Winners of IPC Hand Soldering Competition at Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2023 Announced
February 14, 2023 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
In conjunction with Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2023, IPC hosted the UK regional Hand Soldering Competition in Farnborough, UK, February 7-9, welcoming 27 competitors from 20 European electronics companies. Skilled contestants competed to build an assembly in accordance with IPC-A-610 – Class 3 criteria, and were judged on the functionality of the assembly, compliance with the assembly process, and overall product quality. Contestants were allowed a maximum of one hour to complete the process.
On the winner’s podium were:
First Place: Returning first prize winner, Justyna Mikolajzcyk, Zettlex, with 537 points from a possible 558, with a time of 55 minutes,10 seconds. She received a certificate, a cash prize of 300 EUR, and a gift from sponsor Almit. As the winner, Mikolajzcyk qualified for the IPC Hand Soldering World Championship at productronica in Munich, Germany in November 2023.
Second place: Przemyslaw Marszalek, TVC, with a total of 533 points completing his board in 51 minutes, 07 seconds. He received a certificate, a cash prize of 200 EUR, and a gift from sponsor Almit.
Third Place: Rich Barlow, GAITQ, Ltd., with a total score of 524 points, completing in a time of 56 minutes, 07 seconds. He received a certificate, a cash prize of 100 EUR, and a gift from sponsor Almit.
Best Company Team Award
The Best Company Award, determined by the best scores of the contestants from that company, was presented to Dyson Technology, Ltd, with three competitors achieving the best team performance in the competition.
IPC is grateful to the HSC sponsors for their generous support:
- Gold sponsors: Weller Tools, Thales
- Silver Sponsors: Almit, Ateliers Systems, NCAB Group, Optilia, Polygone CAO, Societe Francaise de Microscopie (SFM)
“IPC thanks and congratulates all the participants and their companies for their interest and for taking up the hand soldering challenge,” said Philippe Leonard, managing director, IPC Electronics Europe GmbH. “We look forward to a full year of exciting competitions, culminating in the World Championship in Munich later this year.”
Suggested Items
Hot Off the Press: Explore the New Issue of IPC Community
01/14/2025 | IPC Community Editorial TeamThe latest digital copy of IPC Community is now ready to view. Each quarter, IPC Community provides exclusive interviews and practical tips on what’s happening with IPC and its members. Find stories on IPC student leadership, successful women in business, the trouble with tariffs, the inside workings on an IPC mentorship duo, standards updates, and so much more.
IPC Announces New Training Course: PCB Design for Manufacturability
01/10/2025 | IPCThis three-week online program, taught by an industry expert with over 40 years of experience, is designed to equip PCB designers with the knowledge and skills to reduce or eliminate design, documentation, and capability issues that often arise during PCB fabrication.
TRI Launches 3D AXI Platform with Clearer Imaging
01/10/2025 | TRITest Research, Inc. (TRI), the leading provider of Test and Inspection solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry, proudly announces the launch of the 3D AXI TR7600FB SII system, designed to deliver clearer imaging.
Focus on electronica: Future Challenges From a Designer’s Viewpoint
01/09/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamThomas Romont is CEO of WorldWide Electronic Circuits in Nantes, France, and chair of the IPC Designers Council France. He gave a presentation at electronica titled Challenges for the Future From a PCB/PCBA Designer Perspective. We asked Thomas to share his thoughts about the class, why this topic is so important, and what he hoped attendees would take away from his class.
Marcy LaRont Named I-Connect007 Executive Director
01/08/2025 | IPCMarcy LaRont, a printed circuit board (PCB) industry veteran who has been working as the managing editor for PCB007 Magazine this past year, has been named executive director of the I-Connect007 group of publications, which was purchased by IPC in 2022.