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A few weeks ago in Irvine, California, I attended a meeting of the Orange County chapter of the IPC Designers Council. Once again, the room was packed with over 70 PCB designers and electronics professionals.
This “lunch-and-learn” meeting featured a presentation by Julie Ellis of TTM. Ellis is a field applications engineer, or as her LinkedIn profile simply states, “PCB Problem Solver.” She boasts creds that include a BSEE and an IPC Master Trainer certificate, not to mention being a survivor of the ViaSystems/TTM merger and the other ups and downs our industry has experienced since she began her career as a student-engineer at Hughes Aircraft in 1982.
Attendees at the meeting were treated to an in-depth look at Ellis’ topic, “Printed Circuit Board Cost Adders.” She covered all the usual suspects, such as microvias and sequential lamination, but she also addressed issues that were less obvious and extended beyond fabrication to the assembly process. By doing so, she gave a much broader view than is usually offered in the treatment of this subject. Ellis clearly touched on a highly relevant topic, which was evidenced by the long line of designers waiting to talk with her post-meeting.
Scott McCurdy of Freedom CAD is the president of the Orange County Chapter, and he has successfully created the largest IPC Designers Council in the country. With the support of Terri Kleekamp of Mentor Graphics, Kathy Palumbo of PALS, and Marty Grasso of TTM, the meeting is always full, the attendees well fed, and the topic consistently engaging. To top it off, the raffle prizes offered by sponsors are always a welcome treat. The whole format and package keeps electronic professionals coming back every time!
For more information about future meetings, visit the OC IPC Designers website.
