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Beyond the Rulebook
What happens when the rule book is no longer useful, or worse, was never written in the first place? In today’s fast-moving electronics landscape, we’re increasingly asked to design and build what has no precedent, no proven path, and no tidy checklist to follow. This is where “Design for Invention” begins.
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From the growing role of AI in design tools to the challenge of managing cumulative tolerances, these articles in this issue examine the technical details, design choices, and manufacturing considerations that determine whether a board works as intended.
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Four Industry Leaders Receive IPC President’s Award at IPC APEX EXPO 2025
March 21, 2025 | IPCEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
In recognition of their leadership and significant contributions of time and talent to IPC and the electronics industry, four individuals were presented with the IPC President’s Award at IPC APEX EXPO in Anaheim, California, on March 18, 2025. Recipients were Xaver Feiner, Zollner Elektronik AG; Thomas Marktscheffel, ASMTPT GmbH; Barry Matties, IPC Publishing Group/I-Connect007; and Cathy Hanlin, Precision Manufacturing Company Inc.
Xaver Feiner is an active member of the IPC Europe Advocacy Group, where he dedicates his time to advancing the position of the electronics industry and the EMS sector across Europe. He has testified before the European Commission to support Europe’s EMS industry. He is also active in IPC’s EMS Leadership Summit, working closely with other EMS leaders to bring improvements and innovation to the manufacturing process.
Thomas Marktscheffel shares his expertise with IPC as a member and leader of several committees and is a driving force for global industry standards such as IPC-2591 CFX and IPC-HERMES-9852. Marktscheffel has been involved with IPC standards development since 2015 when he joined the IPC-1782 A-team. He is active on A-teams for IPC-2591, IPC-HERMES-9852, IPC-2551, IPC-2552, and IPC-2553, with the overarching goal of providing standards for Factory of the Future. Currently, Marktscheffel is chair of the IPC 2-10 committee, co-chair of the IPC-2591 CFX Task Group, and chair of several A-teams.
Barry Matties is a leading force in publishing content about the electronics industry. I-Connect007 is the leading online media source for original electronics manufacturing supply chain content. I-Connect007 publishes multiple magazines, newsletters, books, webinars, podcasts, and real-time event coverage. For the past several years, Matties and I-Connect007 have been a valuable media partner for IPC APEX EXPO, dedicating entire issues of its trade magazines to covering the show. During APEX EXPO, I-Connect007 conducts interviews with dozens of industry leaders and multiple IPC staff and publishes them on the RealTime with... IPC APEX EXPO platform. Check out this year's content here.
A posthumous President’s Award was presented to valued industry member, Cathy Hanlin, with Precision Manufacturing Company, Inc. Hanlin was a valued IPC/WHMA committee member whose extensive contributions to standards development are well known. She held leadership roles on 7-31F: IPC WHMA-A-620 Task Group, 7-31FT: IPC WHMA-A-620 Training Committee, 7-31FT-AT: Training Wheelz, and 5-22A- Blue Hedgehog A-Teams.
“The leadership and expertise of Xaver, Thomas, Barry and Cathy have been indispensable to our industry,” said John W. Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “We were proud to show our appreciation for their significant contributions to IPC and the global electronics industry by presenting them with the IPC President’s Award.”
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Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
TTC-LLC and TTCI: Smarter Training, Stronger Test at PCB East 2026
04/27/2026 | The Test Connection Inc.The Training Connection LLC (TTC-LLC) and The Test Connection, Inc. (TTCI) will be exhibiting together at PCB East 2026, taking place April 28–May 1 at the DCU Convention Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. Attendees can find both teams at Booth #103 during the main exhibition day on Wednesday, April 29.
Building Industry-ready Talent Through Standards-based Education
04/27/2026 | Global Electronics AssociationRecently, Sichuan Modern Vocational College organized 132 students to complete IPC-A-610 Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies Certified IPC Specialist (CIS) training and certification.
Roundtable: Data Protection Lays the Groundwork for Cybersecurity Strategies
04/27/2026 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007This multi-expert roundtable explores cybersecurity measures specific to electronics manufacturing. NEC’s Watanabe Hiroyaki, Divyash Patel, CEO of MX2 Technologies, and Ali Pabrai, CEO at EC First, join moderator Nolan Johnson for a deeper discussion on cybersecurity certifications.
Fresh PCB Concepts: Designing PCBs for Harsh Environments—Reliability Is Engineered Upstream
04/23/2026 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsWhen engineers hear the phrase “harsh environment,” they usually think of the extreme temperature swings, vibration and shock, pressure changes, or radiation in aerospace. However, aerospace is not the only harsh environment where electronic assemblies must survive. Automotive power electronics, downhole oil and gas tools, marine controls, rail systems, defense platforms, and industrial automation equipment all expose PCBs to environments that are equally unforgiving. The stress mechanisms may differ, but the physics does not.
The Right Approach: The End of an Era—DoD Proposes MIL-PRF-31032 Cancellation
04/21/2026 | Steve Williams -- Column: The Right ApproachThe Defense Logistics Agency has initiated formal proceedings to cancel the military's primary performance specification for printed circuit boards, a move that could reshape how the U.S. defense industrial base qualifies and sources one of its most critical electronic components. On March 4, 2026, DLA Weapons Support issued a memorandum to military and industry coordination activities announcing that MIL-PRF-31032, along with its six associated specification sheets, has been proposed for cancellation. A 30-day comment period was allotted, with concurrence or comments due by April 3, 2026.