John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO, shares how IPC Electronics Workforce Training courses will help IPC members overcome workforce skills gap challenges with essential and value-added coursework that is curated exclusively to address the most difficult-to-fill positions in the electronics industry.
The Asia-Pacific region is home to several of the world’s largest nations and many of its most dynamic economies. The governments in this region have generally established comprehensive environmental, health and safety policy frameworks, with a variety of approaches and enforcement mechanisms.
Because these policy frameworks have so much importance for our members, IPC monitors and engages in selected, high-priority environmental policy matters in the Asia-Pacific region. Most recently, we have focused on RoHS- and REACH-like regulations that may affect the chemicals and electronic products that are manufactured or imported into countries in the region.
To help our members, IPC has created six white papers, each of which highlights the history of chemical regulations, current regulatory systems, recent regulatory updates, and anticipated trends in the following countries:
In addition, we publish news on the latest developments in the weekly Global Advocacy Report and on IPC’s website. We welcome your review and feedback.
The IPC Standard, J-STD-001G: Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies, is globally recognized for its criteria on soldering processes and materials for electrical and electronic assemblies. Because J-STD-001 is a critical standard for the industry, IPC Workforce Training created the course, J-STD-001 for Operators, to provide operators, technicians, and other assembly line staff with a practical introduction to the terms, concepts and acceptability criteria found in the standard.
IPC Workforce Training courses are specifically designed to help the electronics industry overcome gaps in workforce skills with essential and value-added coursework that addresses the most difficult-to-fill positions in the electronics industry.
The objective of J-STD-001 for Operators is to enable learners to effectively navigate, locate, and apply the criteria specified in the IPC J-STD-001 standard to the role of assembly line operator, technician, or supervisor. The J-STD-001 Workforce Training program provides engaging videos, activities and quizzes designed to help students learn, remember, and apply criteria to the electronics assembly process. Enrollment in the course is continuous.
Composed of four modules – General Standard Information and Requirements, General Materials, Soldering and Assembly and Produce Assurance Requirements, Wires, Terminals and Component Mounting, and Cleaning, PCB, and Conformal Coating Requirements – this course covers all the requirements assembly line operators, technicians and supervisors need to advance their careers and enrich their technical education. J-STD-001 for Operators takes approximately 6-8 hours to complete and is available in both self-paced and instructor-led versions. Students must complete Electronics Assembly for Operators as a prerequisite to J-STD-001 for Operators.
The Wiring Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA), a nonprofit trade association exclusively representing the cable and wire harness manufacturing industry including manufacturers, their suppliers and customers, announced today the appointment of two new members to the board of directors: John Dew, senior vice president of global sales, IEWC, and Dave Matheny, president of ESAM. Both companies are founding members of WHMA and ESAM had an original member on the Board of Directors, Robert Morison.
Dew has been with IEWC, a global solutions provider for wire and cable management, for more than 30 years and will bring his extensive knowledge in supply chains and logistic solutions for wire, cable and wire management products. He is also responsible for sharing a WHMA-member resource titled “Hot Wire,” a news and economic outlook for the wire and cable industry, that you can find on WHMA’s website under the Resources/Newsletter tab.
Matheny has been with ESAM for more 25 years and will bring his vast knowledge in outsourcing manufacturing in wire and cable assemblies and harnesses and engineering services to the board as well as experience in strategy and collaboration.
“We are thrilled to welcome John and Dave to our board of directors,” said David Bergman, WHMA executive director. “They bring decades of leadership and expertise in manufacturing and technology – two areas that are vital to our association’s ongoing success and strategy.”
The 2020-2021 Board of Directors and Officers are listed below.
2020/2021 Board Officers:
2020/2021 Board Directors:
Economic data from May and June suggest the U.S. economy was on the mend, but the rise of COVID-19 cases in late June and early July altered that outlook, likely causing a halt to business investment as companies wait for a more certain economic environment.
In response to the ongoing changes in the economy, IPC created the IPC Monthly Economic Report to provide data on the economy, industrial production, capacity utilization, PCB demand, and industry employment, particularly as it relates to the electronics manufacturing industry.
“We are currently experiencing one of the most volatile periods in our economic history,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC chief economist. “How that turbulence affects the manufacturing industry is of great interest to our members, and we hope that this information will be of benefit as they make critical decisions about their businesses in the months ahead.”
The inaugural (July) issue of the IPC Monthly Economic Report can be found at http://www.ipc.org/emails/gr/0720IPCEconomicReport.pdf. Going forward, future reports will be issued mid-month, every month.
Under IPC's Validation Services Program, Excel Electronics, Inc. has earned an IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 Qualified Manufacturers Listing (QML) Class 2 recertification. The company continues to be a trusted source and supplier, meeting the stringent requirements of the QML based on two of IPC's foremost standards: IPC J-STD-001, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies and IPC-A-610, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies.
Chip Estep, president of Excel Electronics Inc. stated, “The IPC Validation Program has improved the overall quality of all our finished products while increasing our operation’s efficiency and overall value to our customers.” Estep added, “Since receiving the prestigious QML designation, Excel Electronics, Inc. has been contacted by several global companies regarding our capabilities and product availability”.
IPC's Validations Services QPL/QML Program was developed to promote supply chain verification. It also provides auditing and certification of electronics companies' products and identifies processes which conform to IPC standards.
