--- title: Epec's Blog | Al Wright description: ~ In Memoriam ~ Al was in the industry for more than 35 years, and 18 of those years were at Epec up until he passed away in December 2019. As field application engineer, he handled a wide range of responsibilities, including reviewing PCB designs for manufacturability during the quoting and design stage, interacting with off-site manufacturing facilities to solve technical issues during production, and programming CNC machines for in-house projects, reworks, and modifications. Al’s technical expertise was essential to Epec’s engineering department and provided valuable insight when working with customers. Prior to working at Epec, Al spent 20 years with CPC Incorporated, a medium-sized PCB manufacturer, learning hands-on about PCB processing before moving into front end engineering. Al brought a wealth of impressive expertise to Epec and worked with more than 50,000 different PCB designs from his start in 1981 through 2019. He worked with Epec’s team to get all designs right ahead of time so that products were correct the first time. Most recently, Al was instrumental in helping Epec establish its heavy copper PCB business along with being the company’s resident PCB expert. In 2020, the Richard “Al” Wright Memorial Scholarship was established. The money will be awarded annually to two local high school STEM students. --- [![Epec Engineered Technologies](https://www.epectec.com/images/logo.png "Epec Engineered Technologies")](https://www.epectec.com/) [![Epec Engineered Technologies](https://www.epectec.com/images/logo.png "Epec Engineered Technologies")](https://www.epectec.com/) - [Articles](https://www.epectec.com/articles/) - [Blog](https://blog.epectec.com/) - [Webinars](https://www.epectec.com/webinar/) - [Videos](https://www.epectec.com/videos/) - [Case Studies](https://www.epectec.com/case-studies/) - [News & Events](https://www.epectec.com/news/) - [Customer Portal](https://system.netsuite.com/c.406760/site/NSlogin.html) - [About](https://www.epectec.com/about/overview/) - Back - [Company Overview](https://www.epectec.com/about/overview/) - [Our History](https://www.epectec.com/about/our-history/) - [Culture](https://www.epectec.com/about/culture/) - [Industries Served](https://www.epectec.com/about/industry/) - [Acquisitions](https://www.epectec.com/about/acquisitions.html) - [Operations](https://www.epectec.com/operations/) - Back - [Operational Excellence](https://www.epectec.com/operations/) - [Quality Philosophy](https://www.epectec.com/operations/quality-philosophy.html) - [Quality Assurance Process](https://www.epectec.com/operations/quality-assurance-process.html) - [Global Operations](https://www.epectec.com/operations/global-operations.html) - [Logistics & Supply Chain](https://www.epectec.com/operations/logistics-and-supply-chain.html) - [Inventory Stocking](https://www.epectec.com/operations/inventory-stocking.html) - [Approvals](https://www.epectec.com/operations/approvals.html) - [ITAR Registered](https://www.epectec.com/operations/itar-registered.html) - [Engineering](https://www.epectec.com/engineering/overview/) - Back - [Engineering Overview](https://www.epectec.com/engineering/overview/) - [Engineering Support](https://www.epectec.com/engineering/support/) - [Design Services](https://www.epectec.com/engineering/design-services/) - [EpecDFx™](https://www.epectec.com/engineering/epecdfx/) - [Free DFM File Check](https://www.epectec.com/engineering/free-dfm.html) - [PCB Impedance Calculator](https://www.epectec.com/engineering/impedance-calculator.html) - [Products](https://www.epectec.com/products/) - Back - [Overview](https://www.epectec.com/products/) - [Battery Packs](https://www.epectec.com/batteries/) - [Flex & Rigid-Flex PCBS](https://www.epectec.com/flex/) - [Cable Assemblies](https://www.epectec.com/cable-assemblies/) - [Printed Circuit Boards](https://www.epectec.com/pcb/) - [CNC Machining](https://www.epectec.com/cnc-machining/) - [User Interfaces](https://www.epectec.com/user-interfaces/) - [Flexible Heaters](https://www.epectec.com/flexible-heaters/) - [EC Fans & Motors](https://www.epectec.com/fans-motors/) - [Design Guides](https://www.epectec.com/guides/) - [Design Guides](https://www.epectec.com/guides/) - Back - Resources - Back - [Articles](https://www.epectec.com/articles/) - [Blog](https://blog.epectec.com/) - [Webinars](https://www.epectec.com/webinar/) - [Videos](https://www.epectec.com/videos/) - [Case Studies](https://www.epectec.com/case-studies/) - [News & Events](https://www.epectec.com/news/) - [Customer Portal](https://system.netsuite.com/c.406760/site/NSlogin.html) - [Contact Us](https://www.epectec.com/contact/) - Back - [Contact Information](https://www.epectec.com/contact/) - [Our Sales