In normal years, figuring out how to move ahead during an economic recovery often seems like herding cats. But given the many questions swirling around the impact that a Greek default might have on the global economy, conventional electronics industry businesses seem like stable, predictable fields.

Funny how perspectives can change. IPC’s Spring Electronics Industries Market Data Update addresses the fluid political and economic situations in Europe. The update can’t predict what will happen, but it provides data that shows what’s been happening in global economies.

Data for the comparatively staid electronics field might prove more helpful. Many segments in electronics haven’t been impacted too much to date. Laminate sales were up slightly for the year. The EMS industry also grew, exceeding the expansion in laminates.

IPC data delves into data points that are difficult to find elsewhere. If you’re interested in where solder’s used, and how much of it still contains lead, this report is the easiest place to find it.

Electronics industry data can’t predict what will happen in Greece. But it certainly sheds insight on what’s happening in the many niches within this industry.

The IPC Market Data Update is available to IPC members at no charge and to industry by subscription. For more information, contact IPC Director of Market Research Sharon Starr.

Americans love a contest, if TV is any indication of our collective interest. Whether it’s’ the Olympics or shows that pick America’s next idol, best dancer or toughest survivor, these challenges dominate the airwaves and we can’t seem to get enough of them.

Next month, many IPC members will get to see – or participate in – a contest to see who’s best and quickest at hand soldering. Last year, the contest booth at IPC Midwest (August 22-23 this year) was pretty solidly scheduled, with crowds standing by to watch for most of the two-day challenge.

Some watch their friends or co-workers, others watch simply to see how technicians perform when they’re being tested for quality and by time. Mirrors give viewers a chance to see the soldering from a different angle.

It’s got to be a bit strange for the contestants, who don’t typically have people watching them while they work. But most perform admirably despite the added pressure. The IPC hand soldering contest  is an international phenomenon, with events in the U.S., China and India.

The prizes are pretty nice. The winner gets a $500 plus  a free trip to IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego Feb. 19-21. At APEX EXPO, the international hand soldering contest will let champions from China, India and the U.S. vie for international glory — truly being awarded Best of the Best. It’s a fun contest, one that’s a nice diversion during a busy trade show.

By Mark Pritchard, IPC  Director of Media Training

Whether you run a Learning Management System (LMS) and require SCORM-compliance for all your training programs, or just need something to train your students on a stand-alone computer… IPC’s new OVT (Online Video Training) platform is designed for you.

For many years, IPC has been providing video training in formats that are compatible with PCs and learning networks. These computer-friendly video files could be downloaded or streamed throughout your entire networked enterprise. Automated testing, however, remained separate.

Enter our new OVT format, and you have a single Flash-based, SCORM-compliant, self-paced automated training and testing program that wraps up our award-winning video with interactive testing, grading and certificate generation (with e-mail notification) all in one user-friendly interface.

SCORM is the de facto industry standard for e-learning interoperability. Specifically, SCORM governs how online learning content and Learning Management Systems (LMSs) communicate with each other.

OVT-74C – ESD Control for Electronics Assembly is our first OVT program using this new format. Wondering if it might be right for your company?  Check out our video demo of these exciting new features, including: integrated video with scroll capability to use as a reference during testing, customizable exams for company-specific processes, randomization of questions, automated scoring, certificate printing, e-mailing of tests results, and more.

Our entire library of assembly-related training videos will soon be available in this new OVT format for playback on standalone computers, learning networks and within learning management systems. If there’s a program you’d like to try in this new OVT format, please contact us and we’ll do our best to get it ready for you right away.

Industry expert Bob Willis has tips on new reference books and IPC standards to help you do your job better.

PDF summary of Bob’s recommendations.

Training has been one of the cornerstones of IPC’s push into China. Chinese companies are anxious to learn how they can comply with standards that are often used to determine whether or not a supplier will get a contract.

IPC standards have long been used as the metric for quality, providing clear definitions of what makes a good quality board and what doesn’t. But no matter how clear documentation is, there will always be room for different interpretations.

That’s starting to occur more often in China, where the rapid expansion of manufacturing means many companies are coming up to speed in areas like quality and reliability. As this occurs, more companies are asking, “what happens when two companies disagree on whether or not a given board, or a full lot, meets IPC-A-610?”

IPC China is stepping into this fray, offering IPC members a referee/inspection service. IPC China’s Master Trainers who are certified and regularly teach courses on IPC-A-610, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies, can be tapped to referee these disagreements.

“If an IPC member company has a conflict on assemblies that are specified to IPC-A-610, IPC can referee based on the standard,” said Leesha Peng, general manager of IPC China. “We have had several requests for this service already. IPC can provide them with an unbiased opinion as to whether or not the inspected electronic assemblies meets the requirements that the IPC technical standards committee intended.”

For more information, contact Peng at LeeshaPeng@ipc.org.

Ray Prasad, president, Prasad Consultancy Group, and chairman of the 5-21 Ball Grid Array Task Group, discusses revisions to IPC-7095, Design and Assembly Process Implementation for BGAs. Prasad also addresses BGA technical issues:  pad cratering and head-on-pillow defects.

Watch the video.

The third posting in a series of updates from IPC standards committee meetings held at IPC Midwest.

Assembly and Joining

The 5-21f Ball Grid Array Task Group reviewed comments received on the C revision of IPC-7095, Design and Assembly Process Implementation for BGAs. Many of the revisionsdeal with cratering anomalies and new termination types and also consider mechanical stress testing for area array assemblies. Comments will be incorporated and a 10-day ballot circulated for approval. The goal is to publish the document by the end of 2012.

The 5-21jnd Solder Paste Task group released IPC-7527, Solder Paste Printing Acceptance Guide for publication.

The 5-24a Flux Specifications Task Group reviewed and revised Test Methods: 2.3.32 – Copper Mirror, 2.6.15-Corrosion, 2.3.28.1 – Quantitative Halides, 2.6.3.7 – SIR, 2.3.33 – Silver Chromate, 2.3.35.1 – Fluoride Spot.

The 5-24b Solder Paste Task Group began review of all test methods originating with the group and discussed the need for revising IPC-HDBK-005, Guide to Solder Paste Assessment.

The 5-24c Solder Alloy Task Group continued review of a proposed C revision of J-STD-006, Requirements for Electronic Grade Solder Alloys and Fluxed and Non-Fluxed Solid Solders for Electronic Soldering Applications.

Cleaning and Coating

The 5-32a Ion Chromatography/Ionic Conductivity Task Group is developing a component method. This test method could potentially be used as a secondary approach to evaluating counterfeit parts.

