movements afoot that aim to lessen the instances of inappropriate e-waste disposal around the world.  The recent revelation of a Chinese e-waste black market that smuggles 8 million tons of illegal electronics waste every year has upset average citizens the world over, and it finally looks like governments are ready to tamp down on these types of clandestine exchanges of hazardous materials. 

It’s lucrative

Getting rid of electronics the right way doesn’t have to be strictly about saving the environment (though we think that’s reason enough!)  In fact, e-waste can generate some serious cash-flow!  If there’s adequate demand from citizens on a local, national, and international level for safer, more environmentally-conscious methods of getting rid of old PCB, cables, and microchips, then companies that specialize in this sort of recycling will start popping up left and right!

At TMG, safety, honesty, and quality are all top priorities of ours, and that’s why we take great pride in knowing that all of our old electronics are disposed of properly, legally, and safely.  Plus, we engineer some of the most durable printed electronics on the market, and the more durable you make your electronics, the less likely they are to become e-waste in the first place!  If you have questions about producing or purchasing a safer electronics product for personal or professional use, contact TMG today.

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Nanotechnology Just Changed the Face of Electronics Forever

What the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) has discovered in a recent study of nanomaterials could be a game changer.   It looks as though researchers have taken the next step towards fully understanding the potential synergies between miniature tech and solar energy.  

The studies have found that in the near future, nanotechnology will bring measurable improvements to the energy sector, saving advanced manufacturers an arm and a leg.  We can expect to see major advancements in battery and solar panel technology, and we can’t wait to see how it will make circuit boards and electronics assemblies more efficient and affordable one day. 

In fact, we already may be closer than we think.  

On Wednesday, IBM announced that it had developed a revolutionary new method for harvesting solar energy using mirrors and small semi-conductors.  Known as the High Concentration PhotoVoltaic Thermal (HCPVT) system, the breakthrough technology is reportedly able to convert an unprecedented 80% of captured radiation into disposable energy!

One of the major speedbumps that solar panel innovation had been hitting before these latest breakthroughs, was that there was no way to cool down photovoltaic systems once they reached a certain temperature.  IBM’s HCPTV system (and hopefully future nanotech designs) are tackling this issue by covering the semiconductors with nanomaterials that are so thin that liquid coolant can get closer to the scalding chip, thus cooling them better than ever before.

Coming on the heels of the White House’s major announcement of two new advanced manufacturing hubs, these cutting-edge photovoltaic technologies will undoubtedly continue to undergo robust research and development.  Researchers, energy consultants, and electronics assemblies suppliers like us are waiting in anxious anticipation to see where advanced nanotechnology takes the industry next!

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Protect Your Manufacturing Investment by Protecting Your Electronics

With all the crazy weather that we’ve been getting (in Pittsburgh and beyond), we've fielded calls from tons of friends and fellow contract manufacturers who want to know how to best protect their products from the cold.  People are worried that these extreme conditions will damage the solderability and overall performance of their circuit boards, and they’re right to be concerned!  The wrong environment can cause a whole range of unsavory issues, from ESD (Electro-Static Discharge) to corrosion. 

Since frozen electronics are useless electronics, it’s essential that you’re controlling the temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors in the building where you’re making your printed circuit board assemblies. With spring just around the bend, it’s also a good idea to start thinking about whether your PCB assembly space is ready to take on the heat and humidity!  Since PCB speaks to us—picture TMG like the Dog Whisperer of electronics—we figured this would be a great opportunity to illustrate the ideal environment for the construction, storage, and testing of professional electronics.

Here are 4 important variables your facility should control in order to ensure high-quality, year-round circuit board production, rain or shine, in the heat or the cold:

Moisture/Humidity

            Making certain that your facility is properly outfitted for humidity control is key. Get that space insulated, and make sure the RH (relative humidity) is set somewhere between 40% and 60%. Anything lower than 40% will greatly increase the risk of ESD, and anything over 60% will begin to pose a threat to moisture-sensitive devices.  

2.  Climate

            Maintaining a proper temperature range throughout the year will keep your electronics assemblies in tip-top shape.  If the temperature is too low in your production facility, not only will it present an unpleasant working environment for your employees, but it will increase the viscosity of your soldering paste, which will yield poor printing behavior, and ultimately, joint defects. On the flip-side, if your factory is a furnace in summer, the low solder paste viscosity will cause paste to smear and boards to oxidize. Best to keep the temperature in the low to mid 70s!

