The Chemical Connection: Onshoring PCB Production—Daunting but Certainly Possible
Marcy’s Musings: The Legislative Outlook—Helping or Hurting?
It’s Only Common Sense: The Phone Is Still Mightier Than the Keyboard
IPC Introduces First Standard for In-Mold Electronics
November 18, 2024 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
IPC announces the release of IPC-8401, Guidelines for In-Mold Electronics. IPC-8401 addresses in-mold electronics (IME) technology, providing industry consensus on guidelines for manufacturing processes, part structures, material selection, and production test methods to integrate printed electronics and components into 3D smart structures.
IPC-8401 is the first of what is expected to be a series of standards that will move beyond the automotive industry and cover IME for smart home products and aviation.
The standard was developed by the D-83A In-Mold Electronics Interconnection Task Group, a group comprised of experts worldwide, led by Paavo Niskala from TactoTek and Iker Arroyo Moso from Eurecat. Niskala says, “The automotive industry has driven the development of IME because it significantly reduces the cost, weight, waste, and energy required to produce vehicle interior parts. Rather than using a PCB in a plastic molding with features interacting with PCB sensors, IME components are integrated directly into the plastic molding, making the manufacturing process more streamlined, sustainable, and efficient.
Key guidelines covered in IPC-8401 include:
- Manufacturing Processes: Introduction to the manufacturing processes involved in producing in-mold electronics.
- IME Part Structure: This defines a standardized IME part structure supporting the design and processing of IME parts for mass production.
- Candidate Materials: Provides material selection criteria and recommendations as industry-adopted practices, covering all materials, including substrates, functional inks, SMT components, SMT adhesives, and injection molding resins.
- Production Test Methods: Defines best practices and criteria for process controls-driven testing throughout the manufacturing processes.
To purchase IPC-8401, visit the IPC Store. To participate in IPC standards development committee meetings like the D-83A In-Mold Electronics Interconnection Task Group, visit the IPC’s committee page.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Our marketing partnership with I-Connect007 is already delivering. Just a day after our press release went live, we received a direct inquiry about our updated products!"
Rachael Temple - AlltematedSuggested Items
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Revamp Your Components with BGA Reballing
10/14/2025 | Nash Bell -- Column: Knocking Down the Bone PileBall grid array (BGA) components evolved from pin grid array (PGA) devices, carrying over many of the same electrical benefits while introducing a more compact and efficient interconnect format. Instead of discrete leads, BGAs rely on solder balls on the underside of the package to connect to the PCB. In some advanced designs, solder balls are on both the PCB and the BGA package. In stacked configurations, such as package-on-package (PoP), these solder balls also interconnect multiple packages, enabling higher functionality in a smaller footprint.
New Course Presents a Comprehensive Guide to IPC Standards
10/10/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Francisco Fourcade, electronics technology standards manager for the Global Electronics Association, has spent years helping companies understand and implement the standards that keep the electronics manufacturing industry moving forward. In this interview, he shares updates on ongoing standards development efforts and previews a new course, "IPC Standards: A Guide for the Electronics Industry,” which starts Oct. 14.
North American EMS Industry Shipments Down 1.4% in August
10/02/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationThe Global Electronics Association announced the August 2025 findings from its North American Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.26.
North American PCB Industry Sales Up 12.8% in August
10/02/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationThe Global Electronics Association announced the August 2025 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 0.98.
Industry Leaders Shape a Sustainable Future at 2025 IPC CEMAC Electronics Manufacturing Annual Conference
09/30/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationThe 2025 IPC CEMAC Electronics Manufacturing Annual Conference, co-hosted by the Global Electronics Association and the Shanghai Pudong Association for Quality and Technology, successfully concluded on September 26 in Shanghai.