The 5-32b Surface Insulation Resistance Task Group discussed the development of an SIR test pattern library. A presentation was given by Plexus staff on upcoming efforts by the High Density Packaging User’s Group (HDPUG) for a new project that will further investigate electro-chemical migration exposures created by no clean flux residues on PCBAs.

The 5-32c Bare Board Cleanliness Assessment Task Group reviewed industry comments to the Final Draft of IPC-5703, Cleanliness Guidelines for Printed Board Fabricators. This document will serve as a follow-up and companion document to the existing IPC-5702, Guidelines for OEMs in Determining Acceptable Levels of Cleanliness of Unpopulated Printed Boards. The document is expected to go to ballot in late 2012.

The 5-32e Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF) Task Group advanced the IPC-9691 User’s Guide to its B revision. The task group also reviewed a very detailed CAF test coupon design proposed by IBM.

The 5-33a Conformal Coating Task Group reviewed IPC-CC-830, Qualification and Performance of Electrical Insulation Compounds for Printed Board Assemblies, Amendment 1 to address issues with testing and documentation on insulation testing results of 500 megohm changing to 5000 megohm. In addition, this task group is considering an adhesion test method.

The 5-33f Potting and Encapsulation Task Group celebrated the publication of IPC-HDBK-850, Guidelines for Design, Selection and Application of Potting Materials and Encapsulation Processes Used for Electronics Printed Circuit Board Assembly.

Product Reliability

The 6-10c Plated-Through Via (PTV) Reliability Task Group reviewed industry comments on IPC-TM-650, Method 2.6.26A, DC Current Induced Thermal Cycling. The A revision process includes updates to the current procedure centered on the Interconnect Stress Test (IST) design as well as a second procedure based on the current induced thermal cycling (CITC) procedure developed by Endicott Interconnect Technology.

The new 6-11 Printed Board Coplanarity Subcommittee met to unveil plans for IPC-9641, High Temperature Printed Board Flatness Measurement Methodology. IPC currently has test methods that address the overall planarity (bow and twist) of a printed board, but this new IPC guideline will address localized planarity of the board at package locations under thermal stress.

Testing

The 7-11 Test Methods Subcommittee announced the release of the new IPC-MDP-650 Method Development Packet. This new document provides originating task groups who wish to develop new test methods guidance on how IPC-TM-650 test methods should be structured and developed, along with requirements for validation and gage reproducibility and repeatability (Gage R&R) data.

The 7-12 Microsection Subcommittee reviewed industry comments on the draft revisions of IPC-TM-650, Method 2.1.1F, Microsectioning, and Method 2.1.1.2B, Microsectioning – Semi or Automatic Technique Microsection Equipment (Alternate). Their goal is to update the methods with respect to different types of via constructions (blind, buried, staggered, etc.) and to advances in microsection preparation.

Product Assurance

The 7-31h (IPC-HDBK-620 Task Group) and 7-31k (Wire Harness Design Task Group) have combined to work on their respective documents. The first document in development is the IPC-D-620, Wire Harness Design Guidelines.

The 7-32c Electrical Continuity Task Group prepared the ballot for Amendment 1 of IPC-9252A, Requirements for Electrical Testing of Unpopulated Printed Boards, which provides clarification for automated test equipment for resistive isolation testing, as well as testing of accessible midpoints.

Embedded components are becoming more common as the industry movies into the use of handheld and portable products. Vern Solberg, Solberg Technical Consulting, talks about IPC’s efforts to create an embedded device process standard, IPC-7092, Design and Assembly Process Implementation for Embedded Components.

Watch the video.

 By Jasbir Bath, IPC principal engineer

Over the last few years, there have been many discussions on the affect of voiding on BGA/CSP solder joint reliability. IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001 standards state that greater than 25% of voiding in any ball in the X-ray image area is classified as a defect according to Electronic Product Classifications 1, 2 and 3.

The challenge that has faced the industry is what data is available to support the greater than 25% voiding defect classification and how early will a failure occur when a BGA or CSP component solder joint has a void greater than 25% versus a solder joint which does not.

There have been many studies in the industry to try and understand how voids can affect solder joint reliability. IPC SPVC (Solder Products Value Council) conducted a study which found that there did not appear to be a correlation between void size and number of cycles to failure when comparing voiding levels below and above 25% of the X-ray image area. In a separate study (Ref. 1) solder joint reliability was reduced only when the voids were located in the crack path which reduced the overall path length to cause solder joint failure. The above studies were done with relatively mild thermal cycling temperature ranges from 0C to 100C. When investigating with wider temperature cycling ranges from -55C to +125C with larger stresses on the solder joint (Ref. 2), voids greater than 25% failed earlier than solder joints with less than 25% primarily due to the location of the voids in the crack path. It was also found that the failure cycle of void containing solder joints was only slightly earlier than the non-void containing solder joints.

A more recent study comparing voiding % at less than 25% and at 42% indicated the increased voiding % did give a reduced solder joint reliability when thermal cycling from -40C to +100C (Ref.3). It also indicated a group of smaller voids may be more of a concern than a single large void. The study highlighted the need for more work to determine acceptable levels of voiding from both a thermal and mechanical reliability point of view. This information would be used in developing standards going forward for areas of the BGA/CSP components where there are increased stresses such as the outer row and corners of the component as well as die shadow areas.

In many of the investigations conducted to date, it has been a challenge to produce large voids to understand the affect on solder joint reliability based on the improved solder paste materials and optimized reflow profiles used in the industry, which indicates that the voiding criteria could be used to establish soldering process controls rather than verifying component solder joint integrity.  Changing the current IPC criteria for BGA voiding to be a process indicator rather than a reject criteria is an area which will be discussed at the IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 standard meetings and technical conference at IPC APEX next year in February. It should be a lively discussion.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Ref. 1: S. Sethuraman et al., The Effect of Process Voiding on BGA Solder Joint Fatigue Life Measured in Accelerated Thermal Cycling, SMTAI conf. (2007).

Ref. 2: D.Hillman et al., The Last Will and Testament of the BGA Void, SMTAI conf. (2011).

Ref. 3: G. Qin et al. Assessing the Impact of Temperature Cycling Reliability of High Levels of Voiding in BGA Solder Joints, SMTAI conf. (2012).

New Revision of IPC/WHMA-A-620 Released
Hundreds of Enhancements Made to Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies Standard

Significant technical updates, greater ease-of-use and compatibility with other key assembly standards are among the many changes users will find in the newly released B revision of IPC/WHMA-A-620, Requirements and Acceptance for Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies. This important industry standard is a joint effort of IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries® and the Wire Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA).