3.  Safety precautions

            At TMG, we know that no matter how much you do to control your environment, you should always be prepared for the unforeseeable.  That’s why we make sure our employees are properly equipped for battle!  On the factory floor, we wear heel and wrist straps to protect from circuit-damaging static shock that might result from random changes in humidity.

4.  Conformal Coating

            All of your essential components should be properly protected from the elements, and the best way to do that is by covering them with thin layers of synthetic resins or plastics.  At TMG, we ensure that all of our products are galvanized with the best conformal coating in order to ward off dust, heat, chemicals, moisture, and other damaging or hazardous environmental variables.

Corrosion, delamination, excessive moisture, and static electricity are not your friends. They can hurt your workers and destroy a perfectly good product.  If you’re an electronics manufacturing service that wants some more tips on weather-proofing your facility, or you’re an original equipment manufacturer looking to use TMG as a supplier, we’re always looking to talk shop!  Shoot us a message; we’re happy to help!

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5 Reasons Chibitronics Will Amp up the Printed Circuit Board Industry

It isn’t too often you hear about a story that combines circuit boards, soldering, and toy stickers! How, you’re probably thinking, have the worlds of advanced manufacturing and arts-and-crafts merged? It all started with Chibitronics’ announcement of a new set of electronic adhesives which harness the power of traditional printed circuit boards to create playful, expressive stickers that light-up, twinkle, and sense motion.  We’re betting this new innovation will not only change the way the world thinks about electronics, but could also revolutionize the way we sell quality circuit boards to original equipment manufacturers. 

Here are 5 ways we expect Chibitronics’ Circuit Stickers to positively impact the commercial electronics industry:

 -  They’ll familiarize more consumers with circuit boards

For most people, the idea of building a custom circuit board from scratch is pretty intimidating, and, admittedly, Circuit Stickers won’t be changing that anytime soon. After all, manufacturing professional electronics, like the ones we supply, certainly isn’t child’s play!  Nevertheless, as these sorts of digital arts and crafts rise in popularity, we can expect consumers to become more comfortable with the basic concepts behind simple circuitry. Plus, since many OEMs don’t even know exactly what they’re looking for when they’re in the market for new printed circuit board assemblies, a familiarity with Circuit Stickers could give them a better idea of what they need.  And a better informed consumer means a more competitive marketplace and, ultimately, a higher quality circuit board.

     -  They’ll take the “advanced” out of “advanced manufacturing”

By simplifying printed circuit boards, these sticky, snap-together circuits make advanced manufacturing concepts more approachable for consumers.  They put PCB into the hands of more people, and this exposure will ultimately attract more great minds to our industry.  Think about it: conductive thread, paint, and LED lights are easier to work with than transistors and resistors.  Picture Circuit Stickers like a “Beginner’s Guide to PCB”. Now, obviously these little gadgets will never come close to replacing complicated PCB assembly, but they are definitely tools that, if expanded upon, could potentially be used in wireless radios or Linux computers at some point in the future. 

-  They’ll usher in a new generation of smarter PCB engineers

Connecting circuits can be a dangerous ordeal, but Circuit Stickers make the process accessible and safe for young inquiring minds.  Instead of requiring the use of a piping hot soldering iron, they allow for the creation of a complete circuit on any adhesive-friendly surface.  Research has shown that the younger we familiarize young, impressionable minds with art, design, and STEM-related best practices, the more likely we are to see those children grow up with a desire to pursue these fields later in life.  Circuit Stickers combine all of these curricula in a fun, exciting, and approachable way.

 -  They’ll popularize flexible, portable circuits 

Removing simple circuits from the typical breadboard environment and incorporating them onto notebooks, furniture, and even skin (as pictured above) is the first step towards making more advanced circuits less immobile and more malleable and versatile.  Circuit Stickers are essentially made of anisotropic conductive adhesive (or “Z-tape”) which can be applied to virtually any surface to create interactive, eye-catching designs that are sure to turn some heads and get people talking about the possibilities of flexible PCB.

