| Posted by Jade Po Kellard on 25 June 2009 at 06:00
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At first glance, IPC Midwest’s technical conference lineup on September 23, 2009 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center, Schaumburg, Ill., looks more like an invitation to a “rumble” than a gathering of the industry’s top minds. In what conference director Dr. Greg Munie, IPC consultant, characterizes as a “bold move to get at the heart of the issues” technical sessions will deliver hard-hitting, uncensored presentations on the realities facing engineers. These include a series on quality and reliability, sessions on fighting counterfeiting head on and grappling with environmental regulations, and a revealing look into the clash between the military’s reliance of tin-lead and the commercial industry’s drive to lead free.
A provocative debate on lead-free solder reliability models leads off the Wednesday track on quality and reliability. Industry experts Jean-Paul Clech, Ph.D., EPSI; Werner Engelmaier, Engelmaier Associates; and Ganesh Subbaraya, Purdue University; will face off in a “cage match” as proponents of distinct models.
The discussions will move from the theoretical to standards of testing when the Solder Products Value Council highlights their work on take action limits for lead-free solder pot contamination and developing consensus on test methods for lead-free alloy comparison. Concurrent sessions will scrutinize quality and reliability issues from the printed board and assembly perspectives.
Research papers on reliability and solder joint integrity as well as the base material and fiber weave of high frequency printed boards round out the study of quality and reliability issues that today’s engineers must recognize and address.
In an eye-opening session on counterfeiting, the proverbial gloves will come off when a distinguished panel of experts provides attendees with real strategies to fight this serious and growing problem.
In the environmental arena, the ever-changing life of regulations, including REACH, TSCA and RoHS requires that buyers and suppliers be keenly vigilant. A session on environmental issues will review the growing number of worldwide regulations restricting the use of substances in products, and how standards-making organizations are working to develop supply chain compliance tools, such as materials declaration standards.
“In reality, there is no simple, one-size-fits-all answer to problems in the world of board manufacturing and electronics assembly,” says Munie. “As we planned the program, we discriminately selected papers that would promote a full understanding of the issue and provoke ideas to help attendees best address their unique challenges.”
Conference attendees will each receive a CD of the complete conference proceedings. Conference registrants can save up to $100 if they register before August 21, 2009; up to $200 each if they register as a group of four or more attendees from the same company, same location. More information on IPC Midwest Conference & Exhibition is available at www.IPCMidwestShow.org. |
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(0 vote)
The term/concept of synergy seems very apt when applied to the
interaction of the Occam process solderless assembly concept in
combination with a unique PCB interconnection technology called twisted
wire interconnect or TWI. 
Fortunately even the most conservative most prognosticators now see at least a subdued “recovery” in 2010. 