Team](https://www.epectec.com/contact/our-sales-team.html) - [Office Locations](https://www.epectec.com/contact/office-locations.html) - [Career Opportunities](https://www.epectec.com/contact/career-opportunities.html) - [InstantPCB*Quote*™](https://www.epectec.com/instantpcbquote/) - Back - [Overview](https://www.epectec.com/instantpcbquote/) - [Login](https://secure.epecpcb.com/epec/) - [Register](https://secure.epecpcb.com/epec/index2.jsp) - [Home](https://www.epectec.com/) - [Blog](https://blog.epectec.com/) - Al Wright Share This Page: [LinkedIn](https://blog.epectec.com/#linkedin) [X](https://blog.epectec.com/#x) [Facebook](https://blog.epectec.com/#facebook) [Email](https://blog.epectec.com/#email) # Epec's Blog | Electronics Manufacturing Solutions ![Al Wright](https://blog.epectec.com/hubfs/Blog-Authors/al-wright.jpg "Al Wright") ## Al Wright ~ In Memoriam ~ Al was in the industry for more than 35 years, and 18 of those years were at Epec up until he passed away in December 2019. As field application engineer, he handled a wide range of responsibilities, including reviewing PCB designs for manufacturability during the quoting and design stage, interacting with off-site manufacturing facilities to solve technical issues during production, and programming CNC machines for in-house projects, reworks, and modifications. Al’s technical expertise was essential to Epec’s engineering department and provided valuable insight when working with customers. Prior to working at Epec, Al spent 20 years with CPC Incorporated, a medium-sized PCB manufacturer, learning hands-on about PCB processing before moving into front end engineering. Al brought a wealth of impressive expertise to Epec and worked with more than 50,000 different PCB designs from his start in 1981 through 2019. He worked with Epec’s team to get all designs right ahead of time so that products were correct the first time. Most recently, Al was instrumental in helping Epec establish its heavy copper PCB business along with being the company’s resident PCB expert. In 2020, the Richard “Al” Wright Memorial Scholarship was established. The money will be awarded annually to two local high school STEM students. ### Recent Posts --- ## [Heavy and Extreme Copper PCBs: Hole Sizes, Trace Widths, and Spacing](https://blog.epectec.com/heavy-and-extreme-copper-pcbs-hole-sizes-trace-widths-and-spacing) [![The holes are at final diameter and silver coated.](https://blog.epectec.com/hubfs/blog/pcb-slugs-silver-coated.jpg "The holes are at final diameter and silver coated.")](https://blog.epectec.com/heavy-and-extreme-copper-pcbs-hole-sizes-trace-widths-and-spacing) Written by [Al Wright](https://blog.epectec.com/author/al-wright) Posted on August 5, 2020 at 9:32 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) Designing a [PCB with extreme copper plating](https://www.epectec.com/pcb/heavy-copper.html) requires planning and careful consideration of several factors that do not come up during the design of a standard, light copper board. Many fabricators avoid heavy and extreme copper circuit board orders entirely because of the unusual manufacturing challenges and non-standard processes associated with these product types. [Read More  ](https://blog.epectec.com/heavy-and-extreme-copper-pcbs-hole-sizes-trace-widths-and-spacing) --- ## [PCB Cost Drivers: Simplify for Lower Circuit Board Cost](https://blog.epectec.com/pcb-cost-drivers-simplify-for-lower-circuit-board-cost) [![Example of printed circuit board BGA with trace/space requirements. ](https://blog.epectec.com/hubfs/blog/pcb-bga-with-tracespace-requirements.jpg "Example of printed circuit board BGA with trace/space requirements. ")](https://blog.epectec.com/pcb-cost-drivers-simplify-for-lower-circuit-board-cost) Written by [Al Wright](https://blog.epectec.com/author/al-wright) Posted on July 21, 2020 at 9:12 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) When you are designing a [printed circuit board (PCB)](https://www.epectec.com/pcb/), your customer or boss does not typically hand you a blank check. You may occasionally be fortunate enough to have a customer with deep pockets, but most products are very cost-sensitive, and your board design will need to come in at or below budget. This post will go over some of the things you can do to achieve a cost-effective design. Its focus will be limited to a handful of higher-end design options. [Read More  ](https://blog.epectec.com/pcb-cost-drivers-simplify-for-lower-circuit-board-cost) --- ## [Adding a Standard Stack-up to Your PCB Documentation](https://blog.epectec.com/adding-a-standard-stack-up-to-your-pcb-documentation) [![4 Layer PCB Stack Up 040](https://blog.epectec.com/hubfs/blog/6-Layer-PCB-Stack-Up-047.jpg "4 Layer PCB Stack Up 