The revision addresses more than 500 documented comments and recommendations from users throughout the industry and features 125 new or changed illustrations. A “redline” highlighting all of the changes is available at no charge through this link.

“There have been major enhancements in nearly every chapter, with updated and expanded criteria,” said Jack Crawford, IPC’s director of certification and assembly technology.

Some of the most extensive changes appear in the molding and potting section, which has been expanded for increased coverage of Class 2 and 3 requirements, including 31 new illustrations. The document also provides new criteria for wires as small as 32 AWG, and has a section on requirements flow down, which requires companies to have their subcontractors use the standard to ensure all hardware is manufactured to the same guidelines.

In addition, the revised document allows users to more easily reference and apply criteria from multiple standards, thanks to greater compatibility with the widely used J-STD-001E, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies and IPC-A-610E, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies.

Users with varying reliability requirements and markets in different regions will also have greater ease-of-use with the addition of UL, SAE and IEC pull-force tables.

“Depending on their customers’ needs, users can look at different sections and know they’re meeting industry or regional requirements,” said T. John Laser, a manufacturing engineer at L-3 Communications and chair of the IPC task group that developed the standard.

IPC/WHMA-A-620B is 400 pages long and features 682 full-color illustrations. IPC members may request one free single-user download or hard copy of IPC/WHMA-A-620B, Requirements and Acceptance for Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies, at http://www.ipc.org/A-620B-request within 90 days of the document’s publication. After that date, IPC members may purchase the standard for $55. The industry price is $110. For more information or to purchase a copy of IPC/WHMA-A-620B, visit http://www.ipc.org/620.

The IPC/WHMA-A-620 Technical Training Task Group is currently updating the IPC-A-620 training and certification program; roll-out is expected by March 2013.

Reports from IPC standards meetings at IPC APEX EXPO 2013 have been summarized to keep you up to date on committees’ work in advancing new and revised industry guidelines. This is the third report in the series.

Assembly and Joining

The 5-21f Ball Grid Array Task Group completed their work on IPC-7095C, Design and Assembly Process Implementation for BGAs, which was published prior to IPC APEX EXPO. The committee met to celebrate the success of this accomplishment and determine applicable future work that needed to be done on any issues related to BGA implementation. The members of the committee were congratulated for their work during an awards luncheon.

The 5-21h Bottom Termination Task Group reviewed the deliberations of the completion of IPC-7095C and considered an amendment or revision to the bottom termination components document, IPC-7093. Very few issues were identified; however, industry problems still exist with voiding of the thermal pad. These issues will be discussed during 2013 via email, and the committee will meet in the fall for a detailed review of new requirements needed enhance IPC-7093.

The 5-21jnd Solder Paste Task group released IPC-7527, Solder Paste Printing Acceptance Guide for publication.

The 5-21k IPC-SM-817 SMT Adhesive Task group has re-formed and is opening the IPC-SM-817, General Requirements for Dielectric Surface Mounting Adhesive for revision and update to revision A.

The 5-22a J-STD-001 Task Group reviewed nearly 75 open action items and comments to J-STD-001F, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies. This task group met a second day to resolve comments on criteria common to both J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610, Acceptability for Electronic Assemblies.

The 5-23a Printed Circuit Board Solderability Specifications Task group completed work on the J-STD-003C, Handling, Packing, Shipping, and Use of Moisture/Reflow and/or Process Sensitive Components revision. This document will be going out for ballot after the addition of some figures.

The 5-24a Flux Specifications Task Group reviewed and revised Test Methods: 2.3.32 – Copper Mirror, 2.6.15-Corrosion, 2.3.28.1 – Quantitative Halides, 2.6.3.7 – SIR, 2.3.33 – Silver Chromate, 2.3.35.1 – Fluoride Spot.

The 5-24b Solder Paste Task Group began review of all test methods originating with the group and discussed the need for revising IPC-HDBK-005, Guide to Solder Paste Assessment.

The 5-24c Solder Alloy Task Group reviewed comments received during the first round of balloting on the proposed C revision of J-STD-006, Requirements for Electronic Grade Solder Alloys and Fluxed and Non-Fluxed Solid Solders for Electronic Soldering Applications. Comments were resolved and some technical changes were made to the standard. The ballot will now go back to the task group for a second round of balloting. Balloting should close at the beginning of April with possible publication by mid-year 2013.

Cleaning and Coating

The 5-31g Stencil Cleaning Handbook Task group is working on revision A of IPC-7526, Stencil and Misprinted Board Cleaning Handbook.

The 5-31j Cleaning Compatibility task group has been formed to develop a standard test method in place of Mil-Std-202 Method 215 to determine the compatibility of cleaning agents and mechanical delivery systems with general electronic assemblies, component hardware and electronic assembly materials. Currently, Mil-Std-202 and the 215 test method do not accurately represent modern cleaning chemistries and the cleaning equipment advancements that are currently used within electronic assembly manufacturing processes.

The 5-32a Ion Chromatography/Ionic Conductivity Task Group is developing a component method. This test method could potentially be used as a secondary approach to evaluating counterfeit parts.

The 5-32b Surface Insulation Resistance Task Group discussed the development of an SIR test pattern library.  This group received a report on the updated IPC-B-52 test board.

The 5-32c Bare Board Cleanliness Assessment Task Group reviewed concepts for a future IPC-5705 guideline that would provide insight into how to qualify a printed board fabricator in accordance with IPC-5704, Cleanliness Requirements for Unpopulated Printed Boards.  In the future, IPC printed board specifications such as IPC-6012 are expected to call out IPC-5704 as part of overall requirements for fabrication of production lots of printed boards.  When this happens, having a document such as IPC-5705 will be beneficial.  The group was not opposed to the concept, but requested that some cases studies be generated of those making use of IPC-5704 before approving an IPC-5705 effort.

The 5-32c Bare Board Cleanliness Assessment Task Group reviewed concepts for a future IPC-5705 guideline that would provide insight into how to qualify a printed board

The 5-32e Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF) Task Group addressed revision B of IPC-9691, User Guide for the IPC-TM-650, Method 2.6.25, Conductive Anodic Filament  (CAF) Resistance Test (Electrochemical Migration Testing).  The group agreed upon changes to sections 8 and 9 in the User Guide.  Additionally, because of a discrepancy between the CAF test method (TM 2.6.25A) and the User Guide IPC-9691A, the group decided that the preconditioning bake be changed in the test method from a minimum of 30 minutes to 6 hours.  Accordingly, revision B of the TM 2.6.25 will be pursued to include the new baking time plus any new test vehicle proposed designs.

