IPC APEX EXPO(TM) to feature professional development courses.

Press Release Summary:



More than 30 half-day courses will be offered at IPC APEX EXPO 2010, taking place April 8-9 in Las Vegas. Courses will cover SMT process fundamentals for tin lead and lead free; cleaning/coating/contamination; printed board design; emerging technologies; environmental issues and compliance; PCB fabrication and materials; quality, reliability and test; and supply chain/business issues. Courses have been identified as basic, intermediate, or advanced to guide registrants with selection.



Original Press Release:



IPC APEX EXPO Professional Development Courses Connect with Industry Needs



BANNOCKBURN, Ill., USA - A carefully selected slate of half-day courses has received a surge of registrations for IPC APEX EXPO(TM) 2010, taking place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on April 8-9. Expert presenters will lead more than 30 courses covering SMT process fundamentals for tin lead and lead free; cleaning/coating/contamination; printed board design; emerging technologies; environmental issues and compliance; PCB fabrication and materials; quality, reliability and test; and supply chain/business issues.

"Our registration numbers are up two to three times our course averages from this point before the 2008 and 2009 shows," says Susan Filz, IPC director of industry programs. "Understanding that companies are requiring demonstrable return on investment for training, we were especially selective this year with our offerings. We have also identified courses as basic, intermediate or advanced to help guide registrants in course selection."

In celebration of the IPC APEX show's tenth anniversary, a new promotional code, APEX 10, gives attendees a $200 discount. This discount, combined with an early-bird registration savings of 20 percent when registering by March 5, enables attendees to register for one half-day course for as low as $0.

Filz notes that, as the economy improves, companies are making employee training a new priority. "With all the cuts in the last 18 months, it was very hard for employees to improve their skills. IPC APEX EXPO is offering a tremendous opportunity to take advantage of education, plus to see what suppliers and exhibitors are offering." Citing the National Academy of Engineering's reference that the "half-life" of engineering knowledge - the time in which half of what an engineer knows becomes obsolete - is in the range of two to eight years, she adds, "With so many companies running lean, employees need to wear a lot of hats, and the best way to be prepared is through education and training."

Industry experts such as Jim Hall, Phil Zarrow, Bob Willis, Ray Prasad, Lee Ritchey, Richard Hartley, Vern Solberg, Dr. Ron Lasky, Dr. Ning-Cheng Lee, Gary Ferrari and Michael Carano will offer one or more courses. Course highlights include:

PD-02 Flex Circuitry is More Than an Electrical Interconnect

PD-04 SMT Process Fundamentals for Tin-Lead and Lead-Free Assembly

PD-07 Package on Package (PoP), STACK Assembly, Rework and Inspection

PD-11 Designing PCB Stack-ups to Balance Signal Integrity Against Manufacturability

PD-16 HDI: Essential Requirements for Implementation-Routing into the Future

PD-20 Circuit Grounding to Control Noise and EMI

PD-25 Advanced Component Packages and Processes

PD-30 Practical Tips for Rework of Advanced Packages - Reballing BGAs, Leadless Device Rework

PD-32 The NEW J-STD-001 Revision E - Learn from the Leaders

PD-33 Achieving High Reliability for Lead-Free Solder Joints - Materials Consideration

PD-35 Fighting Thermal Cycling Effects

To view all course descriptions and instructor bios, visit www.ipcapexexpo.org/courses. For more information on all the activities taking place at IPC APEX EXPO, including the largest exhibition in North America for printed board design and manufacturing, electronics assembly and test, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org.

About IPC

IPC (http://www.ipc.org) is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 2,700 member companies which represent all facets of the electronic interconnect industry, including design, printed circuit board manufacturing and electronics assembly. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $1.7 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Garden Grove, Calif.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; and Shanghai and Shenzhen, China.

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