-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Growing Industry
In this issue of PCB007 Magazine, we talk with leading economic experts, advocacy specialists in Washington, D.C., and PCB company leadership to get a well-rounded picture of what’s happening in the industry today. Don’t miss it.
The Sustainability Issue
Sustainability is one of the most widely used terms in business today, especially for electronics and manufacturing but what does it mean to you? We explore the environmental, business, and economic impacts.
The Fabricator’s Guide to IPC APEX EXPO
This issue previews many of the important events taking place at this year's show and highlights some changes and opportunities. So, buckle up. We are counting down to IPC APEX EXPO 2024.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
The Importance of Harmonized Standards that Benefit All
May 26, 2015 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
I-Connect007 Technical Editor Pete Starkey caught up with Amphenol applications engineer Sean Keating at IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego. Keating explains his company’s commitment to proactive participation in the establishment of standards, his personal experience working on standards committees, and his view on the importance of harmonised global standards.
Pete Starkey: It’s nice to see you here at IPC APEX. I understand Amphenol is strongly interested in standards and that you are personally active on some committees. Start by telling us about that.
Sean Keating: Amphenol UK is very proactive in a number of the standards, in particular the certification standards. I have been working closely with IPC for about six or seven years now. My secondary reason for being here is that this is a fantastic forum for problem solving.
Any problems that have cropped up over the weeks or months prior to the show can often be resolved using the immense technological think tank that’s here on the show floor, in the meetings, or even in the bar!
I’m on nine committees right now, from low pressure overmoulding to electronics in space, and I would say we’re probably working 10+ hours a day. It’s a busy week for a number of the standards; much of my focus is on the IPC/WHMAA-620 cable and harness training committee, which is meeting on Thursday to discuss training. We are looking at having a more robust practical course that will be certifiable.
This will mean that when you certify to that standard you have demonstrated the skills and proven ability to actually build a harness—not just inspect it. Perhaps, depending on how the committee decides, there will be different levels of harness ability or skill, but we will have to wait and see on that one!
Starkey: IPC and IEC are really recognized as the world’s standards authorities, but do you notice that some of the standards are originating from Asia and taking some prominence?
Keating: Certainly not with anything we’re doing in Europe, but I cannot answer for the whole group as we have facilities in more than 40 countries, worldwide. IPC, without doubt, has the lion’s share of standards, which are imposed on us by our major customers. As a design and manufacturing facility we get standards imposed on us as well as what we pass onto our subcontractors. Virtually all of our major customers now have IPC standards of one type or another noted on their drawings. I’ve been with Amphenol for 26 years and for the last 10–12 years this has grown from occasionally seeing an IPC standard called out to the point now where nearly every single callout references an IPC standard.
Starkey: Provided that there is some international cooperation and our colleagues in Asia are prepared to recognize Western standards and cooperate with them, there is worldwide harmony.
Keating: Absolutely, and with Amphenol being a global company, we actually help train and facilitate at our India and China locations, so that within Amphenol worldwide, we’re working to the same standard. And that harmony is absolutely imperative. It also means that when we talk to them, when we look at them as low cost manufacturers, we can talk at exactly the same level and about the same things. So it really has been helpful.
Starkey: Sean, thanks very much for your time.
Keating: Thank you, Pete.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of The PCB Magazine.
Suggested Items
Alternative Manufacturing Inc. Awarded QML Requalification to IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610
04/24/2024 | IPCIPC's Validation Services Program has awarded an IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 Qualified Manufacturers Listing (QML) requalification to Alternative Manufacturing Inc (AMI).
IPC Design Competition Champion Crowned at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
04/24/2024 | IPCAt IPC APEX EXPO 2024 in Anaheim, California, five competitors squared off to determine who was the best of the best at PCB design.
Big Win for Defense Production Act Budget Allocation in FY24 Budget
04/23/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamOne year ago, President Biden issued a determination that chips and packaging are critical for national security. Since that time, much work has been done to continue the conversation in Washington, elevating the importance of the entire chips value chain, and including printed circuit boards and substrates, without which chips cannot operate.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: A Conversation with IPC's CEO: New Venue, Sustainability, and More
04/23/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOBarry Matties hosts Dr. John W. Mitchell, CEO of IPC, on the final day of IPC APEX EXPO 2024. They discuss the new venue in Anaheim and broach a range of topics, from traffic and booth experiences to workforce development, sustainability, and the CHIPS Act. And they offer advice for newcomers as IPC looks forward to an even better show experience next year.
Boeing's Janene Stinson Earns IPC Excellence in Education Award at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
04/22/2024 | IPCThe IPC Excellence in Education award was presented to Janene Stinson, Boeing, at IPC APEX EXPO 2024 in Anaheim, California, in recognition of her significant contributions to workforce development and leadership.