The New Eco-design Regulation and Digital Product Passports: What the Electronics Industry Needs to Know

Date

Oct 30, 2024 | 10:00 - 11:00am CDT

In this webinar, we will dive into the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and Digital Product Passports (DPPs), providing a clear explanation of what they are and how they work.

We will explore how these two regulatory tools are interlinked, revolutionizing the future of sustainable product design, transparency, and lifecycle management.

Attendees will learn how ESPR and DPPs impact product compliance, traceability, and sustainability in the electronics sector and beyond, setting the stage for a more circular and accountable economy.

Speaker:
Jessica Onyshko, Sustainable Product Strategy Lead, Anthesis

Online Event

3000 Lakeside Dr.
Suite 105N
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States

Online Event

Online Event
3000 Lakeside Dr.
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States

Electronics Industry Sentiment Drops Sharply in September Following Brief August Rebound

IPC releases September 2024 Global Sentiment of the Electronics Manufacturing Supply Chain Report

Sep 30, 2024

Industry sentiment in the electronics sector declined significantly in September due to rising cost concerns and weakening demand according to IPC’s September Sentiment of the Global Electronics Manufacturing Supply Chain Report.

The Demand Index fell by 7.3 percent in September, with all four components of demand decreasing. The Backlog Index, already in contraction, dropped another three points, and Capacity Utilization slipped to neutral. Both the Shipment Index and New Orders Index entered contractionary territory, setting new all-time lows, indicating declining order and shipment volumes for the majority of respondents. While overall industry sentiment cooled from earlier highs, the electronics sector's outlook remained positive.

In response to special questions on the probability of a recession occurring in during the remainder of 2024 and into 2025, a minority of electronics manufacturers still see a recession as possible in 2024, a sentiment that has remained largely unchanged since February. However, manufacturers in the APAC region have grown more pessimistic about the economic outlook.

Additional survey data show:

Three-fifths (59%) of electronics manufacturers are currently experiencing rising labor costs, with two-fifths (43%) reporting increased material costs. At the same time, profit margins, ease of recruitment, backlogs, shipments, and orders are presently declining.
Over the next six months, electronics manufacturers expect both labor and material costs to remain high, while ease of recruitment and profit margins are likely to remain challenging.
Orders, shipments, capacity utilization, backlogs, and profit margins are expected to rise over the next six months, while labor and material costs are expected to decline.

These results are based upon the findings of IPC’s Current State of Electronics Manufacturing Survey, fielded between August 16 and August 31, 2024.

Read the full report.

Europe and the U.S. are Racing into an Electronics Cul-de-sac

The singular focus on chips is shortsighted

Sep 27, 2024

by Chris Mitchell, IPC vice president, global government relations

The latest EU Competitiveness Report, authored by former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and released this month, is a compelling call to action that should serve as a framework for policy action in Brussels and capitals across Europe.

However, it perpetuates the regrettable and shortsighted practice of overlooking the wider electronics industrial ecosystem that supports resilience, innovation, and security.

In much the same way that people go to automotive dealers to buy cars and not just engines, people go to stores to buy smartphones, not semiconductor chips. Placing the most sophisticated chips in the palm of a customer is of no value because those chips do not offer functionality by themselves. The functionality is created when chips are placed with other components on printed circuit boards and embedded in larger systems. The printed circuit boards and the process of assembling electronics is highly sophisticated and growing more complex as semiconductor chips become more advanced.

It's perplexing, then, that government leaders in Europe and the United States give so little consideration to the broader electronics manufacturing ecosystem. Consider this: the Draghi Report references “semiconductors” and “chips” 115 times. It references “electronics” only 21 times and only in the broadest terms. It makes no mention of “printed circuit boards” or “electronic assembly.” Europe’s strategy regrettably seems to be building more sophisticated chips and sending them elsewhere for assembly into end systems. Again, it’s like building the best engines without the ability to place them in cars.

Implementing a “silicon to systems” approach is a serious, urgent matter. Europe has set ambitious goals for the region’s defense industrial base and the digital and green transitions, for which an innovative and robust electronics manufacturing industry is imperative. Moreover, the European Commission has also set an ambitious goal for regional chip fabrication, aiming to reach 20% of global production by 2030. During this same period, unless an “ecosystem” approach is adopted, Europe is likely to lose its alarmingly anemic market share in printed circuit board fabrication, electronics assembly, and semiconductor advanced packaging.

