The Shaughnessy Report: Watt About Power Integrity?
Global PCB Connections: Understanding Your Fabricator’s Capabilities (or Niche)
Elementary Mr. Watson: Chasing Checkmarks, Not Signal Integrity
IPC Crowns Hand Soldering World Champion in Munich
November 21, 2019 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
IPC’s Hand Soldering World Championship was held November 14 at productronica 2019 in Munich, Germany. This global event included 17 competitors representing companies in France, Hungary, Indonesia, Poland, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Vietnam, United Kingdom, Japan, India, China and the Philippines.
Tasked with completing a very complex circuit board assembly with dozens of components, nearly 200 solder joints within a 60-minute time limit, and fully compliant with IPC Class 3 standards requirements, contestants faced a significant challenge.
Rising to the challenge, Indra Setiawan, PT SIIX EMS, Indonesia, completed the printed board assembly within 56 minutes, scored 321 points out of 340, and earned the title of IPC hand soldering world champion. In addition to his title, a cash prize of €1000, Setiawan received a soldering station from sponsors JBC Tools, HAKKO and Almit. Pauline Duval, Thalès DMS, France, took second place with a score of 318 points, and earned €500. Duval qualified for the championship just the day before by winning the regional competition. With a score of 316 points, third place and €300 went to Maricel Calabig Velasco, Integrated Micro-electronics Inc., Philippines.
“The competitors brought their best skills to meet the requirements of this year’s challenge,” said Philippe Léonard, director, IPC Europe. “It’s intricate work, especially as components keep getting smaller and smaller. This was a very challenging competition and we had a very talented field of competitors from around the world showcasing their skills.”
Assemblies were judged on soldering in accordance with IPC-A-610G Class 3 criteria, the speed at which the assembly was produced and overall electrical functionality of the assembly. International MIT judges from China, Estonia, France, Holland and the United States provided their expertise judging the competition, and IPC thanks Patrick Mellet, IFTEC, France; Marcin Sudomir, Renex, Poland; Thomas Ahrens, Ph.D., Trainanlytics, Germany; Stefan Walls, PIEK, The Netherlands; Jack Shi, IPC Asia/Pacific; and Johnson Stephen Muriel, IPC Asia/Pacific.
In addition, IPC thanks 2019 Hand Soldering World Championship Gold sponsors JBC Tools, HAKKO, Reeco and Thalès and Silver sponsors Optilia, The Daylight Company, Almit, NCAB and Zestron for their enthusiastic support this year.
For information on upcoming IPC Hand Soldering Competitions, visit www.ipc.org/events.
Check out I-Connect007's video coverage of the IPC hand soldering competition in Munich.
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
Indium Experts to Deliver Technical Presentations at SMTA International
10/14/2025 | Indium CorporationAs one of the leading materials providers to the power electronics assembly industry, Indium Corporation experts will share their technical insight on a wide range of innovative solder solutions at SMTA International (SMTAI), to be held October 19-23 in Rosemont, Illinois.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Revamp Your Components with BGA Reballing
10/14/2025 | Nash Bell -- Column: Knocking Down the Bone PileBall grid array (BGA) components evolved from pin grid array (PGA) devices, carrying over many of the same electrical benefits while introducing a more compact and efficient interconnect format. Instead of discrete leads, BGAs rely on solder balls on the underside of the package to connect to the PCB. In some advanced designs, solder balls are on both the PCB and the BGA package. In stacked configurations, such as package-on-package (PoP), these solder balls also interconnect multiple packages, enabling higher functionality in a smaller footprint.
Indium to Showcase High-Reliability Solder and Flux-Cored Wire Solutions at SMTA International
10/09/2025 | Indium CorporationAs one of the leading materials providers in the electronics industry, Indium Corporation® will feature its innovative, high-reliability solder and flux-cored wire products at SMTA International (SMTAI), to be held October 19-23 in Rosemont, Illinois.
‘Create your Connections’ – Rehm at productronica 2025 in Munich
10/08/2025 | Rehm Thermal SystemsThe electronics industry is undergoing dynamic transformation: smart production lines, sustainability, artificial intelligence, and sensor technologies dominate current discussions.
Amplifying Innovation: New Podcast Series Spotlights Electronics Industry Leaders
10/08/2025 | I-Connect007In the debut episode, “Building Reliability: KOKI’s Approach to Solder Joint Challenges,” host Marcy LaRont speaks with Shantanu Joshi, Head of Customer Solutions and Operational Excellence at KOKI Solder America. They explore how advanced materials, such as crack-free fluxes and zero-flux-residue solder pastes, are addressing issues like voiding, heat dissipation, and solder joint reliability in demanding applications, where failure can result in costly repairs or even catastrophic loss.