-  They’ll reward lean, intuitive design

At TMG we have a keen appreciation for lean manufacturing principles; in fact, it guides everything we do, from designing PCB for the military to producing full electronics assemblies for medical applications.  We also believe that the world benefits from the proliferation of good design education.  So, when we discovered that Chibitronics’ revolutionary new product would strip away the tangled mess of wires that accompany most starter-circuit kits, and focus instead on delivering clean, easy-to-use micro-controllers, we were instantly hooked!

At TMG, we truly believe that Circuit Stickers and similar projects will lead the way to better circuit board design, and in turn, ever-improving electronics assembly.  If you’re looking for a PCB supplier who is always pushing the boundary to find you the highest quality commercial electronics at the best price point, we’ve got 30 years' experience under our Circuit Sticker-bedazzled belts.

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9 Reasons Printed Circuit Boards are the Greatest Things Since Sliced Bread

1.  They’re eco-friendly

OK, so traditional polyurethane-embalmed circuit boards aren’t exactly bio-degradable, but over the last few years, researchers have been experimenting with materials that will actually dissolve in hot water, allowing the metal soldering to easily slide off the boards to be salvaged! Not to mention, circuit boards are extremely durable and can be used for decades, and when they’ve finally reached the end of their road, they can be recycled as jewelry, art, or decor!

  2.  They’re more flexible than your yoga instructor

Circuit boards are getting thinner and slimmer.  The more elastic these boards become (without sacrificing quality, of course), the more opportunities we have to dream up new and innovative applications.  We are already seeing entry-level experimentation with flexible circuit boards in wearable device prototypes, and eventually, some predict we could see ultra-slim circuit boards being tucked away into wallpaper to allow information to literally pulsate through your home in real-time.

  3.  They’re saving lives

As circuit boards get exponentially smaller, we’re able to fit more transistors, resistors, and diodes into tinier, more convenient applications.  Micro-electronics, as it’s come to be known, is changing the face of the medical world, and the current generation has front row seats to the revolution!  Recently, Google even announced a circuit board-powered contact lens that would be able to quickly and painlessly assess a diabetic’s glucose levels!

  4.  They’re inspiring

Not only does a well-engineered electronics assembly push innovative minds to continue to create better technology, but a well-built circuit board can also inspire artistic types!  Because they’re built to such high standards, most PCB setups are durable enough to be repurposed to create stunning sculptures.  Resourceful thinkers have come up with some ingenious ways to recycle the green little boards.

  5.  They're naturally future-proof

  Electronics assemblies, like our surface-mount circuit boards at TMG, are only as good as the team of innovators behind them.  We’re lucky enough to have decades of combined circuit board experience and electronic assembly expertise.  Luckily, TMG and teams like ours across the world are continually pushing the envelope to come up with new ways to deliver better products and save clients’ money.  By the very nature of our knowledge-hungry industry, there will always be engineers testing and implementing better, faster, and stronger versions of existing technology.  Take the recently announced, ultra-conductive, Kevlar-strong “spider web” PCB idea, for example!

  6.  They’re job producers

    Electronic circuit boards aren’t going to replace Monster.com anytime soon, but there’s no denying the fact that as long as there is a thriving advanced manufacturing industry across the globe, there will be a need for advanced manufacturers.  We’ve been an electronics assembly employer for three decades and it’s been a truly rewarding experience. Recently, the Obama administration announced plans to fund a new high-tech, chip-processing research and production facility in NC, which will likely bring about numerous jobs both in the short and long term.

  7.  They’re common ground

Open source coding is a relatively recent phenomenon that arose from the reality that “many hands make light work” and “two heads are better than one”.  When applied to circuit board design, open source can make for some really creative ideas.  Pair these with CAD, or computer-aided design programs, and you will create some powerhouse PCB blueprints, through the power of cooperative teamwork.

  8.  They’re like, zen, man!

  Printed circuit board assemblies are the epitome of good design.  The deliberate, unbroken straight lines in a circuit board are reminiscent of those in an authentic Asian Zen garden! In all seriousness, there is a certain amount of peace of mind that comes with the successful implementation of meticulous, methodical design techniques like the ones necessary for good electronics assemblies.

