Hello Heidi,
Where to begin as 2026 marches on…. Let’s start with the podcast that was promised to you all. Where is it? Why hasn’t it? Will it still? Why yes, “The Riveting Chat” will be coming to you this year in 2026 and I cannot wait. We have so much good content.
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Ability to Pivot Quickly & Adjust to Real Time Changes Clear Communication & Expert Support Cost Saving Strategies Small Batch PCBA runsLet Colorado Tech Shop handle all of your manufacturing needs with a knowledgeable and dedicated team
Dedicated Team to Support Your Build Supply Chain Management Mechanical Assembly Quick Turn Prototypes, PCB Assembly, Cable Assembly, Box BuildsThe truth is folks, I got thrown for a bit of a curve this year. I was diagnosed in January with Multiple Sclerosis and have been getting my head around all that nonsense. I feel great and I have learned a lot. Among many things, I have learned your health is precious and we aren’t invincible, anything can change in a moment’s notice. I have learned the medical community is fantastic and that research has made many diseases, such as mine, quite benign and manageable. However, I will say this. Thank you for reaching out, being patient, and as your colleague and friend, I will say to you be vigilant and most of all enjoy life.
Now let’s talk global commodities shall we….
- Materials – Laminate costs have risen by 30-40%
- Finishes – ENIG pricing has continued to climb through 2025 and into 2026, driven by manufacturing cost increases sustained precious metal price pressure
Summertime is a segway into vacations for most of us.
Dry year folks so let’s do our part to help each other out with water conservation……. California, Utah and others will appreciate that too…….
Tips and tricks I found worthy of mention that aren’t typical:
- Water your garden daily by hand and if you have drip hoses use those versus sprinklers.
- Stick a bucket in your shower and collect the excess water for items outside or indoor plants etc.
- Make sure when doing laundry, you have full loads and the same goes for your dishwasher.
- Maybe don’t go to car washes this year and if you must clean your car resort to a good ole bucket of soap and water.
- Check with your local water department and they will monitor your water line to tell you if they see small leaks, big ones, etc. and they can even send someone over to do an analysis for free. I check with Marco at my local water department each season just to ensure all looks good, and as a result last year his team found a massive leak in my sprinkler system. It’s a good precaution to always take.
- Use Google instead of AI searches. A standard Google search uses roughly 0.0003 kWh of electricity and consumes about 2 mL of water. A ChatGPT query can consume around 10 to 50 mL of water and up to 10 times more electricity. That is an entire bottle of water every 20-50 queries – it adds up, and it matters.
On the metal side…
Call favorite sheet metal and machine shop right down the road, Dynamic Design, Kyle Bennett, kyle.bennett@dycoinc.com and you can find more about them at www.dycoinc.com
Alloys currently impacted seem to be:
Significant price pressure across nearly all major material categories, including carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel, and ESPECIALLY copper.
On the electronics side…
Call our sister company, Colorado Tech shop for the deets and they can advise what other options and solutions could be to assist you and your engineering team(s).
Commodities currently impacted seem to be:
Certain metal alloys so call your vendors and find out what they are seeing and what they recommend. Electronics: IC’s, diodes, connectors, some passives mostly tantalum caps and some resistor values.
Why is this happening?
- Logistics – Fuel surcharges, container shortages, and expedited lead time demands are contributing to higher landed costs across the board.
- AI servers and ongoing shortages in resins, glass yarn, and copper foil, and other precious metals.
- Mills are closing down for a whole multitude of reasons and creating supply chain concerns.
Engineers How You Can Mitigate the Impact
- Evaluate your designs and finish requirements
• Can you live with a Hasl finish versus Enig?/Minimize your layer counts where you can.
• What tolerances are paramount to your design and where can you relax?
• Understand your GD&T as well as other specs you are calling out.
• Most importantly, work with your supply chain partners of choice to help you find solutions earlier rather than later. It benefits everyone.
• Talk to your Executive team and give them strategies on how to mitigate some of the pain at the PO placement.
• Buy the commodities and stock them if you know they are an issue.
• Put PO’s out a month or two in advance of when you might normally.
• See if your suppliers will work out longer-term contracts with you.
• Most of all remember you aren’t alone and we are all here to support you.
Request a Tour
Enjoy your summer and call if you need us,
Heidi Hostetter and the H2 Solutions and Colorado Tech Shop Teams
303.517.6541, heidih@coloradotechshop.com
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Hello Heidi,
Where to begin as 2026 marches on…. Let’s start with the podcast that was promised to you all. Where is it? Why hasn’t it? Will it still? Why yes, “The Riveting Chat” will be coming to you this year in 2026 and I cannot wait. We have so much good content.