The 5-33a Conformal Coating Task Group reviewed IPC-CC-830, Qualification and Performance of Electrical Insulation Compounds for Printed Board Assemblies, This group will be pursuing a C revision rather than an amendment. Revisions will include a test method for adhesion, address issues with testing and documentation on insulation testing results of 500 megohms vs. 5000 megohms, and the possible addition of a new generic type of conformal coating.

The 5-33c Conformal Coating Task Group has completed industry review of IPC-HDBK-830A, Guidelines for Design, Selection and Application of Conformal Coatings. This document will be going out for ballot in the next quarter.

The 5-33f Potting and Encapsulation Task Group celebrated the publication of IPC-HDBK-850, Guidelines for Design, Selection and Application of Potting Materials and Encapsulation Processes Used for Electronics Printed Circuit Board Assembly.

Product Reliability

The 6-10c Plated-Through Via (PTV) Reliability Task Group reviewed industry comments to the final draft of IPC-TM-650, Method 2.3.35, Capacitance of Printed Board Substrates after Exposure to Assembly, Rework and/or Reliability Tests.  The test method is intended as an optional procedure that may be called out within the corresponding IPC-TM-650, Method 2.6.26A, DC Current Induced Thermal Cycling, which is itself undergoing an A revision that includes updates to the current procedure centered on the interconnect stress test (IST) design and a second procedure based on the current induced thermal cycling (CITC) procedure developed by Endicott Interconnect Technology.   The group focused on examples of material degradation that may trigger suggested failure thresholds in the 2.3.35 method, including delamination, cohesive fracture, crazing and material decomposition.

The new 6-11 Printed Board Coplanarity Subcommittee addressed industry comments to the final draft of IPC-9641, High Temperature Printed Board Flatness Guideline. While IPC has test methods that address the overall planarity (bow and twist) of a printed board, this new IPC guideline will address localized planarity of the board at package locations under thermal stress.  The document will be going out for ballot later in March.

Testing

IPC staff  provided the 7-11 Test Methods Subcommittee with an overview of a new tracking system within IPC that will alert originating task groups (OTGs) of IPC-TM-650 Test Methods when their test methods have reached a five-year milestone from release.  The goal is notify OTGs of when a test method should be considered for revision, reaffirmation, or cancellation so as to maintain the validity and value of individual IPC-TM-650 test methods.

The 7-12 Microsection Subcommittee reviewed industry comments on the draft revisions of IPC-TM-650, Method 2.1.1F, Microsectioning, and Method 2.1.1.2B, Microsectioning – Semi or Automatic Technique Microsection Equipment (Alternate). The subcommittee expressed interest in merging the two test methods into a single test method.

Product Assurance

The 7-31b IPC-A-610 Task Group reviewed more than 100 open action items and comments to IPC-A-610F, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies. This task group met a second day to resolve comments on criteria common to both IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001. Several new SMT termination styles are being considered for addition to both of these standards.

The 7-31f Wire Harness Acceptability Task Group celebrated the publication of IPC/WHMA-A-620B, Requirements and Acceptance for Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies. Several conflict issues have been identified and the task group will be developing an amendment. A task group meeting to resolve the technical contents has been scheduled for May 23 in conjunction with IPC ESTC — Electronic System Technologies Conference & Exhibition.

The 7-31fs Space Electronic Assemblies IPC/WHMA-A-620 Addendum Task Group worked through nearly 40 open comments against this addendum. IPC staff will be preparing this addendum for ballot.

The 7-31h IPC-HDBK-620 Task Group and 7-31k Wire Harness Design Task Group have combined to work on their respective documents. This group has a first draft of IPC-D-620, Wire Harness Design. The IPC-HDBK-620 guidelines document is on hold in favor of the design standard.

The 7-31j Requirements for Structural Enclosure Task Group completed the first ballot of IPC-HDBK-630, Structural Enclosure Guidelines Handbook. The task group received comments on the document and will hold teleconferences to resolve those comments. Pending the outcome of comment resolution, the document may go back out for a second ballot. In addition, the task group has a first draft of the IPC-A-630. The task group has reviewed the entire document and is now collecting additional content and comments from the task group at large. IPC-A-630 should be available for industry review in April.

These standards committee reports from IPC’s Fall Standards Development Committee Meetings have been compiled to help keep you up to date on IPC standards committee activities. This is the first in a series of reports.

Assembly and Joining

 The 5-21a IPC-7070 Task Group is developing IPC-7070, Component Mounting – Issues and Recommendations, which will supersede IPC-CM-770. Some requirements from IPC-7351, Generic Requirements for Surface Mount Design and Land Pattern Standard, have been moved into the new document which will provide an opportunity to explain the dos and don’ts of robust component mounting. The committee reviewed an outline of IPC-7070 and determined the need for the land pattern document to link closely toIPC-7070. A simplified component description was established and the committee will work to align the two documents, each with their own focus, but be closely related.

The 5-21g Flip Chip Mounting Task Group is preparing revision A of IPC-7094, Design and Assembly Process Implementation for Flip Chip and Die Size Components. The revision will include information on new semiconductor packaging concepts of 2.5 and 3-D package configurations. An outline of the revision is being drafted which will include a reorganization of various chapters.

The 5-21jnd Solder Paste Printing Task Group released IPC-7527, Requirements for Solder Paste Printing, for publication.

The 5-21k IPC-SM-817 SMT Adhesive Task Group has re-formed and is opening IPC-SM-817, General Requirements for Dielectric Surface Mounting Adhesives, for revision A. This group has developed two surveys, one for adhesive manufacturers and one for adhesive users, to determine if any of the tests within the document are obsolete and if other tests should be added.

The 5-22a J-STD-001 Task Group reviewed nearly 75 open action items and comments on IPC J-STD-001E, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies. This task group met a second day to resolve comments on criteria common to both IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610, Acceptability for Electronic Assemblies.

The 5-22arr J-STD-001/Conformal Coating Material & Application Industry Assessment Task Group discussed the current status of round robin testing and made a number of revisions to measurement protocols.

The 5-22h Thermal Profiling Guide Task Group held its first meeting and focused on revision A of IPC-7530, Guidelines for Temperature Profiling for Mass Soldering (Reflow & Wave) Processes. The group discussed missing definitionsand modification of what thermal profiles should be covered, including special applications of laser, inductive soldering, hot bar and hot belt. The group also discussed development guidelines, calibration, process control and process guidelines.

The 5-23a Printed Circuit Board Solderability Specifications Task Group completed work on IPC J-STD-003C, Solderability Tests for Printed Boardsrevision. This document was published in October 2013.

