EIPC Technical Director Michael Weinhold to Step Down June 30

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After a career in which he has worked with the European Institute for the PCB community since the 1970s, and as their Technical Director for the last 18 years, Michael Weinhold is standing down to enjoy his retirement after more than 50 years in the PCB industry.

In 1956 Michael Weinhold started his apprenticeship training at an electro-mechanical factory in Königswinter, Germany. From 1960 to 1962 he worked as a toolmaker and supervisor for Tata Didier Enterprise in Belpahar, Orissa, India. Returning to Germany in 1963 he started work at an electronics manufacturing company in Bad Godesberg, and in 1964 was involved in a new PCB manufacturing division of the company. During this time he took his Masters in Mechanics.

In 1970 he then joined DuPont Deutschland GmbH, Electronics (RISTON) Division in Germany in 1970 as technical specialist. During this time he took his diploma in Business Economics before being transferred to DuPont International SA (DISA), in Geneva Switzerland as a Product Development and OEM Director in 1980. In this function he was responsible for new product introduction and developments of new products, application and markets.

In 1982 Weinhold became member of the IEC TC51 standard committee for PCBs in Switzerland, these activities having been transferred into TC91, combining PCB fabrication and PCB assemblies. In 2000 he received the PC FAB Atonic29 award as one of the foremost influencers in the field of PCB fabrication and technology. He retired from DuPont DISA in 2001.

In 2002 he was appointed as Technical Director of the EIPC and as a consultant for the PCB Industry. In this function he supported the PCB and PCBA industry in European and global activities in writing IPC Standards, developing roadmaps for the PCB industry, and worked on harmonisation of standards for the PCB and PCBA industry in TC91 as the representative of Switzerland.

In November 2011, Michael Weinhold received the “Award IEC 1906” from the Swiss National Committee in TC91 for his activities in global standardization for the PCB and PCBA industry. He is a member of the UL Standard Technical Panel (STP) for STP 796 for rigid PWBs and STP 796F for flexible PWBs.

During his time with EIPC, he worked tirelessly on behalf of the EIPC membership in technical assistance and guidance and was active in the World Electronic Circuit Council (WECC) in harmonising standardisation and helped to organize the Electronic Circuit World Convention (ECWC) in three-year cycles.

Michael’s retirement comes as EIPC celebrates its 50th anniversary. In an industry that has expanded as rapidly as the PCB one, Michael has been of the true giants, and was widely known and respected internationally over many years and in many countries. It may be said that with his awesome work ethic the word ‘retirement’ may be a misnomer, but his contributions have been outstanding, and all at EIPC are enormously grateful to him for all that he has done for the Institute in particular and for the industry in general.