Curtis Grosskopf: Lasting Connections Fuel Progress
March 7, 2023 | Patty Goldman, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
![](https://iconnect007.com/application/files/6716/9087/1152/Curtis_Grosskopf_250.jpg)
The Dieter Bergman IPC Fellowship Award is given by IPC International Inc. to individuals who have fostered a collaborative spirit, made significant contributions to standards development, and have consistently demonstrated a commitment to global standardization efforts and the electronics industry. Each recipient will be eligible to bestow the Dieter Bergman Memorial Scholarship upon the university or college of his/her choice.
Curtis Grosskopf, a senior engineer at IBM, reflects on the evolution of IPC committees and the vital importance of their work, especially in collaboratively creating industry-wide standards to guide the work of professionals in every sector. This commitment to multidisciplinary cooperation is a mindset that should be fostered at the start of every career.
Patty Goldman: Curt, congratulations on receiving the Dieter Bergman IPC Fellowship Award. This award is about collaboration. Why is that so important when working on a committee?
Grosskopf: Basically, no one person or company is all-knowing, and if you’re on a committee working on a standard, a test method, or other industry document, you will need multiple perspectives. You need suppliers, users, and OEMs. You also have to consider each person’s background—is it in consumer products, IT, automotive, aerospace, military, etc.? Then you have to look at the people on the committee: Are they designers? Are they from manufacturing, supply chain, life cycle management, qualification, environmental compliance? For any standards work, you need a wide range of people just to cover all the aspects of whatever topic that committee is working on. Then you need people with multiple capabilities. You might need someone to perform experiments, another to provide the samples, one to provide field data, and maybe someone to do the analysis of the data that you’re working to provide, or even the ability to just write the document. All those items are needed.
I’ve spent many, many years on the B10A Committee that currently maintains J-STD-020, which is the moisture sensitivity classification standard, and that committee owned its predecessor, the IPC-SM-786. Back in the day, we had a very good core team, which now is called an A-Team. We worked very well together, and we had a great mix of users and suppliers—people with different backgrounds. Jack McCullen from Intel was one of the original chairs, and he was very active in IPC. Today, Steve Martell from Nordson is the chair, but Steve works at a company that deals with equipment used for moisture testing. I come from an OEM background, and Jack has a supplier background, so you need those perspectives when you’re working on a committee.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the 2023 edition of Show & Tell Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
Altair Signs MoU With University of Nottingham to Develop Aerospace Digital Twin Project
07/25/2024 | PRNewswireAltair, a global leader in computational intelligence, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the U.K.-based University of Nottingham for a digital twin project within the aerospace sector.
Collins Aerospace Relocating Singapore Plant to New $250M Manufacturing Facility in Seletar Aerospace Park, Singapore
07/25/2024 | Collins AerospaceCollins Aerospace, an RTX business, announced the relocation of its Singapore manufacturing facility to a new, state-of-the-art site in Seletar Aerospace Park, Singapore.
Innovative and Cost-effective BGA Re-balling
07/23/2024 | Shavi Spinzi, Nano Dimension/EssemtecA new, high-quality BGA re-balling process, which is integrated into an all-in-one solution of dispensing and placement equipment developed by Essemtec, brings new opportunities for the reapplication of expensive BGA components. This new method seamlessly integrates the sequence of flux deposition and ball (sphere) placement with the subsequent soldering process.
Vertical Aerospace Begins Testing on New VX4 Prototype
07/22/2024 | BUSINESS WIREVertical Aerospace, a global aerospace and technology company that is pioneering zero emissions aviation, announced that testing on its most advanced eVTOL aircraft, unveiled last week, has started with initial powered ground tests, including propeller balancing, successfully complete.
Aerospace Riveting Equipment Market to Surpass $160M Revenue till 2032
07/22/2024 | Global Market InsightsThe aerospace riveting equipment market will witness over 3.5% CAGR between 2024 and 2032, propelled by burgeoning partnerships among companies for distribution and expansion.