Hardware Podcasts

The Future of PCB Manufacturing: Tariffs, Supply Chains & More

OnTrack · 18 Apr 2025 · 51m · Episode 292

What this episode covers

Greg Papandrew, Managing Director of DirectPCB, discusses the impact of tariffs and supply chain shifts on PCB manufacturing, explaining why China remains the preferred source despite geopolitical tensions due to capacity and lead times. He highlights the critical importance of Design for Manufacturing (DFM), noting that designers often over-engineer boards with unnecessary sequential laminations and gold plating, which drives up costs and limits vendor options. Papandrew also addresses the challenges of export controls, proprietary data protection, and the lack of domestic US capacity to absorb offshore production, suggesting that private sector joint ventures might be necessary to scale advanced PCB production in the US.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
DirectPCB
Also
China, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, India

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