The 5-23b Component and Wire Solderability Specifications Task Group revised design of experiment (DOE) activity on solder paste aperture requirements for Test Method S.

The 5-24a Flux Specifications Task Group is continuing to review and revise all applicable test methods.

The 5-24b Solder Paste Task Group began review of all test methods originating with the group and discussed revising IPC-HDBK-005, Guide to Solder Paste Assessment.

The 5-24c Solder Alloy Task Group published IPC J-STD-006C, Requirements for Electronic Grade Solder Alloys and Fluxed and Non-Fluxed Solid Solders for Electronic Soldering Applications in July 2013. The task group is addressing the addition of two new solder alloys to the appropriate sections of the document and reviewing changes/corrections which have been brought to the committee’s attention. The goal is to publish an amendment to the document.

Cleaning and Coating

 The 5-31g Stencil Cleaning Task Group is working on revision A of IPC-7526, Stencil and Misprinted Board Cleaning Handbook.

The 5-31j Cleaning Compatibility Task Group decided to develop a guideline for electronic and electrical component part testing. This document would include static and dynamic cleaning exposure tests to determine resistance to deleterious effects of cleaning agents.

The 5-32a Ion Chromatography/Ionic Conductivity Task Group is developing a component test method which could potentially be used as a secondary approach to evaluating counterfeit parts.

The 5-32b SIR and Electrochemical Migration Task Group discussed the development of an SIR test pattern library. This group received a report on the updated IPC-B-52 test board.

 The 5-32e Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF) Task Group addressed revision B of IPC-9691, User Guide for the IPC-TM-650, Method 2.6.25, Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF) Resistance Test (Electrochemical Migration Testing). Changes in sections 8, 9 and 12 were agreed to in what is now Draft 11 of the user guide. The group discussed other CAF test techniques being used in industry.

The 5-33a Conformal Coating Task Group reviewed IPC-CC-830, Qualification and Performance of Electrical Insulating Compounds for Printed Wiring Assemblies, This group is pursuing a C revision rather than an amendment. The revisions will include a test method for adhesion, address issues with testing and documentation on insulation testing results of 500 megohms vs. 5000 megohms, and include the possible addition of a new generic type of conformal coating.

The 5-33c Conformal Coating Handbook Task Group published IPC-HDBK-830A, Guidelines for Design, Selection and Application of Conformal Coatings in October 2013. Task group members will be transitioned to the 5-33a group and will undertake the support of the conformal coating sections of IPC-A-610 and IPC J-STD-001. In addition, the group will address the evaluation of conformal coating for use environments.

The 5-33f Potting and Encapsulation Task Group published IPC-HDBK-850, Guidelines for Design, Selection and Application of Potting Materials and Encapsulation Processes Used for Electronics Printed Circuit Board Assembly in July 2012.

Product Assurance

The 7-31j Requirements for Structural Enclosure Task Group published IPC-A-630, Acceptability Standard for Manufacture, Inspection and Testing of Electronic Enclosures in September 2013. The task group reviewed and resolved comments from the second ballot of IPC-HDBK-630, Structural Enclosure Guidelines Handbook. The handbook will be going back out to the committee for third ballot with the goal to publish before the end of 2013.

IPC’s Assembly Training Library is now available through the Internet. With the purchase of a one-year license, your company will gain complete online access to these training videos using high-resolution video streaming — as well as all of the automated testing programs found on the IPC website. There is no costly IT implementation, or complicated installation involved. With an Internet connection and a company password, you can give everyone in your facility unlimited access to these award-winning training tools.

The package includes automatic certificate-generation for students with passing scores and e-mail notification of test results to an e-mail address input by the student. Site and global licenses are available. Visit www.ipctraining.org/librarydemo for more information.

With IPC’s “You Host” Online Video Training, you can mount one, several or,  the complete collection of IPC’s electronics assembly video training and automated testing programs on your own server, for delivery over a learning network/intranet or even through your LMS (learning management system).

These customizable programs have the same great video training as found in IPC’s training DVDs, but have built-in automated testing, scoring, e-mail notification and certificate generation. If running within your LMS, the OVT program automatically captures student test data in your employee training database. Site and global licenses are available. Visit www.ipctraining.org/html/YOUhost.htm for more information.

One of the most useful things I’ve learned after spending more than 15 years as a process engineer is that assembly processes can easily make a design worse but they can never make it better. Decisions made early in the design phase ultimately predict final product success. Poor material choices, marginal suppliers, incorrect pad geometries – we’ve all experienced them and have tried to make the best of bad situations. Unfortunately, there’s only so much we can do to compensate for design challenges in manufacturing. I know I’ve tried! Add in normal process and material variations and the occasional manufacturing error and we can end up in with a disastrous reliability situation.

As an industry, we seem to spend an inordinate amount of our resources on process improvements (or bashing) without putting greater, or least an equal, emphasis on the design side. So, I’m especially pleased to be working with IPC on the new Design for Excellence (DFX) standard and training initiatives. With these initiatives, the goal is NOT to come up with yet another checklist or “one size fits all” process. We don’t believe those exist. IPC members represent a diverse group with varying products, budgets, and reliability needs. Our goal is to create resources that promote learning and understanding of key drivers to designing reliability into products beginning at the concept stage. And, when design options are constrained or truly pushing technology boundaries, these resources help identify your risk and mitigation options.

In addition to working on the IPC DFX standard initiative, Dale Lee and I have been collaborating to develop core DFX training courses. We launch this effort at IPC APEX EXPO 2014 with Design for Excellence Parts I & II – DFR (Design for Reliability), DFM (Design for Manufacturing), and more. We’ll guide you through the product creation process from start to finish showing the interaction between design and assembly from requirements setting through final test.  As an example, in my Part I course, I’ll demonstrate how a design can be built perfectly to IPC Class 3 standards and yet be totally unreliable in its final application due to incorrect laminate selection.

We do hope you’ll join us in PD-10 on Sunday, March 23, 2014 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm for Part I and in PD-18 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm for Part II!

These standards committee reports from IPC APEX EXPO 2014 have been compiled to help keep you up to date on IPC standards committee activities. This is the third in a series of reports.

Assembly and Joining

The 5-11c Electronic Assembly Adhesives Task Group is approaching final draft status for a new document, IPC-HDBK-4691, Guidelines for Design, Selection, Application, and Reliability of Adhesives and Associated Processes Used for Electronics Assembly Purposes (working title).