Given the extraordinary investments being made in the semiconductor industry, ignoring the health of the overall electronics manufacturing ecosystem is shortsighted and counterproductive. The misalignment reflects a fundamentally flawed understanding of the electronics industry and the real long-term drivers for innovation and industrial resiliency.

You only need to look abroad to understand the value of industrial ecosystems. The remarkable growth of electronics manufacturing in China can’t be reduced to a single factor, but China’s embrace of manufacturing ecosystems is a tremendous advantage. The country is continuing to develop advanced domestic capabilities in PCB fabrication and electronic assembly, in addition to chips, as a way to grow their market share across multiple strategic sectors of the global economy.

The U.S. is likewise investing big in just one segment of the electronics industry while giving short shrift to the broader industry that’s responsible for building actual systems with functionality. Just this month, the U.S. Department of Commerce held a major Supply Chain Summit during which semiconductors were highlighted repeatedly but printed circuit boards and assemblies were mentioned in passing by a private sector panelist. U.S. officials have said the focus on semiconductors is a matter of setting priorities. But ignoring the weak foundation upon which they are trying to build future innovation suggests they are overwhelmed by the task and unfamiliar with an industry that is critical to just about every key policy goal. They have donned blinders not because it is strategic, but because the landscape is too broad, too multifaceted, and “too technical.”

Make no mistake: the public-private investments occurring in the semiconductor industry are vitally necessary. But greater strength in semiconductor manufacturing offers Europe and the United States a brighter future only if the strategy opens up wide avenues to innovation and industrial growth. As it is, Europe and the U.S. are racing into a cul de sac unless they adopt a silicon to systems strategy.

The electronics industrial ecosystems in Europe and the U.S. are in a weakened state, but there are glimmers of change. In Europe, DG GROW has taken the initiative to work with stakeholders to clarify the challenges facing the industry. The collaboration led to a groundbreaking industry report that reflected the consensus of the electronics supply chain. In the United States, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a report on the information and communications technology (ICT) supply chain that noted the erosion in domestic manufacturing and made recommendations for greater support of the wider electronics industry. In 2023, President Biden issued a presidential determination that printed circuit boards and semiconductor advanced packaging are crucial to national security. However, funding for defense-related PCBs has been modest, at best.

Greater awareness and seed funding are only the first steps. The long-term ambitions of Europe and the U.S. to revitalize their semiconductor sectors must be matched by effort to revitalize the electronics manufacturing ecosystem. Only when government leaders prioritize a strong “silicon to systems” strategy will there be an opportunity to turn these impending cul de sacs into a huge plaza with multiple avenues leading to innovation and growth.

Next-Generation Electronics Design

Date

Oct 14, 2024 | 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT

Thought leadership from IPC’s Chief Technologist (CTC) and Design Leadership (DLC) Councils takes form in a new white paper, "Better Electronics by Design: Next Generation Design Needs." The paper explores the elements of the “Design for Excellence” methodology, rethinking how it needs to be further defined and applied in the full ecosystem of electronics design.

Join white paper contributors in a webinar “Next-Generation Electronics Design” on October 14, 2024, at 12:00 pm EDT as they take a deep dive into the subject of design rules and “design for manufacturability.”

In this webinar you will learn about:

Silicon to systems collaboration
Facilitation of an Authoritative Source of Truth (ASOT) as mandatory to ensure consistency, efficiency, and traceability
Electronic and mechanical CAD systems interoperability
Design rules broken down to the relevant stages of the design workflow
Design for Manufacturability execution
IPC Design Initiative

Speakers:

Jennifer Waskow, Collins Aerospace
John Watson, Altium
Steve Watt, Zuken USA
Susan Kayesar, Siemens
Peter Tranitz, IPC

Online Event

3000 Lakeside Dr.
Suite 105N
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States

Online Event

Online Event
3000 Lakeside Dr.
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States

Key Takeaways from IPC's North American Executive Forum

Sep 26, 2024

By Richard Cappetto, Senior Director, North American Government Relations

On a news-filled day at the Department of Commerce, IPC CEO John W. Mitchell hosted the agency’s chief export enforcement officer to speak candidly with members. The North American Executive Forum brought together more than two dozen CEOs and other executives from across the electronics manufacturing industry to discuss pressing issues impacting both our industry and national security. The central focus of this installment of the quarterly forum was export controls, a critical topic that is increasingly affecting how businesses operate in the global marketplace. The forum featured a keynote discussion with the Honorable Matthew S. Axelrod, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) who highlighted his agency's priorities to enforce export controls and wrangle the diversion of electronics components for prohibited end-users.

