The Chemical Connection: Surface Finishes for PCBs
It’s Only Common Sense: 7 Tips to Focus on What Works
The Marketing Minute: Go Big or Go Home—Long-form Content Is Your Brand’s Best Friend
The Fabric of Our Lives: A Closer Look at Standards for E-Textiles
August 17, 2023 | Chris Jorgensen, IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
IPC E-Textiles Committee A-Teams are bringing much-needed standards to this innovative technology space
The e-textiles industry recognizes IPC as a leader in standards development for the greater electronics industry, and in 2017 asked IPC for assistance to develop global standards for materials, design, and manufacture of e-textiles. Volunteers quickly adapted to IPC’s processes by integrating themselves into the fabric (pun intended) of IPC’s global standardization efforts.
There are now eight task groups under the IPC E-Textiles Committee that are developing standards and many new IPC Test Methods for conductive yarns; woven, knitted, braided, and embroidered e-textiles; printed electronics e-textiles; and even wearable e-textiles systems. The IPC E-Textiles Committee was among the first to embrace IPC’s A-Teams approach, where dedicated groups of volunteers from an originating task group take on the lion’s share of the work for their task group.
The first A-Team came together in 2018 and, from a list of topics identified by their subcommittee—IPC-8921—Requirements for Woven and Knitted Electronic Textiles (E-Textiles) Integrated with Conductive Fibers, Conductive Yarns and/or Wires became IPC’s first published e-textiles standard.
That A-Team’s efforts established IPC as a true leader for standards development in the e-textiles industry. As the results of their work became more well known, it attracted more volunteers to form new E-Textiles Committee task groups. These volunteers found IPC to be a fast path: A proposed standard topic could lead to a task group approval, an A-Team formation, and then to starting their projects.
The IPC E-Textiles Committee now represents IPC’s global footprint with eight A-Teams, all actively engaged in different standards projects. A-Team members hail from Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Each team has embraced IPC’s challenge to come up with creative names for their teams. Let’s meet the IPC E-Textiles Committee A-Teams and see what they’re up to.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the summer 2023 issue of IPC Community magazine.
Share on:
Suggested Items
My Top 10 Highlights from IPC APEX EXPO 2025
04/03/2025 | Chris Mitchell, IPC VP, Global Government RelationsEvery year, I am reminded what an exciting and fast-paced whirlwind IPC APEX EXPO is—the friends you run into, the new people you meet, the innovations you encounter, and the fascinating discussions you dive into. It’s certainly true that our industry is driven by searchers and problem-solvers, creating endless opportunities at APEX EXPO to connect, collaborate, and shape the future.
Winners of 2025 IPC Masters Competition China Announced
04/02/2025 | IPCOn March 26-28, the IPC Masters Competition China was successfully held in Pudong, Shanghai. This year’s competition brought nearly 500 electronics industry elites from 18 provinces and municipalities.
IPC APEX EXPO 2025 Review: Shifting My Focus to the Show Floor
04/02/2025 | John Watson, CIDIPC APEX EXPO 2025 marked a significant milestone as it celebrated its 25th anniversary. (Personally, I don’t think it looked a day over 20.) If you didn’t attend this great event, why not? This was my 10th anniversary of attending, and it had a distinctly different feel. There was a celebratory atmosphere as both veterans, like myself, and first-time attendees, were drawn into a celebratory occasion marking the significant milestone of the 25th anniversary.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: Advanced Silicone Solutions from CHT
04/02/2025 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOCHT team members introduce themselves and share their roles, with Kate Sincerbox focusing on technical service and Lisa Stutzman on inside sales. CHT specializes in silicone materials for encapsulation, adhesives, and coatings, serving the automotive and aerospace sectors.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: Tariffs and Supply Chains in U.S. Electronics Manufacturing
04/01/2025 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOChris Mitchell, VP of Global Government Relations for IPC, discusses IPC's concerns about tariffs on copper and their impact on U.S. electronics manufacturing. He emphasizes the complexity of supply chains and the need for policymakers to understand their effects.