  9.  They’re educational

The simple, rational, predictability of basic circuitry makes for excellent hands-on science demos for young children.  When you take these basic demos a step further and start introducing tangible outcomes like musical instrumentation, kids start connecting proper pattern-building with real-world successes.

Printed circuit board assemblies have come a long way in the last few years! If you manufacture a machine-made product—whether it’s a tennis shoe or a window shade—you can make more money and waste less time with a state-of-the-art circuit board!

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The Number 1 New Year’s Resolution for Original Equipment Manufacturers

Judging by skyrocketing ISM numbers and overwhelming industry confidence, things are shaping up to make 2014 one of the best years for American manufacturing in a decade, and we all know that means it’s time to step it up.  The rapidly expanding “Made in the USA” campaign and an accelerating market demand for agricultural, medical, and military products, insinuate that the upcoming year could be an extremely profitable one for domestic manufacturers, if they play their cards right. A successful 2014 can be theirs for the taking if only OEMs heed this key guiding strategy--call it a “New Years Resolution”: they must ensure their electronics supply chain is one lean machine.  

You may ask yourself: What if our company already has an electronics contractor who fits the bill?  Well, that’s fine, supposedly, as long as you’re content with being a company that meets the standard instead of setting it, a manufacturer that would opt for the convenience of a familiar, outdated approach rather than one that promises greater efficiency, higher margins, and a better product.  If the heart of your mid-market manufacturing firm is the electronics assembly, then securing four healthy quarters in 2014 will be dependent on having a supplier who is the best possible fit for your company.  

If you’re serious about taking advantage of 2014’s fertile manufacturing battleground, then you’ll agree that finding the ideal electronics supplier should be your company’s New Year’s resolution. To help you get started, we’ve compiled three things to look for when choosing a new supplier: 

Synergy: An electronics supplier that “gets it” will understand they are your partners and advisors, not just your vendors.  You’ll find numerous advanced manufacturers that provide quality printed circuit board assembly, but few that sync up with your firm’s  current operations and administrative approach. Sometimes it’s as simple as finding a circuit board supplier that keenly understands your designated market area.  Similarly, you’ll want to ensure that your electronics supplier can address your specific industry’s needs. Are you a medical firm in Philadelphia or a military manufacturer near Foxboro? Ensure that your supplier knows how to make electronics specifically for these industries and can deliver to these locations. 

Service: The ideal electronics supplier will have a proven track record of excellence in service.  In an industry like contract electronics production, there occasionally will exist overlaps in product lines.  If you need a circuit board for heavy agriculture equipment, for instance, you’ll be able to find similar options from different advanced manufacturers.  What sets them apart is how well their products are serviced. Does the electronics supplier care enough to run your circuit boards through top-notch inspection and cleaning systems? Does your supplier implement ISO 9001-certified Quality Management into the testing and follow-up of your new electronics? If the answer is no, it’s time to look for a better electronics contractor.

Shipment: At the end of the day, the rate at which you can get your new product into the hands of your customers is top priority. Electronics companies with the resources and cutting-edge technology to optimize costs will be better equipped to rapidly deliver your finished products to your factory line. Not only should your electronics partner quickly deliver your polished, top-quality printed circuit board assembly, but it should offer post-shipment configuration follow-ups to ensure that your new setup is working without flaw.  

If you’re ready to make 2014 the year that your manufacturing firm becomes everything you’ve always known it could be, then it’s time to make your New Year’s Resolution an investment in upgraded electronics assemblies.  To get the job done right, you can’t settle for a run-of-the-mill advanced manufacturer.  Partner with an experienced team of industry pros.

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3 Ways the “Internet of Things” Will Revolutionize Modern Electronics Assemblies

As a thirty year old electronics manufacturing service (EMS) located in Cheswick, PA, TMG Electronics knows keeping up to date with the ever-shifting technological landscape is the key to staying relevant in our industry.  When we can anticipate what our customers will be looking for before they need it, we’re able to continue to bring the best possible circuit boards and box-build assemblies to market.  The most exciting innovation on the horizon is something called the “Internet of Things” (IoT), and it is an enormous undertaking that could connect real-time data from a trillion everyday objects over a digital network.  