"Different from other audit programs, IPC's Validation Services Programs uniquely provides technical and in-depth assessments of products and processes in accordance with IPC standards," said Randy Cherry, IPC director of Validation Services. "We are pleased to recognize Excel Electronics, Inc. for achieving recertification to the J-STD-001/IPC-A-610 QML program and continuing as a member of IPC’s network of trusted QML suppliers."
For more information about IPC's Validation Services QPL/QML Program, visit ipcvalidation.org or contact Randy Cherry at RandyCherry@ipc.org or +1 847-597-2806.
Two-thirds of electronics industry companies have difficulty finding production workers according to a recent IPC study, IPC Findings on the Skills Gap in U.S. Electronics Manufacturing. To help solve this problem, IPC is launching all-new IPC Electronics Workforce Training courses to help electronics companies and their employees.
IPC Electronics Workforce Training courses will help IPC members overcome workforce skill gap challenges with essential and value-added coursework that is curated exclusively to address the most difficult-to-fill positions in the electronics industry.
“Employees are concerned with job security, and employers strive to sustain and grow their business,” said Carlos Plaza, director of education development at IPC. “IPC Electronics Workforce Training courses are an effective way to help close this gap.”
IPC Electronics Workforce Training courses were created by industry experts and educational specialists to help provide real-world knowledge and skills that frontline employees need to accomplish their tasks the right way every time. Powered by the IPC EDGE online learning management system, IPC Electronics Workforce Training courses are available in both instructor-led and self-paced online formats. These programs can either be offered directly to employees or easily integrated into a more comprehensive company training program.
“Successful companies embrace today’s pace of change and gain competitive advantage by proactively investing in the professional development of new and existing employees,” said David Hernandez, vice president of education at IPC. The use of IPC Electronics Workforce Training will enable employers to:
The new courses launching in August 2020 are: Electronics Assembly for Operators, IPC-A-610 for Operators, IPC-J-STD-001 for Operators, and Soldering Fundamentals I. ESD Control for Electronics Assembly is also available. For course descriptions and to view IPC’s expanded course catalog, visit https://training.ipc.org.
IPC, the global electronics manufacturing association, is calling on the U.S. Congress to enact a COVID-19 recovery bill and include provisions of importance to everyone who depends on electronics.
In a letter to the top four leaders in Congress, IPC stresses that electronics are at the heart of the modern economy and key sectors, including urgently needed medical equipment, critical infrastructure, and defense systems. “Yet, the crisis has exposed vulnerabilities in our manufacturing base,” the letter adds.
The association urges Congress to support the nation’s industrial resiliency by passing a Recovery Package with the following measures:
The timing and scope of the legislation are still being worked out, but a package is expected to be negotiated and voted upon soon.
IPC and International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate and share information on developing technology roadmaps, organizing forums, establishing new programs, and identifying additional industry needs and projects for the mutual benefit of the membership of both organizations.
“iNEMI is a well-established R&D consortium that has long provided valuable expertise and support in the development of IPC standards,” said Matt Kelly, IPC chief technologist. “This agreement will enable us to work closely together to study the technology needs of the electronics manufacturing supply chain and provide greater benefit to our respective membership.”
“iNEMI and its members value the long-standing relationship with IPC, which dates back 20+ years. This updated MoU reinforces our partnership and the benefits of collaboration across the electronics manufacturing eco-system,” said Marc Benowitz, iNEMI CEO. “We are excited about the opportunities to further our collective impact for the advancement of the industry as a whole.”
IPC and iNEMI have worked successfully for decades on projects requiring “round robin” tests for various programs, have collaborated on each organization’s roadmaps and events and most recently on a best practices document on disinfecting electronics products and assemblies.
IPC announced today the June 2020 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.12.
Total North American PCB shipments in June 2020 were up 0.8 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, June shipments rose 19.7 percent.
PCB bookings in June increased 16.9 percent year-over-year and rose 33 percent from the previous month.
“June saw another month of strong demand for PCBs in North America. PCB bookings are up nearly 17 percent from last year, suggesting growth for electronics manufacturing remains robust despite the continued economic headwinds brought on by the pandemic,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist.
Note: The December 2019 ratios have been revised since their original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants
Note: The June, October, and December 2019 growth rates have been revised since their original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants
Detailed Data Available
Companies that participate in IPC’s North American PCB Statistical Program have access to detailed findings on rigid PCB and flexible circuit sales and orders, including separate rigid and flex book-to-bill ratios, growth trends by product types and company size tiers, demand for prototypes, sales growth to military and medical markets, and other timely data.
Interpreting the Data
The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to twelve months. A ratio of less than 1.00 indicates the reverse.
Year-on-year and year-to-date growth rates provide the most meaningful view of industry growth. Month-to-month comparisons should be made with caution as they reflect seasonal effects and short-term volatility. Because bookings tend to be more volatile than shipments, changes in the book-to-bill ratios from month to month might not be significant unless a trend of more than three consecutive months is apparent. It is also important to consider changes in both bookings and shipments to understand what is driving changes in the book-to-bill ratio.
IPC’s monthly PCB industry statistics are based on data provided by a representative sample of both rigid PCB and flexible circuit manufacturers selling in the USA and Canada. IPC publishes the PCB book-to-bill ratio by the end of each month.