Defense Speak Interpreted: If CHIPS Cuts Back, What Happens to Electronics Packaging Funds?
American Made Advocacy: Where’s the Budget for a Modern Military Run on Microelectronics?
Beyond the Board: Orbital High Ground—Why Space Superiority Is Slipping Away
What PCB Fabricators Should Know About IPC APEX EXPO 2024
February 20, 2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
On the cusp of another IPC APEX EXPO, we focus on how bare board fabricators can maximize their time and investment at the show. We visited with Matt Kelly, IPC chief technologist, and Julia Gumminger, IPC professional development and events manager, as well as Udo Welzel and Stanton Rak, the chairs of the technical program committee, to discuss the technical depth and breadth that the 2024 show will bring to fabricators and professionals all along the supply chain. With IPC hosting the Electronic Circuit World Convention (ECWC) 16, this show presents an opportunity to highlight the most cutting-edge and relevant technical expertise available from across the globe.
Barry Matties: IPC is hosting ECWC 16 at APEX EXPO 2024. How will this year’s technical conference be different from IPC APEX EXPO 2023?
Julia Gumminger: The conference’s Technical Program Committee has grown to a 35-person advisory group of subject matter experts from around the globe—about half of them with PhDs—working in various sectors of our industry with different areas of expertise. Stan Rak and Udo Welzel, the co-chairs, have done a fantastic job welcoming the new members representing the World Electronic Circuits Council (WECC) countries’ organizations. The committee membership, made of WECC and IPC reps, have solicited technical papers from their powerful, international professional networks. Last year, about 90% of the conference papers were due to direct outreach from a committee member to a colleague.
The ECWC 16 conference will feature technical presentations from companies spanning the global supply chain. The committee acts as peer reviewers for the abstracts and the papers. They are always looking for new information, technical innovation, and data. Committee members attend conferences worldwide, sit on standards development committees, and are generally very active in the industry. They know whether something is new, the premise is false, or the data doesn't make sense. They have high standards for technology, that it must be innovative, make sense, and be relevant and useful in the industry.
Matt Kelly: My number one goal is to drive the quality level of our technical content. This show has been a great opportunity for that. The Technical Program Committee is not afraid to turn authors away if their papers do not feature new and innovative work. We focus on new topics and challenges, discoveries in materials and processes, and information that could transform our industry. Our team, namely Stan, Udo, and Julia, have done an amazing job modernizing the conference planning processes over the past three years. The printed circuit board tracks have traditionally been a strong focus at the show, but we are even stronger now with the breadth and depth of topics covered this year, thanks to the global WECC member contributions.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the February 2024 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
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
EV Group Achieves Breakthrough in Hybrid Bonding Overlay Control for Chiplet Integration
09/12/2025 | EV GroupEV Group (EVG), a leading provider of innovative process solutions and expertise serving leading-edge and future semiconductor designs and chip integration schemes, today unveiled the EVG®40 D2W—the first dedicated die-to-wafer overlay metrology platform to deliver 100 percent die overlay measurement on 300-mm wafers at high precision and speeds needed for production environments. With up to 15X higher throughput than EVG’s industry benchmark EVG®40 NT2 system designed for hybrid wafer bonding metrology, the new EVG40 D2W enables chipmakers to verify die placement accuracy and take rapid corrective action, improving process control and yield in high-volume manufacturing (HVM).
ROHM Develops Ultra-Compact CMOS Op Amp: Delivering Industry-Leading Ultra-Low Circuit Current
09/11/2025 | ROHMROHM’s ultra-compact CMOS Operational Amplifier (op amp) TLR1901GXZ achieves the industry’s lowest operating circuit current.
I-Connect007 Launches New Podcast Series on Ultra High Density Interconnect (UHDI)
09/12/2025 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 is excited to announce the debut of its latest On the Line With... podcast series, which shines a spotlight on one of the most important emerging innovations in electronics manufacturing: Ultra-High-Density Interconnect (UHDI).
I-Connect007 Launches New Podcast Series on Ultra High Density Interconnect (UHDI)
09/10/2025 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 is excited to announce the debut of its latest podcast series, which shines a spotlight on one of the most important emerging innovations in electronics manufacturing: Ultra-High-Density Interconnect (UHDI). The series kicks off with Episode One, “Ultra HDI: What does it mean to people? Why would they want it?” Host Nolan Johnson is joined by guest expert John Johnson, Director of Quality and Advanced Technology at American Standard Circuits (ASC).
KYZEN to Feature High-Reliability MICRONOX Chemistries at IMAPS Symposium
09/10/2025 | KYZEN'KYZEN, the global leader in innovative environmentally responsible cleaning chemistries, is pleased to announce its participation at the International Symposium on Microelectronics or IMAPS Symposium, taking place September 29-October 3 at Town & Country Resort in San Diego, CA.