Imagine a world where all of your inanimate possessions have the ability to “communicate” with one another.  For instance, when your car pulls into the driveway, the garage door automatically opens, your TV flips to your favorite show, and your Jacuzzi tub starts filling up.  Best of all, each one of these objects is able to self-diagnose (and in many cases) troubleshoot their own mechanical problems.

Aside from transforming consumer electronics as we know them, the Internet of Things (IoT) will also bring some big changes to commercial middle-market manufacturing.  Here are three ways TMG expects IoT to revolutionize the role of electronics assemblies in American production facilities:

  - PCB integration with the Cloud:

It’s very possible that the size and structure of circuit boards as we know them will dramatically change as we find ways to embrace the power of the cloud.  A recently introduced prototype called “non-intrusive load monitoring,” gathers electricity usage info from all machines via the central circuit box, sends this data to the cloud, and then turns around and automates those machines in an energy-efficient manner.  In some experimental cases, the cloud is actually outputting some of the work of a circuit board!

   - Disruption of Existing Markets:

You’re going to see this affect the energy industry, as well as current electronics suppliers. Recently, electronics makers came to an unprecedented decision to universalize their products in order to make them more compatible with each other.  Likewise, commercial-grade electronics assemblies will have to move it or lose it if they want to survive in the age of the Internet of Things.  We’re already seeing advances in IoT-compatible hardware cryptography, which requires upgrades in circuit boards.  

   - Self-Awareness:

Don’t worry, your autonomous electronics won’t be turning on your factory workers any time soon; however, machines that are equipped with IoT-friendly electronics will be able to monitor their own performance and relay that information across a digital network.  As a supplier of electronics setups for mid-market manufacturing companies, we know that the ability to make manufacturing machinery “smart” will dramatically change what is possible for American manufacturing.  For one, energy—and therefore money—will be saved because all the electronic set-ups within a single factory will be able to better integrate operations and optimize output.

If you’d like to discuss some ways you can prepare your mid-market manufacturing firm for this new electronics revolution, and save time, money, and energy—send us a message.  

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Making Your Own Circuit Board: Problems & Pitfalls

With all the talk lately of making your own printed circuit board, you may be asking yourself, why should I hire a professional firm to manufacture one for me when I can create one on my own inkjet printer?  While creating a homemade circuit board on a consumer printer might be a fun weekend activity, the end result will leave much to be desired for large manufacturing firms that need durable, high-quality, reliable electronics assemblies.  When you’re looking for a cutting-edge printed circuit board that’s built to last, there is no competition: a professional, experienced tech company will deliver the better product.  

Still unconvinced?  Here are three reasons why professionally-printed circuit boards like those manufactured by TMG are the way to go:

Unbeatable durability:  The polymer plastic used on most homemade applications is subpar at best, and larger circuit board companies will have access to greater amounts of higher quality materials at lower prices, all of which means a lower bottom line for the customer.  Having wires stick out every which way is not only an aesthetic issue, but it actually compromises the quality and longevity of your electronics set-up.  Without a stable, permanent electronics solution, your entire assembly line is in danger of being compromised.  Using CAD software and laser printing is still the most reliable way to create a long-lasting circuit board.  

Better working, better looking:  If dependability is key for you when it comes to your electronics system assemblies—and it should be—then it behooves you to spend a tiny bit more for an incomparably better product.  The technology for homemade circuit boards is not yet advanced enough to be applied to large-scale supply chains. Intricate soldering and prototyping cannot be executed efficiently or expediently on an inkjet printer.  Additive, or 3D, printing is still too premature to be relied upon for electronic assemblies because, if something were to go wrong, the printer has no way of troubleshooting the issue.  A professional, accredited PCB company has the expertise and experience to adapt to and fix obstacles that may arise during the production of your company’s printed circuit boards or box build assemblies.  Not to mention, when you create your own PCB, it can be a tangled, wired mess!

Less pricey than you’d expect:  This Popular Science article claims that, if you know a little something about printed circuit boards to begin with and you’re aware of what it is your company needs, you can actually purchase high-quality PCBs for a reasonable price.  When you go with a large, reputable company like TMG, your firm not only has more choices when it comes to raw materials and breadbox design, but it has access to larger supply chains, which translates to a lower overall cost.

So why can’t you make your own PCB?  Well, you can; the technology is there.  But the fact remains it will be an inferior product, and a product manufacturer simply can’t afford to settle for less than the best.  When quality is on the line, TMG is your best PCB solution.  