040")](https://blog.epectec.com/adding-a-standard-stack-up-to-your-pcb-documentation) Written by [Al Wright](https://blog.epectec.com/author/al-wright) Posted on July 9, 2020 at 9:32 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) As somebody whose job it is to analyze several multilayer PCB designs per week, I find it surprising whenever I receive a data package that does not include a defined lamination stack-up. The way that the layers are constructed can affect the PCBs performance, so these packages feel like they are missing a potentially important piece of information. [Read More  ](https://blog.epectec.com/adding-a-standard-stack-up-to-your-pcb-documentation) --- ## [Advanced and Non-Standard PCB Manufacturing Capabilities](https://blog.epectec.com/advanced-and-non-standard-pcb-manufacturing-capabilities) [![pcb with wraparound edge plating](https://blog.epectec.com/hubfs/pcb-with-wraparound-edge-plating.jpg "pcb with wraparound edge plating")](https://blog.epectec.com/advanced-and-non-standard-pcb-manufacturing-capabilities) Written by [Al Wright](https://blog.epectec.com/author/al-wright) Posted on January 16, 2020 at 9:12 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) There was a time when the PCB manufacturing industry included a fair number of bucket shops, so called because much of their processing was done in small portable tubs filled with etchants, solvents, and other mysterious solutions. They cranked out very basic, low-cost, low-complexity PCBs, using equipment and methods that were questionable at best. Their business and environmental practices were often similarly questionable. [Read More  ](https://blog.epectec.com/advanced-and-non-standard-pcb-manufacturing-capabilities) --- ## [DFM For Your Quick-Turn PCB Order](https://blog.epectec.com/dfm-for-your-quick-turn-pcb-order) [![circuit-board-dfm-analysis](https://blog.epectec.com/hubfs/circuit-board-dfm-analysis.jpg "circuit-board-dfm-analysis")](https://blog.epectec.com/dfm-for-your-quick-turn-pcb-order) Written by [Al Wright](https://blog.epectec.com/author/al-wright) Posted on July 31, 2019 at 9:12 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [Design for Manufacturing (DFM)](https://www.epectec.com/engineering/epecdfx/) is critical to the success of your PCB order. Features that make your circuit board difficult to build add cost to your product and can increase the scrap rate. If you have designed a PCB that is more complex than usual, it is useful to submit files to your fabricator for review before placing your order so you will have some time to address any issues that might delay production. [Read More  ](https://blog.epectec.com/dfm-for-your-quick-turn-pcb-order) --- ## [Match Your High-Tech PCB Design To Your Suppliers Capabilities: Q&A](https://blog.epectec.com/match-your-high-tech-pcb-design-to-your-suppliers-capabilities-questions-and-answers) [![match-your-high-tech-pcb-design-to-your-suppliers-capabilities](https://blog.epectec.com/hubfs/Blog/match-your-high-tech-pcb-design-to-your-suppliers-capabilities.jpg "match-your-high-tech-pcb-design-to-your-suppliers-capabilities")](https://blog.epectec.com/match-your-high-tech-pcb-design-to-your-suppliers-capabilities-questions-and-answers) Written by [Al Wright](https://blog.epectec.com/author/al-wright) Posted on July 30, 2019 at 2:04 PM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) At the conclusion of our recent webinar – [Match Your High-Tech PCB Design To Your Supplies Capabilities](https://www.epectec.com/webinar/07-25-2019/match-your-high-tech-pcb-design-to-your-suppliers-capabilities.html) – we had a number of questions for our presenter, PCB Field Applications Engineer Al Wright. We decided to compile these into a readable format on our blog. [Read More  ](https://blog.epectec.com/match-your-high-tech-pcb-design-to-your-suppliers-capabilities-questions-and-answers) --- ## [A PCB Trick for Vias and Impedance Traces](https://blog.epectec.com/a-pcb-trick-for-vias-and-impedance-traces) [![pcb-layer-with-segregated-differential-pairs](https://blog.epectec.com/hubfs/pcb-layer-with-segregated-differential-pairs.jpg "pcb-layer-with-segregated-differential-pairs")](https://blog.epectec.com/a-pcb-trick-for-vias-and-impedance-traces) Written by [Al Wright](https://blog.epectec.com/author/al-wright) Posted on July 11, 2019 at 10:51 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) Ordinarily you may not want your [PCB (printed circuit board) manufacturer](https://www.epectec.com/pcb/) to adjust your data files, but there are occasions when that may be the easiest way to achieve a particular result. For instance, you may need to have some, but not all, vias of a particular size plugged so that the assembly solder will not wick through to the other side of the board. Or perhaps a few trace