The 1-13 Land Pattern Subcommittee and 5-21a IPC-7070 Task Group met jointly to consider component mounting issues being addressed in two IPC standards: IPC-7070, Component Mounting: Issues and Recommendations and IPC-7351, Generic Requirements for Surface Mount Design and Land Pattern Standard. IPC-7070 will address component placement issues, while IPC-7351 will address board design, land pattern and through-hole pad issues. Since the board actions in IPC-7351 combine the existing standard with a proposed through-hole standard (IPC-7251), the committee decided to circulate a survey to ensure that all previously involved committee members are informed of these potential actions.

The 5-21g Flip Chip Mounting Task Group prepared revision A to IPC-7094, Design and Assembly Process Implementation for Flip Chip and Die Size Components. The new revision will contain new semiconductor packaging concepts of 2.5 and 3-D package configurations. A change in direction was proposed to develop a separate document for the 2.5 and 3-D package configurations.

The 5-21k IPC-SM-817 SMT Adhesive Task Group re-formed and opened IPC-SM-817, General Requirements for Dielectric Surface Mounting Adhesives, for revision A. This task group will be modify the standard accordingly in the coming months.

The 5-22a J-STD-001 Task Group reviewed more than 80 open action items and comments on IPC J-STD-001F, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies. This task group met a second day to resolve comments on criteria common to both IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610, Acceptability for Electronic Assemblies. IPC staff is now preparing J-STD-001 revision F for ballot.

The 5-22arr J-STD-001/Conformal Coating Material & Application Industry Assessment Task Group discussed the current status of round robin testing and made a number of revisions to measurement protocols.

There were three J-STD-001 related committee meetings. The 5-22as Space Electronic Assemblies Task Group continued work on the addendum used for electronic assemblies that need to operate in micro-gravity, micro-atmosphere environments with extreme temperature excursions and very high mechanical shock and vibration during launch.

The 5-22f IPC-HDKB-001 Task Group had an initial meeting to develop a roadmap to update the handbook to incorporate Revision F changes. In addition, the 5-22bt J-STD-001 Technical Training Committee met to share ideas for improvements to the training program for Revision F. This committee also reviewed the new IPC Certification Quality Initiative that provides uniquely scrambled exams and electronic training reporting.

The 5-22h Thermal Profiling Guide Task Group held its first meeting and focused on revision A of IPC-7530, Guidelines for Temperature Profiling for Mass Soldering (Reflow & Wave) Processes. The group discussed missing definitions and modification of what thermal profiles should be covered, including special applications of laser, inductive soldering, hot bar and hot belt. The group also discussed development guidelines, calibration, process control and process guidelines.

The 5-23a Printed Circuit Board Solderability Specifications Task Group completed work on IPC J-STD-003C, Solderability Tests for Printed Boards. This group is discussing a replacement for the solder float test which has been proven to be unreliable. An amendment with typographical corrections and some clarifications will be published in later this month.

The 5-24b Solder Paste Task Group began review of all test methods originating with the group.

Process Control

The 7-23 Assembly Process Effects Handbook Subcommittee addressed problems, probable cause, and actions taken in troubleshooting assembly processes and updated the original IPC process effects handbook, IPC-PE-740, Troubleshooting for Printed Board Manufacture and Assembly, with new information. The group reviewed each of the 15 sections of the draft document and solicited additional information/pictures. In addition, subcommittee members requested the document be finalized and released for comment before the Fall Standards Meetings in Rosemont, Ill.

The 7-24 Printed Board Process Effects Handbook Subcommittee pushed for completion of a companion document, IPC-9121, Printed Board Process Effects to IPC-9111, Printed Board Assembly Process Effects. This document will incorporate a new process effects or troubleshooting guide and syllabus for an advanced troubleshooting PD class under development. The handbook will provide printed board anomaly illustrations with possible cause and solution explanations and will be more closely tied to IPC-A-600 acceptability criteria.

Flexible Circuits

The D-12a UL 746F and UL 796F Task Groups discussed the UL 796F flexible printed wiring standard. The group circulated a questionnaire on the type of materials and applications for guarding against EMI using shielding techniques.

The D-13 Flexible Circuits Base Materials Subcommittee continued revising IPC-FC-234, PSA Assembly Guidelines for Single- & Double-Sided Flexible Printed Circuits. The group also evaluated a new potential material from DuPont that could be used as both a covercoat material and bonding material for the IPC-4203. Some properties are yet to be determined, but this effort is in process.

The D-15 Flexible Circuits Test Methods Subcommittee completed the final draft of TM 2.4.9E and awaits comments from the 7-11 Test Methods Subcommittee prior to having it incorporated in TM-650, Test Methods Manual. The subcommittee revised TM 2.6.3.2 (Insulation and Moisture Resistance, Flexible Base Dielectric) to its C revision.

Rigid Printed Boards

The D-31b IPC-2221/2222 Task Group worked on the first working draft of IPC-2221C, Generic Standard on Printed Board Design, including minimum electrical clearances for conductors, requirements for internal plated layers in sequential builds, conductive anodic filament (CAF) issues, and hole-to-copper spacing.

The D-33a Rigid Printed Board Performance Task Group reviewed comments on the final draft of IPC-6012D, Qualification and Performance Specification for Rigid Printed Boards. The group focused on comments related to requirements for blind and buried microvia structures. The task group will continue to meet by way of web conferences held twice a month throughout the spring and summer of 2014. Publication is anticipated for December 2014.

The D-35 Printed Board Storage and Handling Subcommittee discussed revision to IPC-1601, Printed Board Handling and Storage Guidelines. The subcommittee plans to develop an Appendix that provides samples of industry packaging requirements for board fabricators and also plans recommendations for the shelf-life of various printed board surface finishes.

Read additional IPC Standards Committee Reports:

• IPC Standards Committee Reports: Data Transfer, Supplier Declaration, Electronic Documentation, EH&S
• IPC Standards Committee Reports: Base Materials, Fabrication, High Speed/High Frequency, Embedded Devices
• IPC Standards Committee Reports: Printed Board Design, Cleaning & Coating, Testing, Product Assurance

Teresa Rowe has seen a lot of value in IPC’s programs over the past couple decades. They helped her advance in her career, and she’s helped write documents that provide the foundations for continued electronics industry growth. She learned a lot about technology while serving on 25 IPC committees, but that knowledge isn’t what she thinks about first.

Instead, Rowe focuses on her growth as a manager. After attending IPC meetings for years, she tackled the role of chair. It went well, and she chaired more committees, honing her management skills along the way. These skills paid off in her career, she became director of quality for logistics and technical services at AAI (Textron Systems subsidiary), an aerospace and defense development and manufacturing firm.

