IPC today announced it has joined the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM) as part of its continuing efforts to help IPC members navigate the complex challenge of responsible minerals sourcing.

The 2019 IPC Hand Soldering Competition Japan concluded at NEPCON Japan in Nagoya September 20, celebrating the outstanding skills and professional achievements of talented manufacturing floor workers. Thirty-two competitors from renowned companies such as Panasonic, Mitsubishi Electronics, Advantest, NEC Space Technology and others participated in the event.

Third-quarter 2019 results from IPC’s Pulse of the Electronics Industry global data service show that the global electronics industry continues to thrive in a positive business environment and still predicts continued growth over the next year. The results are somewhat less optimistic than in earlier quarters this year and there are some sharp contrasts between regions.

IPC announced today the August 2019 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Sales and order growth rebounded in August and the book-to-bill ratio strengthened to 1.02.

IPC, in conjunction with What’s New in Electronics Live and ART-- Advanced Rework Technology Ltd., conducted the IPC Hand Soldering Competition in Warwickshire, United Kingdom, on September 18-19, 2019. Twenty competitors demonstrated their soldering skills with the hope of winning the coveted hand soldering competition crown.

IPC’s 2019 Annual Report on the North American PCB Industry, published last week, shows that the PCB industry in North America has turned a corner. For the first time in five years, domestic PCB production grew in 2018. North America’s PCB market also grew last year by nearly eight percent, solidifying the turnaround that began in 2017.

Exhibitor booth space at the third annual M-EXPO Wire Processing Technology 2019 in Ciudad Juárez, México, is sold out and wait-list applications are being accepted.M-EXPO 2019 has more than doubled its event space from 2018 and has exceeded expectations by selling out the exhibit space a month before the event. This year’s event is being held on October 9-11, 2019 at the Cuatro Siglos Convention Center, co-locating with the ninth annual EXPO-MRO.

IPC offers a day-long technical education seminar, Design for Excellence (DFX): DFM (Design for Manufacturing) DFR (Design for Reliability) DFA (Design for Assembly), in conjunction with PCB Carolina November 12, Raleigh, N.C., at the McKimmon Conference and Training Center.

The IPC Electronics Materials Forum is a new technical conference focused on developments in materials and processes associated with advanced electronics assembly and manufacturing for board fabrication, assembly and post-assembly protection. The three-day forum, to be held November 5-7 in Bloomington, Minn. Will be co-located with a Pb-free Electronics Risk Management (PERM) Council meeting.

B. Gentry Lee, chief engineer for the Solar System Exploration Directorate at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and successful science fiction writer, will present his keynote address, “A Passion for Space Exploration,” at the WHMA 27th Annual Wire Harness Conference, February 19, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nevada. During his keynote presentation, Lee will talk about the highlights of his exploration career and touch on the role of wires and harnesses on the most memorable spacecraft.