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An Online Healthcare Headache Shouldn’t Warrant a Distaste for Technology

It’s no secret by now that the government’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act was a technological nightmare.  As workers scramble to fix the website’s flawed coding and server overload, the public is left wondering if it’s dangerous to rely too heavily on tech when it comes to our health and wellbeing.  The truth is that digital innovation, despite occasional fumbles like the flawed implementation of healthcare.gov, is making us healthier, safer, and stronger as a society.

Here are three ways that today’s cutting-edge technology is saving lives:

As Breast Cancer Awareness month wraps up, hi-tech gadgets like “The Eclipse” are improving the effectiveness of self-examinations by finding rogue cells or diseased tissues.  The handheld device allows women to take hi-res laser images in the privacy of their own homes and then share them digitally with their doctors.  Physicians say the technology, which has been adapted from military use, will soon be used as a non-invasive alternative to the sometimes painful mammogram.

Self-driving cars have made headlines lately for the amount of fuel and time they could save consumers.  But what’s most astounding is the amount of deaths they would prevent.  Of the 40,000 automobile fatalities per year, a whopping 22,000 could be avoided by implementing autonomous driving.  Though a fully-automated passenger vehicle has not yet been legalized for wide-spread public use, life-saving features like adaptive cruise control and car-to-car interaction are already being integrated into current vehicles.  

Staying connected to public officials, friends, and relatives during an emergency can mean the difference between life and death.  A new study by the Red Cross has shown that humanitarian aid workers have been increasingly using social media to communicate with people in disaster-stricken areas.  Online networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter are helping people spread life-saving information at breakneck speeds when it matters most.

Of course, some would still argue tech is not saving our lives.  They might point to anecdotal evidence of jobs lost to robotics or the mechanization of the workplace.  Undoubtedly, unemployed people are not better off.  However, it is incorrect to believe that tech is pushing people out of the work force.   The fact of the matter is that not only is tech creating stable jobs right now, but it’s also been proven that, as new tech matures, the middle-class will actually expand and its wages will increase.   

So, here’s to tech and health continuing to live in harmony.  Despite occasional missteps (like the flawed Obamacare web app), digital innovation as a whole is helping more than it’s hurting.  What do you think could turn out to be the next popular life-saving software or electronic device?

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Wearable Technology - The Next Big Thing, Or Just a Fad?

Betamax. HD DVD. Microsoft Zune. Heinz EZ Squirt Purple Ketchup.  Over the years, we've seen many gadgets hyped as “The Next Big Thing” only to have them fade quietly into the void soon after their introduction. Will wearable technology follow suit? Or is it here to stay?

Technically speaking, wearable gadgets have been around for a while. Abraham-Louis patented the first pedometer in 1780 to measure the steps and distance while walking, the 1980s saw the calculator watch and virtual reality helmets start to gain in popularity. Commercially-available wearable technology in its fully-integrated form only really began to see mass production in the early 2000s, with products such as the Nike+ system, which tracks and analyzes the running habits of athletes through a smartphone application, and the industry has been continually growing over the past few years.  

“Smartphones are so advanced now, it’s fair to ask, why do we even need separate sensor devices at all?” –Pete Pachal

Although clothing and accessories that are infused with technology sounds like something only James Bond would use, it’s quickly becoming the new frontier of the technology industry. Recently, Google has made headlines by investing millions of dollars into Google Glass, and Apple and Samsung have both invested in “Smart Watch” technologies. Numerous start-ups and competitors have followed suit, suggesting that the wearable tech market is on the upswing, and might already be starting to change the way we live.

Imagine a band you wear on your wrist that can track your heart rate or sleeping habits right on your iPhone?  Or a sensor that fits on your molar that would be able to track and analyze the content of what you eat while you’re eating it? Or glasses that can display directions as you’re walking down the street. You don’t have to imagine it, it already exists. Wearable technology is continually being developed and one day soon might be more integrated into our lives. That kind of data could help give people more comprehensive and accurate medical exams, and may even allow people to live longer and more fulfilled lives.

So what do you think, is wearable technology here to stay, or will it go the way of the electric knife—never to be heard from again? Let us know what you think in the comments below.