Recently, Rowe joined IPC as director of assembly and standards technology. Along with directing the development of standards for electronics assembly materials and processes, she’ll be supporting committee chairmen. That support will include some concepts she acquired in her role as a Certified IPC Trainer for four IPC programs.

In this new role, she’s excited about helping other people in chair positions and helping them grow. Rowe noted that when she took her first job as chairwoman, she led the IPC J-STD-001 C Revision. Now, the F Revision is about to be released. She’s undergone a number of changes, becoming “a totally different person” during those revisions. In her new role as an IPC liaison, she’ll be helping others through their personal and career growth.

F’ Revisions Cover More Advanced Technologies

IPC has released the F revisions of two of the industry’s most widely used standards, IPC J-STD-001, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies, and IPC-A-610, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies. The documents have been updated to include technical advances in solder on plastic surface mount (SMT) components, new criteria for P-style and solder-charged Butt/I SMT terminations, a change to void criteria for BGAs, and enhancements to the language within the documents to provide ease of use and clarity. New photos facilitate further understanding.

The revision process involved dedicated volunteers from electronics companies in the Americas, Europe and Asia. With the mantra, “in data we trust,” IPC committee members focused major changes in areas such as the shrinking sizes of plastic packages that affect solder touching component bodies.

Dispelling past concerns that solder could not touch plastic components for fear of future failure, Teresa Rowe, IPC director of assembly technology, said “We [committee] didn’t find significant occurrences of failures when solder touched the plastic bodies.” Rowe explains that there was much discussion on this topic and expects that as research in this area continues, the committee will consider it in future revisions.

The chapter on conformal coatings also underwent significant changes. “We revised the way we look at conformal coatings, providing new information on coating thickness,” Rowe said. “We also looked at bubbles, voids and transparency, expanding our criterion for acceptance.”

The standards also cover Class 2 plated-through hole vertical solder fill requirements and Class 2 flux activity criteria.

Often used as companion documents, IPC J-STD-001F and IPC-A-610F each has a unique purpose. Whereas IPC J-STD-001 is a material and process requirements document and is critical for use during manufacturing, IPC-A-610 is a post-assembly acceptance standard.

Translations of the F revisions and training programs based on the revised standards will be released in the coming months. For more information on IPC J-STD-001F, visit www.ipc.org/001; for more information on IPC-A-610F, visit www.ipc.org/610 or contact Rowe at TeresaRowe@ipc.org or +1 847-597-2838.

These standards committee reports from the 2014 Fall Standards Committee Meetings have been compiled to help keep you up to date on IPC standards committee activities. This is the second in a series of reports.

Base Materials

The 3-11 Laminate/Prepreg Materials Subcommittee successfully revised, balloted and released IPC-4101D, Specification for Base Materials for Rigid and Multilayer Printed Boards in April 2014. Shortly after this, a few company members brought up some details in the released version that they believe requires an Amendment modification to the D revision. This took up more than 75 percent of the meeting to discuss and decide the items to be covered in an amendment to IPC-4101D. The other 20-25 percent of the meeting involved distributing hard copies of IPC-4101D to the 3-11 Subcommittee members listed in the document’s Acknowledgement Page.

The 3-11f UL/CSA Task Group discussed upcoming items for ballot by the STP members in the UL 796 standard for rigid or multilayer printed boards. The group went through nearly two dozen items for comment in UL 746E Ballot by the STP group on these items in this UL standard will begin shortly.

The 3-11g Corrosion of Metal Finishes Task Group reviewed the status of mixed flowing gas testing of various metal finishes for corrosion on component leads as well as printed board surfaces. Flowers of Sulfur (FoS) corrosion testing was also reviewed during the meeting.

The 3-12a Metallic Foil Task Group addressed some round-robin data results using the non-contact surface roughness test (proposed TM 2.2.22). While data is only available from three of six test facilities, data is trending to show reasonable surface roughness information.

The 3-12d Woven Glass Reinforcement Task Group examined weave size data for four weave styles (106, 1080, 2116 and 7629) measured in a round robin test format by four test facilities. Statistical analysis (Gauge R & R) of the test data was not as consistent as hoped, but was showing adequate viability of the test procedure used by the four test companies. More testing is needed.

Fabrication Processes

The 4-14 Plating Processes Subcommittee reviewed revision A efforts underway on IPC-4552, Specification for Electroless Nickel/Immersion Gold (ENIG) Plating for Printed Circuit Boards. The group is using the released copy of IPC-4556, Specification for Electroless Nickel/Electroless Palladium/Immersion Gold (ENEPIG) Plating for Printed Circuit Boards as a template. Some of the items to be included in the revision A were discussed: a) Work on a test vehicle to evaluate a thinner gold plate for performance, b) Other work on evaluating hypercorrosion of the electroless nickel when the immersion gold is deposited, c) A test method being developed to measure the phosphorus content in the nickel is nearly completed, and d) In order to analyze the phos content of the underlying nickel, two test methods to strip the gold overplate are in development.

Assembly and Joining

The 5-11c Electronic Assembly Adhesives Task Group is approaching final draft status for a new document, IPC-HDBK-4691, Guidelines for Design, Selection, Application, and Reliability of Adhesives and Associated Processes Used for Electronics Assembly Purposes (working title). Publication target: 1 Q 2015.

The 5-21g Flip Chip Mounting Task Group is preparing revision A of IPC-7094, Design and Assembly Process Implementation for Flip Chip and Die Size Components. The committee confirmed 7094 will not contain new packaging concepts of 2.5 and 3-D package configurations (addressed separately in a, IPC-7091 byB-11 Subcommittee). To facilitate that separate approach, a limited-scope (fast-track) revision of 7094A is planned, primarily for the addition of ultra-fine-line, copper pillar, and bump-on-trace (BOT) technologies, to free up some of the shared resources for the larger, more complex IPC- 7091 effort. Target publication of 7094A is expected by 2016 IPC APEX Expo.

The 5-21k IPC-SM-817 SMT Adhesive Task Group completed follow-up on comments received on the Final Industry Review circulation of IPC-SM-817A, General Requirements for Dielectric Surface Mounting Adhesives. The document will now be balloted.

The 5-22a J-STD-001 Task Group celebrated the release of IPC J-STD-001F, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies. The committee also discussed industry feedback on some of the changes and voted to open the document for an amendment. The committee leadership is considering teleconferencing as a means for moving ahead quickly with discussions on these concerns.

The 5-22arr J-STD-001/Conformal Coating Material & Application Industry Assessment Task Group discussed the current status of round robin testing.

