Conference/Exhibition will advance electronics industry.
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Press Release Summary:
IPC Midwest Conference and Exhibition provides an opportunity for attendees to work on standards that help ensure quality, reliability, and consistency in electronic assemblies that go into their products and advance the electronics industry. There will be over 70 standards meetings covering topics from design and purchasing to assembly and acceptance. Other highlights will include addressing new standards in development as well as updating current industry documents.
Original Press Release:
Who's Who in Electronics Manufacturing Advance Standards Development at IPC Midwest Conference & Exhibition
BANNOCKBURN, Ill., USA, August 24, 2009 - In the business of electronics manufacturing, industry standards are an integral part of its success: helping strengthen the global marketplace and empowering companies to negotiate commerce. With so much importance placed on these industry-consensus documents, it is no surprise that leading companies in the industry, including Rockwell Collins, Honeywell Aerospace, GE Healthcare, Dow Chemical, Sun Microsystems Inc., Flextronics International and BAE Systems as well as hundreds of other electronics manufacturers and suppliers are heading to IPC Midwest Conference & Exhibition, September 20-24, 2009, to work on the standards that help their companies ensure quality, reliability and consistency in the electronic assemblies that go into their products and, as a result, advance the electronics industry.
Industry experts from throughout the electronics supply chain will participate in more than 70 standards meetings at IPC Midwest covering topics from design and purchasing to assembly and acceptance. New standards in development, like IPC's Box Build standard, Requirements and Acceptance for Enclosures, High Performance Applications, address industry concerns where standards do not exist and bring clarity to the dizzying array of terms and technical parameters that vary from OEMs to EMS providers to printed board fabricators and materials suppliers.
Other new standards in development tread into somewhat contentious areas, such as the IPC task group (4-33a) working on a guideline to define "low-halogen" electronics. While IPC has a white paper indicating that halogen free is a marketing term, IPC believes that ignoring OEMs' need for a low-halogen definition would be detrimental and costly to the industry. "OEMs are under significant public pressure to reduce halogens in their products and will continue to require low-halogen products from the supply chain," said Denny McGuirk, IPC president & CEO. "We believe that the guideline will help our members by providing a common specification, instead of individual OEM requirements." Like other IPC standards groups, 4-33a follows the ANSI-approved standards development process providing everyone with an opportunity to comment, vote and participate in the revision process. "Consensus-building around a heated topic is never without pain, but there's comfort in knowing the process will consider every professional input," said McGuirk.
The electronics industry's brightest minds will also tackle updating current industry documents, like the granddaddy in electronics assemblies, IPC-A-610, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies. "As part of IPC's ANSI-accredited status, IPC volunteers review and update IPC standards on a regular basis to reflect new technologies, global regulations and other criteria," said Jennifer Day, quality specialist, Stanley Associates, and co-chair of the IPC-A-610 committee.
"Unlike other regional events that include electronics within a dressing room of other manufacturing systems, IPC Midwest is a hub of business and its only focus is electronics manufacturing," explains Scott Wischoffer, marketing manager, Fuji America Corporation. "In addition to an exhibition with the region's top suppliers showcasing the latest technologies and applications, the event has the Who's Who of electronics manufacturing who attend to connect with other leaders throughout the supply chain and ensure that their companies' interests and needs are addressed."
For more information on the standards development meetings that will take place at IPC Midwest, visit www.IPCMidwestShow.org/standards. Standards meeting registrants can save up to $100 if they register before August 21, 2009. A free Exhibits Only pass is available to pre-registrants. To register, visit www.IPCMidwestShow.org.
About IPC
IPC (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 electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. 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.
