IPC wants members to have up-to-date, critical economic and operational data to help them make decisions about their day-to-day business operations. To that end, IPC created the IPC Economic Outlook and Global Sentiment Supply Chain Reports, monthly updates for the global electronics manufacturing industry. IPC President and CEO John Mitchell provides details.
IPC APEX EXPO 2022 attendees can meet with electronics industry innovators and connect with peers all in one place at the San Diego Convention Center, January 22–27, 2022.
From the exhibit floor to the classroom and everywhere in between, including the International, Newcomers Networking, Show Floor and Women in Electronics at IPC APEX EXPO Receptions; Ice Cream Social; Ribbon Cutting Ceremony; Keynote Sessions; New Products Corridor; Trivia Networking Night; and more, attendees can connect and collaborate.
Among the highly anticipated special events is the opening keynote by New York Times Columnist, Emmy-Winning CBS Sunday Morning Contributor and NOVA Host, David Pogue. On Tuesday, January 25, Pogue will present, “Disruptive Tech & How it Will Affect Your Business: What’s Coming by 2026,” taking attendees on a wild ride through the cutting-edge science and technology that is powering a next wave of technological innovation.
On Wednesday, January 26, John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO, will assess the state of electronics manufacturing and identify the trends that will define the industry’s financial growth and technological progress in 2022 and beyond. Touching on topics that are the focus of board rooms and shop floors: factory modernization, supply chain resiliency, workforce demands, and environmental stewardship, Mitchell will cover ways to navigate your organization to succeed in today’s dynamic global marketplace in his dynamic keynote, “State of the Industry: Electronics Manufacturing Embraces Digital.”
“Special events at IPC APEX EXPO add tremendous value for attendees,” said Alicia Balonek, IPC senior director of trade shows and events. “Networking in person makes a difference; and attendees have an optimal opportunity to network with thousands of their electronics industry colleagues at IPC APEX EXPO 2022,” Balonek added. “Improving your company's performance and furthering your own personal success, making new connections and strengthening existing relationships—it's what makes the IPC APEX EXPO experience priceless.”
Event essentials as well as access to the exhibit hall are only $20 to those who register in advance, a savings of $20 on-site. Attendees who register by December 17 will save 20 percent off registration fees. In addition, attendees who register for the All-Access Package will receive a significant percentage off a la carte options. Schedule and registration details are available at www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org.
IPC HAND SOLDERING COMPETITION 2021
At productronica, Messe Muenchen, Munich, Germany,
16-19 November 2021
IPC would like to invite you to join the Germany Contest of the IPC Hand Soldering Competition (HSC) to be held at productronica – Messe Muenchen, Hall #A2 – Stand# A2.300 from 16 au 19 November 2021. Skilled soldering experts (F/M) will be competing for 60 minutes on a complex circuit board assembly to win the 2021’ National title and earn a cash prize
The professional competitors will be judged by IPC Master Instructors (MIT) on soldering a complex printed circuit board with a maximum time of 60 minutes in accordance with IPC-A-610 Class 3 criteria. Additional criteria will include the quality of the results achieved and of the assembly process, the overall electrical functionality of the assembly as well as the speed at which the assembly was produced.
am messesee
81829 Munich
Germany
productronica
am messesee
Munich , 81829
Germany
To commemorate IPC India’s decade of service to the electronics manufacturing industry, the IPC India team will hold skills challenge competitions and member networking events starting this November across different parts of the country. Winners of regional competitions will gather in Bengaluru and New Delhi in August 2022 to compete in PCB design, hand soldering and wire harness assembly championships.
The skills challenge semi-final competition will take place on August 2 (Bengaluru) with championship taking place on August 4 (New Delhi) at Integrated Electronics Manufacturing Interconnections (IEMI) 2022. In addition to the skills championships, panel discussions and technical conference program sessions will focus on information communication technology on August 2 and on August 4, topics and discussions will focus on the defense and aerospace technology.
IPC Skills Challenge Phases:
November 2021 – March 2022
April 2022 – July 2022: IPC India will organize semi-final competition round with the winners of the first rounds at networking events at Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Bengaluru, Colombo (TBC) and New Delhi (August 2, 2022)
August 4, 2022: Final Round to be played in Bengaluru.
