Navigating the Global Materials Supply Chain: A Roundtable Discussion
December 3, 2015 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 15 minutes
That's the major issue that we've got. It's not building a prototype. It is in the end having a reliable industrialized production which we need to focus on.
Willis: At least one other point that's worth keeping in mind, and I think that the industry is doing that to a certain extent, is that original material manufacturers sell to the PCB manufacturer. However, they should sell to the designer instead.
The designer is comfortable and has an understanding. The classic case was DuPont. They always sold to the designer. Then perhaps the PCB manufacturer kind of suffered a little bit because it's been specified in before he was aware of it. I think from a commercial point of view, that's a good thing. Talking about NPL, we are very keen to do testing, evaluation, and understanding the problems. We've done massive work on CAF and CAF testing, trying to generate new techniques to measure susceptibility for CAF with different materials. That's just been really, really interesting.
Another project we did is looking at moisture ingress and the reality of how you get it out, whether you ever get it out and to the degree to which you get it out. Some of the work was done by a colleague of mine. You step back and you think it makes sense, but we just didn't appreciate it until somebody does this science. Anything we do now is all about science. Whether it's materials, chemistry, and obviously design aspects for components.
Pattie: I think when you get on the designers, sometimes there's a real silo mentality of just really thinking about what their needs are and not how it spreads out to everyone else. When we really started our OEM program, we call it an OEM marketing program, but it's also an OEM educational program. We really have to work with all our designers to understand all these implications. Having to be able to connect all three is very important. We also have a very competitive business, so it's not always that everybody works as well together as they often should.
Willis: I think there's also one other group that we probably sometimes perhaps don't like, not me personally, but certainly some: purchasing. A zillion years ago we used to do some training courses for purchasing people from very large companies. I was extremely surprised at how little they knew about the product they were purchasing.
True, they can't know everything they're buying, unless they're a very big company and they specialize in PCB fab or components, because they're buying loads of different stuff. However, there are a lot of companies that are bad at specification, so how can a purchasing guy compare two products if he hasn't got a good specification to start off with?
Pattie: I'll tell you one area that's a very serious problem right now—the metal core PCB business. There are no IPC specs for this. It's kind of the wild, wild West. There's so much misinterpretation in, what I would even say, is maybe over-purchasing. Purchasing a product that is way over specified that you don't need that type of product, because they don't understand what they're buying. We see that a lot.
Page 4 of 6
Suggested Items
IPC Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Lionel Fullwood
07/15/2025 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007Many IPC members who have contributed significantly to IPC and our industry have been awarded the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame (HOF) Award. Though many early HOF members have passed away and are unknown to today’s IPC membership, their contributions still resonate. This special series on IPC Hall of Fame members provides a reminder of who was honored and why. As a bonus, for those who are still around, we get to find out what these talented individuals are up to today.
TRI Unveils New Platform for Diverse Board Sizes Search Submit
07/14/2025 | TRITest Research, Inc. (TRI), the leading test and inspection systems provider for the electronics manufacturing industry, proudly introduces a new size configuration for SPI and AOI Models.
Seeing a Future in Mexico
07/09/2025 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007The Global Electronics Association (formerly known as IPC) has been instrumental in fostering a partnership with Guanajuato, a state north of Mexico City with 12 industrial clusters and close to 150 companies involved in electronics. This past spring, Alejandro Hernández, the undersecretary for investment promotion in Guanajuato, attended IPC APEX EXPO 2025 at the invitation of IPC Mexico Director Lorena Villanueva, where he met with several companies to discuss the opportunities available in Mexico. He is inviting electronics-related companies seeking long-term investment in a centrally located area with access to highways, railways, and ports.
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.