Earlier in the day, the BIS made news with two major announcements. First, the agency issued along with the other G7 countries, updated guidance on preventing the diversion of exports to evade sanctions imposed on Russia. Secondly, the agency gave notice of a proposed rulemaking which would prohibit the import of certain software and hardware for use in connected vehicles.

Given this backdrop of increased trade regulation, Assistant Secretary Axelrod, a 20+ year veteran law enforcement officer, shared his insights and priorities in addressing the complex and evolving set of geopolitical challenges. He gave an overview of the risks presented by foreign adversaries that actively acquire and divert U.S. technologies to bolster military capabilities and to exert geopolitical influence with the intent to harm the United States and its allies. During the discussion, Axelrod shared examples of recent major enforcement actions, as well as examples of red flags that signal high-risk customers that he and his agency have uncovered. In sharing these examples, Axelrod urged the industry to stay informed, vigilant, and strive to comply with the U.S Government’s export controls.

Axelrod assured the participants, that the agency’s strategy is to focus restrictions on the smallest category of critical items possible, that represent national security threats, and to allow the vast majority of business to continue. In sharing his priorities, he described them as being based on two key factors: the significance of the military application of a given technology and the destination of the export. The most sensitive technologies, particularly those with clear military end uses, are under the greatest scrutiny. For example, technology that can be used to develop hypersonic munitions, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence represent a high risk, and there for are prohibited and would be subject to greater enforcement priority.

Multiple participants asked questions and shared feedback alluding to the reality of challenges facing electronics manufacturers in the sheer scale and complexity of global supply chains. How can companies ensure that their products do not end up in the wrong hands when supply chains span multiple countries and involve countless suppliers and customers? Axelrod shared that the agency is striving for transparency and partnership. He repeatedly stressed that the agency appreciates and is interested in companies doing their best to mitigate diversion. He IPC members to share challenges and best practices, and to engage with the agency both directly and through IPC as a representative for the entire industry. He stressed the preference to work collaboratively on the front-end with businesses, rather than having to investigate and impart penalties through the enforcement process. "We are asking everyone to think about what more they can do," Axelrod said, calling on manufacturers to vet their customers more thoroughly. A key recommendation was to not only ask customers about their immediate intentions but to probe further and understand where those customers plan to sell products down the line. This kind of due diligence is essential, especially when dealing with high-risk customers, which poses the greatest concern in the export enforcement landscape.

Several helpful resources were shared during the webinar, which are included below. He also urged Members to introduce themselves and become familiar with their local BIS field office.

The discussions at the North American Executive Forum underscored a crucial message for IPC members: The United States Government is prioritizing export controls, with a particular focus on stemming the flow of electronics components to Russian weapons. It is the responsibility of companies to conduct strong due diligence on their customers, to ensure their exports do not end up in the wrong hands. Electronics manufacturers are on the front lines of protecting U.S. technological superiority and, by extension, national security. Axelrod’s comments were clear: this is the "new normal." The rapid pace of technological development is only increasing, and with it, the potential military applications of new technologies. As export controls become an increasingly important part of the electronics manufacturing landscape, IPC remains committed to supporting its members through education, advocacy, and strategic partnerships.

For more information, please reach out to me at RichardCappetto@ipc.org or 202-661-8096.

All Inclusive – PRIDE Industries Is Helping Employees with Disabilities to Succeed

Sep 25, 2024

| By Sandy Gentry

PRIDE Industries is the United States’ leading employer of people with disabilities and those with other barriers to employment, including veterans and former foster youth. PRIDE Industries offers job training, placement, on-the-job coaching, and skills development for independent living. They have held IPC membership since 2000.
IPC Community talked to PRIDE Industries' Darelyn Pazdel, VP, Workforce Inclusion, and Andrew Williams, Director of Product Engagement, about PRIDE Industries’ manufacturing services division, and their interest in IPC workforce training programs. We also heard from George Hadley, Production Manager, and wire harness assemblers Khai Xiong and John Xiong about PRIDE Industries’ use of IPC Subscription Services for workforce training.

