Electronics is an ever evolving industry, and it owes its phenomenal advancement to technology, unparalleled technical skills, smart decisions and excellent performance of the people and machines involved in the manufacturing and assembly process. Because of its ever-changing demands, and to establish standards of quality, certain stakeholders in the industry formed the Association Connecting Electronics Industries (IPC), to standardize production requirements of electronic assemblies. To achieve this goal, IPC commits itself to educate, train, and certify employees of member companies based on its established standards.
What is IPC?
IPC is a globally recognized industry association which aims to help its members achieve competitive excellence. It represents all the aspects of the electronics industry from design, manufacturing, assembly and testing.
Scope of IPC Standards
IPC has established a set of standards to ensure consistency of workmanship and quality of finished products. It encompasses the following:
- Standard in the design, process and acceptability of electronic products including printed electronics, cables, flexible circuits, electronics assemblies, and printed boards
- Standards for materials involved in the manufacture/assembly of electronic products
- Standards for transferring data from designer to manufacturer and vice versa
- Standards for the supply chain of boards. This includes the declaration of materials and qualification profiles of manufacturers and assembly service providers
- Standards for critical components of original equipment manufacturing, including power conversion and air movement devices.
Training and Certification
Training and certification are key factors in the promotion of quality standards in the electronics industry. These include programs that are based on IPC standards, approved by the industry and delivered to students by trainers who are certified by IPC. Students who have successfully completed the training and testing are issued industry traceable certificates. A training program like the electronics technician training is conducted in a classroom setting, but the certification testing is delivered to students through an online certification portal for IPC.
Benefits of IPC Certification to EMS Providers
- Improves the existing skill levels of employees
- Enable companies to produce high quality products
- Helps companies earn a competitive place in the market
- Helps to prevent/minimize errors in the manufacturing/assembly process
- Promotes cost effectiveness
- Prevents costly and time-consuming rework and testing
- Increases the efficiency of employees
The use of IPC standards can have a huge impact in the manufacturing process as it allows your company to enjoy these perks:
Control Over the Quality and Reliability of your end Product – Implement the standards of IPC in the entire manufacturing process and achieve quality and reliability of your finished product. These are the most important attributes any electronics manufacturer must have. It improves your company’s reputation, give it a competitive edge, and boosts its profitability.
Better Communication with Employees and Suppliers – IPC is consistent everywhere. It’s standards stay the same regardless of who’s using it. With IPC, you and your EMS providers, suppliers, and other electronics manufacturers speak the same language. This eliminates confusion because all the processes are based on established standards. As an employer, you must invest on training and certification programs like the IPC electronics technician certification to enhance your workers’ technical communication skills.
Cost Control – Compliance to the standards of IPC works to ensure that every stage of the manufacturing or assembly process denotes quality. Meeting stringent quality standards means doing things right even if it’s your first time. It works to minimize or eliminate costly rework and delays.
Benefits of IPC Training to Individuals
More and more electronics companies are asking job candidates for IPC training certificates because of the skills that come along with it. Lots of companies are even willing to invest in IPC training and certification as it has a great potential to improve the quality of their product. This is how IPC training can benefit individuals:
- IPC training helps to improve your skill level and makes you qualified to do specific tasks
- It increases your chances for employment
- It works to make your skills officially recognized by the organization you’re working for
- It levels up your knowledge and makes it in line with globally recognized standards
One of the best ways to make your organization is reliable and credible for your customers is to adopt the standards of IPC. It gives them the assurance that your products carry the highest quality. This in turn gives them the confidence that their own end users will also be satisfied with your product. You can achieve these standards by sending your workers to IPC training and certification programs at Blackfox Training Institute call us today at 888 837-9959 for more information.
