IPC Issues Call for Participation: Help Shape the Future of Design for Environment Standards

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IPC’s Design for Excellence (DFX) guidelines document, IPC-2231 provides a framework to establish a design review process for the layout of printed board assemblies. This design review assesses the manufacturability attributes of printed boards, namely design for manufacturing, fabrication, assembly, testability, cost, reliability, environment, and reusability. IPC is aware of the responsibilities that electronics manufacturing companies will soon have to regulatory bodies around the world as well to the environment.

IPC’s 1-14 DFX Committee is actively reviewing IPC-2231A in order to revise it within the next two years. While a revision of the DFX guidelines document is IPC’s and the standards committee’s first priority, the team anticipates that they may be able to expand IPC eco-design activities to include the creation of a new eco-design for electronics guideline that provides a holistic coverage of circularity concepts and how they touch every step of the electronics manufacturing pipeline.

“We feel that this is an excellent opportunity to make a real difference in eco-design for circular electronics – but it all starts with the IPC-2231 DFX guidelines document,” said Patrick Crawford, IPC manager for design standards and related industry programs and IPC staff liaison to the 1-14 DFX Committee. “While IPC is determined to help electronics manufacturing companies become greener themselves, it will take continued input from industry through standards development activities through organizations like IPC, to produce meaningful change.”

Experts in green PCB design techniques, materials, manufacturing technologies, sourcing, policy, and regulation are invited to create the next standard for design for environment. If you have expertise or passion to create a greener future that benefits both industry and environment and want to contribute to establishing a best practice design methodology, please reach out to Patrick Crawford at PatrickCrawford@ipc.org.