IPC E-Textiles Standards Committee Seeks Comments on Draft of New E-Textiles Standard; Participants Needed to Join Subcommittee to Develop E-Textiles Connectors Guideline

By Chris Jorgensen, director, technology transfer The IPC E-Textiles Materials Subcommittee is collecting comments on the first sections of IPC-4931, Requirements for Electronic Textiles (E-Textiles), Conductive Fibers and Conductive Yarns. This standard will establish the classification system, qualification and quality conformance requirements and electrical/electronic performance requirements for electronically integrated textiles (e-textiles). It also covers similar requirements and performance variables for conductive fibers and conductive yarns, that are essential components of e-textiles. E-textiles included in this standard: • Woven textiles • Knitted textiles • Nonwoven textiles • Laminated textiles • Braided textiles • Embroidered textiles • Printed textiles The subcommittee specifically seeks comments on the first sections of the standard. These sections are important because they lay out the specific types of textiles and their components that the standard will cover. Additionally, the group wants industry input on the key performance characteristics the standard should include for these materials as well as the industry test methods that should be used to test for these characteristics. The subcommittee is collecting comments through Friday, February 16, and commenting is open to anyone. You do not need to be a member of IPC or to pay any fees to review and comment. E-mail me, at ChrisJorgensen@ipc.org to request the documents for comment and an IPC comment form. Subcommittee Meeting to Discuss Comments You are invited to attend the IPC D-72 E-Textiles Materials Subcommittee meeting, which will take place Thursday, March 1 during IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego. The specific start and end times for the meeting have not been set yet, but plan on a full-day session. There is no cost to attend the meeting if you register ahead of time. Visit http://www.ipcapexexpo.org for more information. New Subcommittee Forming to Develop Guideline for E-Textiles Connectors Several companies in the e-textiles industry have approached IPC with interest in developing a guideline on e-textiles connections. This is a very new activity, but based on interest, IPC should be forming a subcommittee to break ground on this new document in early 2018. If you have interest in this topic and would like to join the subcommittee roster, e-mail me at ChrisJorgensen@ipc.org. Mark Your Calendar for IPC E-Textiles 2018 Mark your calendar for September 13, 2018. IPC E-Textiles 2018 will bring together the e-textiles supply chain for a full day of technical presentations, hands-on product demonstrations and networking. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from and interact with innovators from the e-textiles community. Plan to arrive a day early for standards meetings on September 12. For more information on IPC E-Textiles 2018, or if you have interest in speaking or showcasing your products, e-mail me at ChrisJorgensen@ipc.org.