What is the size of the PRIDE Industries staff?

Darelyn Pazdel: PRIDE Industries has nearly 4,500 employees. About 2,000 of these individuals have a disability. We have a team of 425 people who assist individuals with disabilities in securing employment both within PRIDE Industries and in the community.
PRIDE Industries operates across several states – does it have a physical building in each of those states? How many of these companies include electronics manufacturing facilities?

Pazdel: PRIDE Industries 37 offices in 17 states throughout the United States. In some communities, we operate as a true integrated model, meeting people in their communities. Our flagship electronics manufacturing facilities are in Roseville, California, where we are unique in the industry, producing quality electronics and supporting a disability-inclusive team.

How did PRIDE Industries create employment specific to electronics manufacturing for individuals with disabilities?

Pazdel: Individuals with disabilities are successful in many industries. Given our nearly 60 years of experience with our mission to create employment for people with disabilities, it’s what we do naturally. Our team works with our employees to provide tools for accommodation. It is our experience that the learning curve may be a little steeper for individuals with disabilities, however, once they learn tasks and have the tools necessary, they deliver high-quality services and products. Electronics manufacturing for individuals with disabilities has been a natural fit for our organization. When you say that there are support systems in place for employees with disabilities, what does that mean? How do you obtain employees? Do you work closely with schools in your area?

Pazdel: Support systems for employees with disabilities can be both informal and formal. We strive to create an atmosphere where co-workers provide informal support, and we also have a team of trained job coaches. A job coach is someone who can provide formal support to an individual who may need to learn a new task, or who may need support with communication or soft skills.

We find our employees through many avenues. One way is meeting with high schools in the area and finding transition-aged students who are interested in employment. We also work with individuals who may have been referred to our employment services through the state vocational rehabilitation services. PRIDE Industries provides programs where we begin with the smallest of learning environments, for example, how to use public transportation, and we help them enhance their vocational skills from there. Employees have support throughout their employment journey with PRIDE Industries, and they are given the opportunity to learn and develop skills, increasing their confidence and independence.

PRIDE Industries placed nearly 300 individuals in other organizations, some of whom were in other EMS companies. We do not necessarily count success in numbers, however. When one individual is successful in an industry, we see this as an opportunity to replicate the effort.

How are you active in the community? Do you attend and recruit at local high schools or veterans affairs organizations?

Pazdel: PRIDE Industries is active in all communities where we operate and serve individuals. We work directly with local high schools, meeting with transition students who have disabilities or significant barriers to employment. We provide pre-employment training and offer internships and employment placement assistance. PRIDE Industries has our very own veteran's liaison that actively performs outreach to veterans in the community and provides support, matching veterans to PRIDE Industries opportunities.

Provide an example of how PRIDE works with members of the foster community.

Pazdel: PRIDE Industries works with the foster community through the high schools as well as through our Career Hub in Citrus Heights, California. This is a walk-in career center where many foster youth are referred to us through the County of Sacramento specifically for employment development.
How has your work changed over the years as the industry becomes more aware of the benefits of reaching out to the communities of veterans, individuals with disabilities, and those formerly in the foster system?

Pazdel: Our industry has grown and will continue to grow as we become stronger allies for people with disabilities. Each employer that we can educate on the benefits of hiring people with disabilities, veterans, and emancipated foster youth, is a new story created to be shared in their professional circles. We know that his model works, and we’ve grown the model with each successful employment match.

Our future success is bright as we continue to prepare people for employment and then provide the support they may need and support for employers to understand their skills and how to welcome this skilled workforce onto their teams.

Workforce Training at PRIDE Industries

You recently purchased a workforce training subscription from IPC. How do you think this training will benefit your employees overall, and your employees with disabilities?

Andrew Williams: When we evaluated the program, we listed the benefits that we required. We believe these will be greatly recognized over this first year.

Increasing the level of quality on the floor by improving operator knowledge.
Gaining IPC-level training courses for all electronics manufacturing staff.
Increasing the ability to recognize advanced operators to send for certification classes
Strengthening our abilities for J-STD-001 (Mil-Aero).
Providing for additional factors to be marketed to potential customers via a stronger workforce.
Assisting with maintaining a competitive edge without having to invest in a full-blown training/certification program that can be very costly and requires an internal training administrator to control.