pairs need to run at a specified impedance, while the impedance for all the other traces of the same width is non-critical. [Read More  ](https://blog.epectec.com/a-pcb-trick-for-vias-and-impedance-traces) --- ## [Balancing Layers in Your PCB Layout](https://blog.epectec.com/balancing-layers-in-your-pcb-layout) [![Symmetrical PCB stack-up with balanced plane and signal layers](https://blog.epectec.com/hubfs/Blog/symmetrical-pcb-stack-up-with-balanced-plane-and-signal-layers.jpg "Symmetrical PCB stack-up with balanced plane and signal layers")](https://blog.epectec.com/balancing-layers-in-your-pcb-layout) Written by [Al Wright](https://blog.epectec.com/author/al-wright) Posted on July 2, 2019 at 9:22 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) The design of a multi-layer [PCB (printed circuit boards)](https://www.epectec.com/pcb/) can be very complicated. The fact that a design even needs to use more than two layers implies that the required number of circuits will not fit onto just a top and a bottom surface. Even in cases where the circuitry does fit onto two external layers with no problem, the PCB designer may decide to add power and ground planes internally in order to correct a performance shortcoming. [Read More  ](https://blog.epectec.com/balancing-layers-in-your-pcb-layout) --- ## [How to Specify Your PCB Controlled Impedance Requirements](https://blog.epectec.com/how-to-specify-your-pcb-controlled-impedance-requirements) [![Illustrates all traces on pcb are the same size](https://blog.epectec.com/hubfs/Blog/illustrates-all-traces-on-pcb-are-the-same-size.jpg "Illustrates all traces on pcb are the same size")](https://blog.epectec.com/how-to-specify-your-pcb-controlled-impedance-requirements) Written by [Al Wright](https://blog.epectec.com/author/al-wright) Posted on June 26, 2019 at 11:14 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) Owing to the prevalence of complex processors, USB devices, and antennas printed directly onto the board surface, more and more PCB designs now require impedance control and testing than ever before. In response to the increased demand, [circuit board manufacturers](https://www.epectec.com/pcb/) have invested in sophisticated modeling software and testing units, so they are equipped to meet the requirements. [Read More  ](https://blog.epectec.com/how-to-specify-your-pcb-controlled-impedance-requirements) --- ## [Printed Circuit Board Design Trends](https://blog.epectec.com/printed-circuit-board-design-trends) [![Vacuum tubes vs pcb with smt](https://blog.epectec.com/hubfs/Blog/vacuum-tubes-vs-pcb-with-smt.jpg "Vacuum tubes vs pcb with smt")](https://blog.epectec.com/printed-circuit-board-design-trends) Written by [Al Wright](https://blog.epectec.com/author/al-wright) Posted on June 13, 2019 at 12:26 PM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [Printed circuit boards (PCBs)](https://www.epectec.com/pcb/) have become an integral part of everyday modern life, both at work and at home. PCBs were at one time found primarily where you would have expected them to reside inside computers, calculators, televisions, and other such obviously electronic devices, but now they present nearly everywhere. [Read More  ](https://blog.epectec.com/printed-circuit-board-design-trends) [All posts](https://blog.epectec.com/all) | [Next](https://blog.epectec.com/author/al-wright/page/2) --- ### Recent Posts --- ### Posts by Topic - [Printed Circuit Boards (160)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/printed-circuit-boards) - [Product Design (137)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/product-design) - [Battery Packs (121)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/battery-packs) - [Cable Assemblies (101)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/cable-assemblies) - [Flex & Rigid-Flex PCB's (95)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/flex-rigid-flex-pcbs) - [Electronics Industry (61)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/electronics-industry) - [User Interfaces (55)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/user-interfaces) - [Quality Solutions (33)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/quality-solutions) - [Flexible Heaters (30)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/flexible-heaters) - [Events, Training, and Support (9)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/events-training-and-support) - [RF Products (7)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/rf-products) - [CNC Machining (3)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/cnc-machining) - [Fans & Motors (1)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/fans-motors) See All --- --- ### Need Help with A Project? 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