The Marketing Minute: Staying Positive When the Market Isn’t
Marcy’s Musings: Continuing to Invent the Future With SEL
It’s Only Common Sense: Why Failure Is an Opportunity for Growth
A Salute to Process Engineers
April 14, 2016 | Patty Goldman, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
It seems very appropriate, coming on the heels of IPC APEX EXPO 2016, that the focus of our April issue is process engineering. I believe process engineers (and process engineer types) are the worker bees of IPC (and obviously of the companies they work for). If they don’t actually write the standards and specifications or present the technical papers, they most certainly are doing the work behind the scenes—running tests, gathering data, coming up with new ideas, developing new products, making existing products work better, and so forth.
The interesting thing about process engineering in our industry is that you don’t have to be a degreed engineer. You just have to be willing to take on the problem solving and troubleshooting that is involved in making things work—in this case, the PCB shop and its product. No easy task, believe me (I’ve been there), but the intrigue and the never-ending variety of problems, often brought on by the increasing complexity of PCBs, is probably what lured all of us in in the first place and keeps the job interesting and challenging—and makes it tough to leave. How many people do you know who have left the industry and found themselves drawn back in?
Getting back to the recent IPC conference and show, it was and is quite an event, as those in attendance can tell you. Between myriad subcommittee meetings, keynotes, a couple dozen technical paper sessions and the exhibition, one finds too much to do and way too little time to do it—and this year we had a lot of ground to cover. We certainly got plenty of walking in at the Las Vegas Convention Center; some people reached their 10,000 steps by noon!
In the meantime, though, there were more exhibitors than ever (though the PCB corner seemed smaller than ever) and there were many very interesting technical sessions where attendance was SRO. We hope to bring you some of those presentations in future issues of The PCB Magazine. The conference had special meaning to me, as I was inducted into IPC’s Hall of Fame at the Tuesday luncheon, a huge honor and one I am still trying to believe really happened. I am now an IPC Ambassador!
Read the full article here.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2016 issue of The PCB Magazine.
Share on:
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
Lessons From a Thousand Columns: Dan Beaulieu on Writing, Selling, and Staying the Course
08/21/2025 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007For 20 years, Dan Beaulieu has been a steady voice in sales and marketing, offering weekly columns that challenge, inspire, and guide professionals in the electronics industry and beyond. Soon, he will reach a remarkable milestone—his 1,000th It’s Only Common Sense weekly column. In this Q&A, we look behind the scenes of Dan’s writing journey, exploring what has kept him motivated, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and how two decades of weekly columns have shaped his career and the industry conversation.
University Of Minnesota Team Claims Victory In Bright Manufacturing Challenge 2025 Round 1
08/19/2025 | EMACThe Electronics Manufacturing & Assembly Collaborative (EMAC) recently announced that Team "Rise and Grind Crew" from the University of Minnesota has emerged victorious in Round 1 of the Bright Manufacturing Challenge 2025.
The Knowledge Base: Cultivating Your Brand in the Age of Connection
08/19/2025 | Mike Konrad -- Column: The Knowledge BaseAudiences have evolved in how they consume information, form opinions, and make purchasing decisions. While marketing still relies on tried-and-true methods—get your name and message in front of your audience—you must also cultivate connection, credibility, and community. Your customers, particularly the younger generation of engineers, buyers, and program managers, want to discover value on their terms.
American Made Advocacy: Where’s the Budget for a Modern Military Run on Microelectronics?
08/19/2025 | Shane Whiteside -- Column: American Made AdvocacyIn a world of peer threats and urgent transformation, having secure, trusted, and reliable microelectronics is non-negotiable. While largely hidden, microelectronics are the ubiquitous enablers of modern defense platforms. Nothing in the current American arsenal flies, floats, or fights without a technology stack that includes a semiconductor, an integrated circuit substrate, and a printed circuit board.
Meet with The Test Connection Inc. (TTCI) at SMTA Guadalajara 2025
08/18/2025 | The Test Connection Inc.The Test Connection Inc. (TTCI), a trusted provider of electronic test and manufacturing solutions for more than 45 years, is pleased to announce its participation at the upcoming SMTA Guadalajara Expo & Tech Forum, taking place September 17–18, 2025, at Expo Guadalajara, Salón Jalisco Hall D & E.