For More information:
IPC India Skills Challenge Program: https://www.ipcindia.org.in/ipc-india-skill-challenge/
IPC India Skill Challenge Program Guidelines:
Hand Soldering: Click here
Wire Harness: Click here
PCB Design: Click here
Registration:
Participation form for companies in first round: Click here
For inquiries, contact Saurabh K Saxena, IPC India Standards and Certification Head, at SaurabhSaxena@ipc.org or standardsindia@ipc.org.
The second stop on IPC’s E-Textiles 2021 Virtual World Tour will be Philadelphia, Pa. on October 27, 2021. The IPC E-Textiles 2021 Virtual World Tour is a series of educational events bringing the latest e-textiles technologies and virtual demonstrations from innovators around the world -- all at no cost to registrants.
Attendees of the October 27 stop on the tour will gain unique insights into the Soft Systems Design Kit (SSDK) under development at Drexel University’s Center for Functional Fabrics. Their SSDK is a set of tools and guidance seeking to bring design methodologies from the semiconductor industry into the e-textiles space to speed product development and de-risk projects. Drexel’s speakers will provide a detailed view into their SSDK as well as a proof of concept demonstration.
Drexel will also provide virtual demonstrations of the Center for Functional Fabrics, providing a unique opportunity for the global e-textiles industry to gain access to one of the leading e-textiles centers in North America. Registrants who are not able to attend the live event will receive on-demand access to the presentations and demonstration recording following the event.
Remaining dates on the IPC E-Textiles 2021 Virtual World Tour include Germany on November 17, and Japan on December 1. Registration includes automatic access to the remaining events and on-demand recordings for all events, including the September 2 event hosted by Taiwan Textile Research Institute.
For more information or to register, visit: www.ipc.org/ipc-e-textiles-2021-virtual-world-tour.
Matt Kelly, IPC's chief technologist, along with other industry experts, will present at "Heading Towards Industry 4.0" virtual conference panel on Friday, October 15 at 8:00 am to 9:00 CT. Matt will cover Industry 4.0 implementation and overcoming barriers and challenges to implementation.
3000 Lakeside Dr.
Suite 105N
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States
Online Event
3000 Lakeside Dr.
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States
Each year, IPC APEX EXPO features industry’s most dynamic, innovative minds to deliver keynote presentations that are both educational and entertaining. IPC APEX EXPO 2022 will feature New York Times Columnist, Emmy-Winning CBS Sunday Morning Contributor & NOVA Host David Pogue. During his keynote on January 25, Pogue will present, “Disruptive Tech: How it Will Affect Your Business and What’s Coming by 2026.”
Drones and robotics, AI, self-driving cars, employee-less stores, flying taxis, wearable medical sensors, software, and components are accelerating the arrival of new consumer technologies—and with them, changes to society and culture. With 30 years of experience reporting technology trends—and the entertaining style that has earned him six Emmys for his “CBS Sunday Morning” stories— Pogue will take keynote attendees on a wild ride through the cutting-edge science and technology that is powering a next wave of technological innovation. His funny, fast-paced snapshot will bring everyone up to date – with a heads-up on how to succeed in a world we’ve never seen before.
“With broad appeal to general, business, healthcare, and tech audiences alike, David will bring his expansive knowledge, engaging wit, and perhaps a song or two to the APEX EXPO keynote stage,” said Alicia Balonek, IPC senior director of trade shows and events. “The audiences will leave as informed as they are entertained, with an enlightened perspective of the state of technology today — and how it’s shaping everyone’s tomorrow.”
Pogue’s keynote is free to all IPC APEX EXPO participants. In addition to Pogue’s keynote, John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO will deliver a keynote on Wednesday, January 26. Meetings and courses will run January 22-27; the technical conference and exhibition will run January 25-27, 2022. For more information on schedule and registration options, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org.
By Kelly Scanlon, Director, Environment, Health and Safety Policy & Research, IPC
On September 27, IPC submitted comments on a proposed rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on reporting and recordkeeping requirements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). IPC coordinated with its electronics industry members as well as the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) to prepare a consolidated response.
