Learning with Leo: Drones—Meeting Demand Without Compromise
Nolan’s Notes: Our Spotlight on North America
Global Sourcing Spotlight: Building a Supply Chain That Bends, Not Breaks
IPC’s Hand Soldering Competition Program: A Brief History
August 6, 2019 | Philippe Leonard, Director, IPC EuropeEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
The history of the IPC Hand Soldering Competition (HSC) grew from the 2010 Scandinavian Electronics Event which saw the first Swedish Championship in hand soldering organized by Lars Wallin IPC Europe, Lars-Gunnar Klag and Krister Park. The first IPC organized competition was held at IPC APEX EXPO 2012 and was created to celebrate the outstanding skills and professional achievements of talented manufacturing floor workers. With interest in HSC competitions in Europe and China growing, IPC launched the World HSC Championship to further prove the value of these professionals within the electronics industry.
With regional competitions in the Americas, Europe and Asia, IPC Hand Soldering Competition participants compete to build a functional electronics assembly within a 60-minute time limit. Assemblies are judged on their soldering quality in accordance with the current IPC-A-610 Class 3 criteria, the speed at which the assembly was produced and the overall electrical functionality of the assembly. IPCA-610 Master Instructors serve as independent judges for the competitions.
Competitions are held in two categories: professionals and beginners. The beginners category was added in 2016, to encourage the younger generation to the value of improving their highly specialized and rare hand soldering skills, which are needed in the electronics industry.
The winners of regional competitions receive cash prizes and the opportunity to compete in the World Hand Soldering Championship, held each year in various cities worldwide in conjunction with highly prestigious electronics trade shows.
“The IPC Hand Soldering Competition highlights the skills of the best hand soldering talent in the world,” said Dave Bergman, vice president, IPC standards and training. “The competition provides members of the electronics industry a chance to demonstrate their know-how to their customers as well as to champion and reward their skilled workers internally. Hand soldering competitions foster a successful work dynamic, fully compliant with stringent IPC requirements, on their manufacturing floor,”
The first World Hand Soldering Championship was held on February 21, 2013, in San Diego, at IPC APEX EXPO 2013 with competitors representing 9 nations who competed in a very strong competition. With a cheering crowd and enthusiastic participants, this first World Championship set the scene to what has become a true electronics industry tradition that is supported by the leading suppliers of hand soldering products worldwide.
The hand soldering competition started out as a showcase event in Sweden to highlight the importance of hand soldering skilled professionals. It has continuously grown to now include six regional competitions in Europe, regional competitions in India and several regional competitions in Asia Pacific.
This past year at IPC APEX EXPO 2019 saw the world championship grow to 12 competitors coming from Britain, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand. Watch for an IPC Hand Soldering competitions near you to celebrate these highly skilled professionals.
For more information, view IPC’s Hand Soldering Competition web page.
Share on:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Karen McConnell
05/07/2026 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007In 2021, Karen McConnell was awarded the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame award in recognition of her contributions to the Association and the electronics industry. As a senior staff member and CAD/CAM engineer at Northrop Grumman Enterprise Services, her primary responsibility was to develop a common, shared EDM (Electronic Document Management) library to support the electrical and PCB design tool initiatives across Northrop Grumman Mission Systems.
IMI Reports Stronger Performance and Return to Profitability in 2025
05/06/2026 | IMIIntegrated Microelectronics, Inc. (IMI) reported a significantly improved performance in 2025, reflecting the positive results of its multi year transformation focused on operational efficiency, portfolio optimization, and strengthening core capabilities.
Incap Group Reports Q1 2026 Revenue Growth and Completion of Lacon Acquisition
05/06/2026 | IncapIncap estimates that the company’s revenue and comparable EBITA in 2026 will be clearly higher than in 2025. The estimates include the impact of Lacon’s acquisition and are given provided that unexpected events impacting Incap’s business environment do not occur.
ITW EAE Appoints AMS as Distributor for MPM Printers and Camalot Dispensers in the UK and Ireland
05/06/2026 | ITW EAEITW EAE is pleased to announce the appointment of AMS as the authorized distributor of MPM Printer and Camalot Dispenser products for the United Kingdom and Ireland territory.
When Quality Is Personal: The Human Stakes Behind Electronics Reliability
05/06/2026 | Kelly DackIn electronics manufacturing, quality is often discussed in terms of specifications, standards, and process controls, but as industry veteran Doug Pauls reminds us, the stakes are far more human. In this conversation, Doug, a recipient of the Global Electronics Association’s Hall of Fame Award, draws on more than four decades of experience to illuminate the real-world consequences of reliability, where even a single defect can carry profound implications. He brings into sharp focus why quality isn’t just a metric, but a responsibility shared by everyone on the manufacturing floor.