Facing the Future: Time for Real Talk, Early and Often, Between Design and Fabrication
Trouble in Your Tank: Can You Drill the Perfect Hole?
It’s Only Common Sense: Your Guide to Better Time Management
Two Industry Rising Stars Recognized at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
April 17, 2024 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Two of the industry’s best and brightest were presented with an IPC Rising Star Award at IPC APEX EXPO 2024 in recognition of their leadership roles and support of IPC standards, education, advocacy, and solutions to industry challenges. Award recipients were Naim Kapadia and Michael Schleicher.
Naim Kapadia of Grinsty Rail Ltd. has spent more than 20 years in electronics manufacturing working for contract manufacturers and PCB fabricators. He has participated in and led many programs in the UK: disseminating the Montreal Protocol, developing surface mount technology, and implementing lead-free processes. His passion for revolutionizing digital factories for electronic manufacturing led to the development of the first smart factory using legacy equipment in the UK. Naim's demonstration included implementing IPC-CFX, augmented reality/mixed reality, and collaborative robots.
Michael Schleicher of Semikron Elektronik GmbH has more than 30 years of experience in PCB design, contributing to projects in defense, automotive, healthcare, consumer electronics, and other industries. A multidiscipline engineer with Semikron, Michael has won numerous awards, including “Most Challenging High-Speed Design, "FED PCB Design award, the “IEC 1906 Award” and the IPC Golden Gnome “Globetrotter Award” (2023). A member of the FED EV Board and co-founder of the FED Arbeitskreis 3D-Elektronik working group, Schleicher is deeply involved in international standardization activities for IPC and IEC, as well as in the German national committees of DKE and ZVEI. For IPC he serves on the following standards committees: D-31B and D-31B-Creeps-A Team, 5-21N, European Standards Steering Committee, and the IPC APEX 2024 Technical Program Committee.
“We are thrilled to recognize the accomplishments of our Rising Stars and to take this opportunity to thank them for their contributions,” said John W. Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “We are privileged that Naim and Michael have chosen to share their knowledge and expertise with us and with the entire global electronics manufacturing industry.”
Share on:
Suggested Items
The Global Electronics Association Releases IPC-8911: First-Ever Conductive Yarn Standard for E-Textile Application
07/02/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationThe Global Electronics Association announces the release of IPC-8911, Requirements for Conductive Yarns for E-Textiles Applications. This first-of-its-kind global standard establishes a clear framework for classifying, designating, and qualifying conductive yarns—helping to address longstanding challenges in supply chain communication, product testing, and material selection within the growing e-textiles industry.
IPC-CFX, 2.0: How to Use the QPL Effectively
07/02/2025 | Chris Jorgensen, Global Electronics AssociationIn part one of this series, we discussed the new features in CFX Version 2.0 and their implications for improved inter-machine communication. But what about bringing this new functionality to the shop floor? The IPC-CFX-2591 QPL is a powerful technical resource for manufacturers seeking CFX-enabled equipment. The Qualified Product List (QPL) helps streamline equipment selection by listing models verified for CFX compliance through a robust third-party virtual qualification process.
The Knowledge Base: A Conference for Cleaning and Coating of Mission-critical Electronics
07/08/2025 | Mike Konrad -- Column: The Knowledge BaseIn electronics manufacturing, there’s a dangerous misconception that cleaning and coating are standalone options, that they operate in different lanes, and that one can compensate for the other. Let’s clear that up now. Cleaning and conformal coating are not separate decisions. They are two chapters in the same story—the story of reliability.
Advancing Aerospace Excellence: Emerald’s Medford Team Earns Space Addendum Certification
06/30/2025 | Emerald TechnologiesWe’re thrilled to announce a major achievement from our Medford, Oregon facility. Andy Abrigo has officially earned her credentials as a Certified IPC Trainer (CIT) under the IPC J-STD-001 Space Addendum, the leading industry standard for space and military-grade electronics manufacturing.
Magnalytix and Foresite to Host Technical Webinar on SIR Testing and Functional Reliability
06/26/2025 | MAGNALYTIXMagnalytix, in collaboration with Foresite Inc., is pleased to announce an upcoming one-hour Webinar Workshop titled “Comparing SIR IPC B-52 to Umpire 41 Functional & SIR Test Method.” This session will be held on July 24, 2025, and is open to professionals in electronics manufacturing, reliability engineering, and process development seeking insights into new testing standards for climatic reliability.