An Interview with Sten Björsell, Shipco Circuits Ltd CEO: ‘If We Cannot Do It, Often It Cannot Be Done’

“We have been providing PCBs to the European and US market for over 40 years. We welcome inquiries for all types of PCB’s.”

PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) can be single-sided (one copper layer), double-sided (two copper layers on both sides of one substrate layer), or multi-layer (outer and inner layers of copper, alternating with layers of the substrate). Multi-layer PCBs allow for much higher component density because circuit traces on the inner layers would otherwise take up surface space between components. The rise in popularity of multilayer PCBs with more than two, and especially with more than four, copper planes was concurrent with the adoption of surface mount technology. However, multilayer PCBs make repair, analysis, and field modification of circuits much more difficult and usually impractical.

The world market for bare PCBs exceeded $60.2 billion in 2014. In 2018, Printed Circuit Board Market Analysis Report estimated that the PCB market would reach $79 billion by 2024.

In light of the above-mentioned scenario, we’re thrilled to present Shipco Circuits Ltd.

Shipco Circuits combined with its predecessor is the longest established Printed Circuit Board supplier in Ireland. The team has proudly served the European Electronics market for over 40 years.

The Shipco Circuits team have their roots in Ireland’s longest established Printed Circuit Board manufacturer, Ship Co Ltd. Est 1975, and Sweden’s most advanced Printed Circuit Board supplier Elektrotryk AB Est 1966.

The company was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in Macroom, County Cork.

Sten Björsell, Shipco Circuits Ltd CEO, spoke exclusively to The Silicon Review. Below is an excerpt.

Q. Why was the company set up?

Shipco Circuits was established to add value in utilizing engineering and trading expertise in a changing market place dominated by low-cost imports from the Far East.

Before this trading company, we operated a manufacturing company in Ireland that we had to close due to spiraling manufacturing costs here. We retained the key technical sales and engineering members from that company plus the technical director from the Elektrotryck AB. Elektrotryck AB, was the technical leader in Sweden supplying Ericsson and Nokia with most of their mobile phone products in the early fast development phase of the mobile phone technology.

Q. “Earning trust and respect of consumers all around the world is through consistent focus on delivering high quality in all of our actions.” How do you interpret this statement?

It applies to all what we do. For instance, if we can reduce the complexity of a project by reducing the number of layers at a lower cost we will do that to further a longer-term success for both customer and ourselves. A lower costing for our customer often means increased business for us.

Q. Fostering a culture of feedback is crucial to the success of every organization. How is this true with your company?

We try to actively listen to our customers and can often solve related problems. We find it works best through personal contacts. New business opportunities often surface to us through casual conversations where we consciously take the role as the active listener.

Q. What do you feel are the reasons behind your company’s reputation?

Excellence in what we do and an open mind to what can be done has and will always be our guiding stars; both technically and commercially.

Q. How does your company contribute to the global IT platform?

Our contribution to the global IT platform is through safer and more compact products, often at better prices than our competition due to highly refined supply channels; which enables our customers to share the benefits.

Q. Do you have any new products ready to be launched?

Our existing technology is an open invitation to the customers to improve their products with our special technology; ask us for advice in all other PCB-related areas. “If we cannot do it, often it cannot be done”. One example of new products – outside embedding components –is 4oz, 6oz or higher oz copper with only 6 mil spacing.

Q. As a question on sustainability, where do you see your company a couple of years from now?

Sustainability is not our aim. We aim to regenerate ourselves and our customers with new and improved solutions.

Points to Note:

The increased complexity of multi-layers affects the possibility to repair a board, but the trade off is increased protection and longer life-cycle with embedded components.

When it comes to mechanical protection, cooling and electrical protection, shielding, ground planes’ above components will provide shielding for both absorbed and emitted EMI.

Leadership | Shipco Circuits Ltd

Lasse Blomberg – from Elektrotryck AB, Sweden – Technical Director

Niall Kelleher – from Ship Company Ltd, Ireland – Production Manager

Sten Björsell – from Ship Company Ltd, Ireland – Managing Director/CEO

“Our contribution to the global IT platform is through safer and more compact products, often at better prices than our competition due to highly refined supply channels; which enables our customers to share the benefits.”