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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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IPC Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Walt Custer
April 9, 2025 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
Editor’s note: Dan Feinberg continues his series on the IPC Hall of Fame, spotlighting the achievements of past Hall of Fame members.
Many IPC members who have contributed significantly to IPC and our industry have been awarded the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame (HOF) Award. Though many early HOF members have passed away and are unknown to today’s IPC membership, their contributions still resonate. This special series on IPC Hall of Fame members provides a reminder of who was honored and why. As a bonus, for those who are still around, we get to find out what these talented individuals are up to today.
This Hall of Fame spotlight features a long-time associate of mine, Walt Custer. Now retired, Walt is well known in the industry for his decades of work as part of Custer Consulting Group, presenting his market research and business analyses at trade shows and conferences around the globe. As I mentioned in my spotlight on Gene Weiner, Walt and I were in that group that reported to Gene back in the old Dynachem days. Under Gene’s tutelage, we became deeply involved in IPC and were eventually honored with the Hall of Fame award.
Walt Custer has a bachelor of arts degree in chemistry from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a master of science degree in physical chemistry from Purdue University. His industry experience is long and varied. He was a board director of Coretec, Inc., Canada’s largest PCB manufacturer, from 2000 until 2010, when it was acquired by DDi. He was also a director and actively involved in EIPC, the European PCB trade organization.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the March 2025 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
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