Some PFAS have uses in electronics manufacturing processes and products, and thus the rule has significant potential to affect electronics manufacturers and importers. Specifically, the rule would require manufacturers of PFAS and manufacturers (including importers) of articles containing PFAS (e.g., components and finished electronics goods) in any year since 2011 to report information to EPA regarding the "uses, production volumes, disposal, exposures, and hazards” of the chemical substance. The EPA has defined PFAS to include thousands of different chemical substances for which reporting and recordkeeping would be mandatory.
Although the proposed regulation could reduce the production and use of PFAS in nonessential applications, we believe that the reporting requirements would disproportionately burden electronics article manufacturers and importers, without yielding abundant or useful information to achieve the EPA’s goals.
For complex articles with global, multi-layered supply chains, it is extremely difficult for article manufacturers and importers to obtain information about traceable chemical substance content. Simply put, there is a limited ability to connect with and obligate all supply chain partners to reliably and accurately collect and report data on potentially thousands of chemical substances, which can be used in any number of different electronics manufacturing processes, parts, and components.
As such, IPC strongly recommends the exclusion of all electronics article manufacturers and importers from the proposed rule. To ensure the expedited reporting of useful data, we suggest that the EPA instead target reporting requirements to PFAS manufacturers, importers, and formulators and exclude electronics article manufacturers and importers. However, if electronics article manufacturers and importers remain within the scope of the rule, the EPA should implement a phased-in approach requiring a specific subset of PFAS to be added incrementally over time, based on data gathered from PFAS manufacturers, and with established de minimis thresholds for reporting. And regarding historical data, reporting should only include what is known as of the effective date of the final rule (e.g., limiting PFAS reporting to currently identified substances of concern or declarable substances).
In addition to the above recommendations, IPC also urges the EPA to consider:
Altogether, our comments are intended to help the EPA better understand the data gaps; determine whether PFAS-containing articles should be within the rule's scope; and assist in developing a final rule that will successfully address the agency's information needs while minimizing potential burdens associated with the rule.
I invite you to review our full comments and let me know if you have any questions or thoughts about how this proposed rule will affect your business.
Themes that IPC's Chief Economist Shawn DuBravac offered last month continue to play out. Global demand remains strong, but the economic environment is softening. We are starting to see some early signs that demand is slowing. While there are still many reasons to remain optimistic, growth moving forward will be more difficult to achieve. The pandemic remains the largest risk factor right now. Surging new COVID-19 cases are limiting the potential for growth.
In addition to DuBravac's observations, you will also find U.S. and European data on economic growth, employment, consumer sentiment, manufacturers’ sentiment (PMI), manufacturing capacity utilization and end markets for electronics.
As referenced in this month’s report, IPC released a new report examining the current state of the global electronics supply chain. This research will be updated monthly in order to gauge the current pulse of the industry. The current report summarizes the current conditions well. Read findings from the global sentiment report.
Please contact DuBravac if you have any questions regarding data in this month’s report or the global sentiment report. As always, IPC welcomes your thoughts and feedback.
IPC, Apple and other international companies are developing a new standard, IPC-1402, Standard for Green Cleaners Used in Electronics Manufacturing, intended to define the criteria for what constitutes a green cleaner for electronics manufacturing and will specifically apply to cleaners used in the manufacture of electronic assemblies, components, and materials, including direct use chemicals to clean components, casings, and materials or to clean manufacturing machines during operation and maintenance.
“We are excited to bring together industry experts to launch the development of this standard,” said Matt Kelly, IPC’s chief technologist. “This is an important step forward in building a sustainable electronics manufacturing ecosystem. IPC-1402 will help engineers make informed decisions and select cleaners that are both safer for manufacturing employees and the environment. The standard will document the rigorous set of criteria for preferred cleaners and incorporates industrial hygiene requirements. The application of IPC-1402 will allow important health and safety requirements to be added to engineering drawings needed for product assembly.”
The subcommittee developing IPC-1402, the Green Cleaners in Manufacturing Task Group, chaired by Apple staff and co-chaired by Zestron, Inc, staff includes representatives from more than 20 international companies and government authorities.
“People come first in everything we do, and we're proud to lead the industry in the responsible use of cleaners,” said Kathleen Shaver, Apple’s director of environmental and supply chain innovation. “We are glad to be working with partners on this new standard, which will help accelerate the adoption of safer materials and improve cleaning practices across industries.”
IPC-1402 is expected to be available in February 2022.