Automotive Initiatives Make Headway at IPC APEX EXPO

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A significant number of automotive activities made notable strides at this year’s IPC APEX EXPO. Several committees dedicated to creating and updating automotive addenda for existing IPC standards, like assembly processes, PCB fabrication, and high-voltage cable, met and were led by companies like Toyota, Bosch, Continental, and Elmatica. Automotive dedicated groups, like the Cold Joining/Press-fit Task Group, also met and discussed inclusions in its next planned revision. As part of the IPC-6012 Automotive Addendum Task Group meeting, the group brainstormed high voltage considerations in the next revision or as separate standards, building on discussions that took place during task group meetings in conjunction with productronica 2021.  

Additionally, automotive was a component of educational programming, with several courses and technical papers presented throughout the week. The Press-fit Technology Deep Dive course outlined key design processes and how to use the standard for process, quality, and design/development engineers for manufacturers and OEMs who use electronic components. Vern Solberg, Solberg Technical Consulting, conducted a course on PCB design which addressed flexible and rigid-flex applications and design principles for automotive use environments. Automotive leaders also took the stage on innovative technology, electrical test methods, and artificial intelligence in the SMT inspection process.

The IPC Transportation Electronics Council (ITERC) met to review global industry survey results and discuss necessary next steps for assuring automotive electronics reliability. The council, comprised of automotive OEMs and key automotive suppliers, engaged in thoughtful discussion about standardization and industry needs. The group generated a dynamic list of action items.

This article originally appeared in Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPO 2022 Show & Tell Magazine.

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