From the aspect of our employees with disabilities, this training package gives us a stable platform to provide higher level training that would otherwise be very difficult to establish without a dedicated training coordinator just for the electronics manufacturing services division. Being able to group employees for specific training classes will also enable us to schedule content review meetings to ensure that everyone has ample opportunity to get help with any areas they may have trouble with.

Why did you choose IPC’s training subscription service?

There are multiple reasons for selecting the IPC Training subscription, but the key items are:
All courses are online, and self-paced, and students have access to content for 90 days.
Several courses are great for establishing the baseline of determining candidates to pursue operator certification for IPC-610, IPC-620, and J-STD-001.
Multiple lower-level courses have been released to assist with the onboarding of non-industry employees.
Without a Certified IPC Trainer on staff, a robust training system for industry training was needed (we have a solid training system for ISO/general/HR items, but it does not include higher level training for the electronics manufacturing industry).

The program has been in place for six weeks now, what has the feedback been?

So far, the feedback has been very good. A decent range of positive comments related to the intensity and quality of the content. The training is driving a lot of discussion with staff on our production floor as they navigate the training in the same timelines.

How are participants responding to the IPC courses?

George Hadley: The feedback I have received has been very positive. The amount of detail that is in the courses is very good and relevant to what we do. The only fear expressed by the employees is not being able to pass the quiz by the third time taken. My response to that has been to take notes as you go through each section, hearing the content and writing it down will help with retaining it.

Khai Xiong and John Xiong are wire harness assemblers currently enrolled in the IPC workforce training course. We asked them about their experiences.

Three Employees Share Their Thoughts

Why did you choose to take the training course?

Khai: I chose this training course because I want to learn new skills and develop existing ones.

John: It was in my best interest to expand my knowledge and have a deeper understanding of electronics.

Armand: I wanted to learn more about electronics manufacturing.

Please explain how the course helps you do your work at PRIDE.

Khai: This course gave me more knowledge and helped me to minimize time working on electronics to produce more quantity with high quality at PRIDE Industries.

John: It has helped me strengthen my skill levels and improve on achieving higher quality and quantity.

Armand: The course is connected to my every day tasks. I have learned news skills and techniques to handle products.

Is the content of the course helpful? Do you have suggestions for improvement?

Khai: All the content of the course is very helpful. All the videos and pictures are excellent, helping me get a better understanding of the course. No suggestions for improvement.

John: Yes, the content was very helpful. No other suggestions.

Armand: Yes, because I can do it on and off during working hours.

Is the self-paced, online module helpful to you?

Khai: The self-paced online module is very helpful to me; it gives me more time and it's great that I can go back to the module when I need to review again.

John: Yes, having the flexibility to take the courses on my own time is very helpful.

This article was previously published in IPC Community.

IPC is Looking for Workforce Champions!

Sep 23, 2024

| By Corey Lynn

Are you ready to inspire others with your journey in electronics manufacturing? IPC is creating a network of individuals who are willing to share their workforce story across a variety of outlets Join us in creating a network of individuals who are eager to share their workforce stories and make a meaningful impact. If you have overcome challenges, acquired new skills, or earned certifications to excel in the dynamic field of electronics manufacturing, your journey has the power to inspire and empower others on their path to success. By sharing your journey, you will have the opportunity to participate in speaking engagements, media interviews, blogs, and other platforms. You get to choose the opportunities that resonate with you, allowing you to share your experiences in a way that feels comfortable and authentic.

Individuals could include:

Apprentices or former apprentices;
Individuals who have been promoted into new roles as a result of training; or
Individuals without a degree who are in jobs that sometimes require or request a degree (e.g., engineer roles)

Purpose

To build greater awareness of the workforce opportunities within the electronics manufacturing sector, we’re hoping to lift up individual stories of workers who have built a career in the sector. There are multiple options, and individuals can choose which of the following activities they would be most interested in participating in. Activities could include:

Speaking at conferences, on panels, or in other public-facing events;
Speaking on-the-record with reporters;
Working with the IPC team to share your workforce pathway in a range of written forms (for blogs, op-eds, etc.)

Expectations and Support

Individuals who are part of the network are expected to:

Participate in at least 1 opportunity each year
Be willing to share their name, story, and potentially photo/likeness
Get approval from their employer, as needed, to participate.

