The D-Code Podcast

Megan, The Queen of Networking 👑 
Megan Wendling's family history is intertwined with the origins of NEPCON. Today, she leads Megan Wendling Associates, a prominent PR and marketing firm specializing in the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) sector. At IPC APEX 2025, she discussed her background, her company, and her role as a key connector within the industry on The D-Code Podcast. 
Megan Wendling Associates leverages deep roots in electronics assembly to connect leading contract manufacturers with vendors and major clients.
Key takeaways from her interview included:
➡️ NEPCON's Beginnings: Her father co-founded NEPCON over 50 years ago, highlighting its evolution into APEX and its significant impact on the industry.➡️ Industry Expertise: With an MIT background and 46 years of experience, Megan and her team offer specialized marketing services for the aerospace, defense, medical, and automotive EMS markets.➡️ Strategic Networking: Megan brought all 32 of her CM clients to APEX and hosts a notable industry event, fostering connections between EMS leaders, vendors, and clients.
Beyond Public Relations: Her firm facilitates contracts and partnerships, contributing to a robust industry ecosystem.

Larry Welk (Professor Splice) was kind enough to stop by our recording booth and describe how his products help people in my shoes every day.We feel safe saying most people have no idea how difficult it is to pull off a good splice without the proper equipment.Beyond spending time with him in our booth, we also went to his later and got to see his products demoed. He is able to take you through the entire history of splicing methods and the chances of a good splice with each one.Perhaps even more impressive, he can guarantee 100% success with splicing if you follow his methodology (go to his University!)Want to drive your pick and place towards a zero defect process? Don't overlook the setup of your reels and components!

🧠 What if your consumables supplier axed the middleman and rebooted an industry chapter? That’s Justin Worden’s game plan. Sat down with my buddy live at IPC APEX 2025 D-Code Podcast to unpack how ROCKA Solutions and his SMTA Austin Chapter hustle are shaking things up. 💡 What’s Rocka Solutions? Kicked off as a global distributor for Zestron, Weller, and Indium, they flipped the script during COVID. Now they’re manufacturing SMT stencil rolls and more inhouse with no distribution bloat. ⚙️ Justin’s Highlights: COVID Pivot Power: Raw material shortages? Rocka took control, owning their supply chain for price, quality, and availability that hits. No Markup Nonsense: Skipping 5 layers of distribution means premium consumables at what you should pay no 30% gouging from local rep to local rep to local rep to your floor. SMTA Austin Comeback: As the new (voluntold) president, Justin turned a dormant chapter into a powerhouse catering to exhibitors and attendees. Disruptive’s the word. Justin’s rewriting the rules on sourcing, marketing and community one stencil roll and expo at a time

🧠 Imagine if BOM management was as easy as clicking ‘Buy Now’ on Amazon.That’s not a dream anymore it’s what Nino Hardin and the team at Cofactr are making a reality. We sat down live at IPC APEX 2025 to talk about what might be one of the most disruptive tools in the EMS supply chain game right now.

This one is for you AI buffs out there! Andrew Schuermann talks why we should use AI to eliminate the dull, dirty, dangerous, and disappearing functions within our work days. The conversation sways heavily towards the ability to define down time and it's causes, efficiently utilizing technology to shorten mean time to repair.
 

Domestic PCB manufacturing has taken a beating, but it is not dead! John Vaughan joins us on set at Apex to discuss all things PCBs and how they play a critical role in US National Defense. John discusses the foundation of the PCBAA and the work this group is doing on "The Hill"
Tune in and enjoy!

The Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA) It does have a nice ring to it for anyone in the industry. Also, if you live in the United States and use any electronic products, this may concern you.We were privileged to sit down with David Schild and speak about the efforts being conducted on Capitol Hill to reshore America's electronic supply chain.This is everything people:-Components, but as we know "Chips don't float"-Board fab-AssemblyIf you don't have every piece of the supply chain secured, you have none of them.

🦊 “We're the foxes in the henhouse.” That’s how Michael Civigny from C-TAC described their role in the electronics manufacturing world—and honestly, it’s perfect. On this episode of The D Code: IPC APEX 2025 Edition, we dug into how C-TAC is redefining machine performance validation across the board. No bias. No fluff. Just data that tells the truth. 📏 Here’s what we covered: How C-TAC performs vendor-agnostic measurement and validation—from stencil lasers to printers to pick-and-place machines Why 90% of printers they test fail spec, and how stroke-dependent offsets are quietly wrecking your yield What to do if you don’t have SPI—and how to validate your process anyway How they empower OEMs and manufacturers to baseline, adjust, and validate equipment before it causes problems Why “If you don’t measure, you don’t know” isn’t just a catchphrase—it’s a survival strategy Michael also shared a killer tip: you can bring C-TAC before you buy used equipment—think of it like taking a mechanic with you to inspect the car before signing the check. This conversation was packed with insights—and one that our producer Paul (data nerd #1) definitely wishes he was on camera for.

Welcome to The D Code: IPC APEX 2025 Edition! We kicked things off live from the show floor with none other than Chrys Shea and it was everything we hoped for. From miniaturization trends to workforce development, and from solder paste testing to balancing fun and technical mastery in the shop, Chrys brought insight and laughs. Here's a taste of what we covered: Why she believes we're bringing the fun back to circuit board manufacturing The talent gap in process engineering and what she's doing to fix it. Her framework for guiding new engineers based on mindset and personality (hands-on vs. keyboard, rule-follower vs. rule-breaker). A sneak peek at the Ultra HDI test board for the SMTA designed to challenge even the most seasoned process engineers Oh, and if you're into quizzes that match your personality to your perfect PCB process role... she's got that too. Thanks again to Chrys for not just showing up but providing the sweet shades at our booth. You're one of a kind!

Are you wondering what insights you can get from an SPI? Have you been told about problems with "false calls" and difficulty getting boards to pass inspection? Wish you could identify issues not just before boards are shipped, but before they've proceeded down the production line? Are you desperate to learn the difference between a squircle, an octagon, and an arch?
If you said yes to any of these, or just want to learn more about SPI while also getting to hear Sean invite people to call him an idiot, watch this one!
Jeremy Orbach of Omron Automation Center is incredibly patient while explaining and demonstrating a sample run of a single A/B board run with a simple 1:1 aperture stencil and an optimized stencil with the effects of aperture size and shape and paste type are reviewed. In typical D-Code fashion, the conversation does wander along the way.
Enjoy!