Individuals who are part of the network will receive:

Preparation support (e.g., prep documents and calls for panels)
Professional speaker training (for those interested in speaking on-the-record)
Consideration to attend events or conferences (with management approval)

Not only will your story help others navigate their own career paths, but it will also provide you with a platform to showcase your expertise and connect with fellow professionals in the industry. Together, let's inspire and uplift the next generation of electronics manufacturing professionals.

Complete this Form or email Michelle Leff Mermelstein for more information.

North American PCB Industry Sales Up 35 Percent in August

IPC releases PCB industry results for August 2024

Sep 23, 2024

IPC announced today the August 2024 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 0.99.

Total North American PCB shipments in August 2024 were up 35 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, August shipments were down 10.3 percent.

PCB bookings in August were up 44.2 percent compared to the same month last year. August bookings were up 22.3 percent compared to the preceding month.

"August saw strong bookings and shipments, leaving the book-to-bill ratio unchanged. While the surge in new orders marked the best performance since February, it did little to reverse the decidedly negative trend for the year,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist.

August 2024 PCB book to bill ratio chart 1

August 2024 PCB book to bill ratio chart 2

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.

North American EMS Industry Shipments Down 4.4 Percent in August

IPC releases EMS industry results for August 2024

Sep 23, 2024

IPC announced today the August 2024 findings from its North American Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.27.

Total North American EMS shipments in August 2024 were down 4.4 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, August shipments decreased 1.3 percent.

EMS bookings in August increased 16.4 percent year-over-year and increased 24.3 percent from the previous month.

“A strong recovery in orders this month pushed the book-to-bill ratio higher. While orders had been weak in recent months, August's performance helped reverse the trend,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist. “However, it remains to be seen whether this is a correction of recent weakness or a one-off event.”

August 2024 EMS book to bill ratio chart

Detailed Data Available

Companies that participate in IPC’s North American EMS Statistical Program have access to detailed findings on EMS sales growth by type of production and company size tier, order growth and backlogs by company size tier, vertical market growth, the EMS book-to-bill ratio, 3-month and 12-month sales outlooks, and other timely data.

Interpreting the Data

IPC’s monthly EMS industry statistics are based on data provided by a representative sample of assembly equipment manufacturers selling in the USA and Canada. IPC publishes the EMS book-to-bill ratio by the end of each month.

Winners of IPC Hand Soldering and Rework Competition Vietnam 2024 Announced

Sep 18, 2024

In conjunction with NEPCON Vietnam 2024, IPC hosted its popular IPC Hand Soldering and Rework Competition in Hanoi, Vietnam, September 11-13. Thirty-nine competitors from 16 electronics companies and one university in Vietnam vied for top honors.

Skilled contestants competed against each other to rework a functional electronics assembly within a 50-minute time limit. Assemblies were judged on soldering in accordance with IPC-A-610H, IPC J-STD-001H, IPC-7711/21C - Class 3 criteria, the speed at which the assembly was produced, and overall electrical functionality of the assembly.

On the winner’s podium at NEPCON Vietnam 2024 were:

First Place: Nguyen Van Nhi, Spartronics Vietnam Co., Ltd. He received a certificate, a cash prize of $USD300, and a soldering station from Premier sponsor QUICK. As the winner, Nguyen Van Nhi qualified for the IPC Hand Soldering World Championship in Munich, Germany, in November.
Second place: Nguyen Van Tuan, Spartronics Vietnam Co., Ltd. He received a certificate and a cash prize of $USD200.
Third Place: Nguyen Minh Doan, a lecturer at VNU University of Engineering and Technology (VNU-UET). He received a certificate and a cash prize of $USD100.

This year, we had one extra recognition prize which was based on the overall results of the competition. A Special Mention Prize was awarded to Nguyen Duc Manh from Canon Vietnam.

IPC would like to thank Hand Soldering and Rework Competition sponsors and partners for their generous support this year.

Premier Sponsor: QUICK INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT
Gold Sponsors: NIHON SUPERIOR and SOLDERINDO
Supporting Sponsor: LORIOT INDUSTRIAL
Co-Organizer: RX TRADEX VIETNAM

For more information on upcoming hand soldering and rework competitions, contact Henry Ton, Senior Business Development Manager - Southeast Asia, at HenryTon@ipc.org.

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