The 5-22as Space Electronic Assemblies Task Group completed review of the comments to the new revision F. The document will be prepared for Final Industry Review.

The 5-22F IPC-HDBK-001 Task Group continued work on the revisions to the document to incorporate J-STD-001 Revision F changes. The task group set an aggressive timeline and is working to complete actions and discussion before the end of 2014 using KAVI and teleconferencing opportunities.

The 5-22bt J-STD-001 Technical Training Committee met with the provider for the updates to the J-STD-001 training program and to discuss the use of Certification Quality Initiative (CQI) for testing and reporting. The beta class for the new course materials is being scheduled for December 2014.

The 5-22ad Requirements for Military Systems Working Group reviewed soldering on military systems and identified where more stringent requirements than those currently in J-STD-001 may be necessary.

The 5-23b Component and Wire Solderability Specification Task Group continued working on the next revision of J-STD-002, Solderability Tests for Component Leads, Terminations, Lugs, Terminals and Wires.

The 5-24b Solder Paste Task Group is reviewing test methods originating with the group.

Flexible Circuits

The D-13 Flexible Circuits Base Materials Subcommittee has started a 30-day ballot on revision A of IPC-FC-234, Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) Assembly Guideline for Rigid, Flexible or Rigid-Flex Printed Boards. The subcommittee is also in the ballot process for an Amendment 1 to IPC-4203A, Cover and Bonding Material for Flexible Printed Circuitry that will add another specification sheet material (/25 for a polyamide-imide copolymer) to the document.

The D-15 Flexible Circuits Test Methods Subcommittee addressed revising TM 2.6.3.2 Insulation and Moisture Resistance Flexible Base Dielectric Board to its C revision,that will have a new title: Surface Insulationand Moisture resistance, Copper Clad Flexible Dielectric Material. The work that took place significantly improved the test method’s clarity.

IPC’s global statistical programs for the laminate, solder, process consumables and assembly equipment industries are now open to new participants for 2015. The deadline for IPC members to sign up is April 15. Participation is free to IPC member companies as a benefit of membership.

The statistical programs give participating IPC members access to global quarterly market data that would be impossible for them to collect themselves and prohibitively expensive for individual companies to obtain from research firms. As a neutral and trusted third party, IPC collects sales and other business and technical data from the participating companies using a secure and confidential online survey system. In exchange, these companies receive quarterly market reports showing aggregate sales and growth rates for the industry, segmented by detailed product categories and by region.

Participating companies use this quarterly data in their marketing, sales, planning and budgeting activities. The data helps them to track changes in their market shares, compare their performance against industry averages in their regions and product segments, and identify growing and declining markets. Current participants in these programs include most of the world’s leading producers.

The laminate and solder statistical programs are conducted in English and Mandarin Chinese. In addition to shipment data, the solder program also tracks worldwide consumption of lead-free versus tin/lead solder, and the use of SAC alloys. The process consumables program is conducted in English and Japanese. It covers dozens of product categories in plating materials, final finishes, solder mask and other imaging processes, developers and strippers. The assembly equipment statistical program tracks sales in units and value. It covers specific product categories under the headings of pick-and-place, inspection, test, soldering and dispensing equipment, as well screen printers, ovens, stencils and software.

The first-quarter 2015 surveys will go out on April 1. To ensure consistent survey samples for the year, participants must commit to completing all four quarterly surveys for 2015. IPC members interested in participating in the statistical programs for their industries may contact IPC at marketresearch@ipc.org or by phone at +1 847-597-2868.

These standards committee reports from IPC APEX EXPO 2015 have been compiled to help keep you up to date on IPC standards committee activities. This is the second in a series of reports.

Base Materials

The 3-11 Laminate/Prepreg Materials Subcommittee successfully examined both Amendments 1 and 2 to the IPC-4101D, Specification for Base Materials for Rigid and Multilayer Printed Boards. Amendment 1 concentrates on handling sections of IPC-4101D that do not cover the use of inorganic fillers in legacy designs, as well as other changes in the D revision. Amendment 1 is moving through its final draft for comments and will shortly move to the ballot stage.

Amendment 2 addresses the needs for reduced contamination levels as desired by the European Space agency, and is in queue to be worked upon behind the efforts with Amendment 1.

The 3-11f UL/CSA Task Group discussed rigid and multilayer materials and printed boards. Specifically, the group addressed the addition of what will be designated as FR-15.0 and FR-15.1 ANSI grade laminates that will not have to be LTTA tested and will meet a 150 ^OC RTI. These laminates initially started out as more typical FR-4 grades that meet a 130 ^OC RTI, but were found to meet the 150 ^OC limit.

The 3-11g Corrosion of Metal Finishes Task Group discussed metal finish corrosion on component leads and printed board surface finishes. The Flowers of Sulfur (FoS) corrosion test method for surface mounted chip resistors will be used for testing some sample coupons once these are assembled with components. History of work on mixed flowing gas testing was reviewed with work occurring to define why the amount of chlorine has such a large variable impact on overall corrosion rate.

The 3-12a Metallic Foil Task Group addressed the non-contact surface roughness test (proposed TM 2.2.22). The task group saw the Gauge R&R evaluation results from the six test sites. While not perfect results, adequate Gauge R&R was realized (<20) to push the test method ahead.

The 3-12d Woven Glass Reinforcement Task Group completed a first round of testing for fabric weave closer to quantify what is currently termed spread glass. The first results need improvement and will be pursued with another round robin of testing on a single woven style. Additionally, another 3 weaves are proposed for addition to the IPC-4412B using the balloting procedure for amendments.

Fabrication Processes

The 4-14 Plating Processes Subcommittee reviewed revision A efforts underway on IPC-4552, Specification for Electroless Nickel/Immersion Gold (ENIG) Plating for Printed Circuit Boards, primarily for those meeting attendees who have not participated in regular teleconferences. The group also reviewed work that has occurred on an amendment 1 to IPC-4556, Specification for Electroless Nickel/Electroless Palladium/Immersion Gold (ENEPIG) Plating for Printed Circuit Boards.

Assembly and Joining

The 5-11c Electronic Assembly Adhesives Task Group is resolving comments from the final draft for industry review distribution of IPC-HDBK-4691, Handbook on Adhesive Bonding of Electronic Assembly Operations. The group plans to distribute the handbook for final ballot in summer and publish by fall 2015.

The 1-13 Land Pattern Subcommittee and 5-21a IPC-7070 Task Group met jointly to consider component mounting issues being addressed in two IPC standards: IPC-7070, Component Mounting: Issues and Recommendations and IPC-7351, Generic Requirements for Surface Mount Design and Land Pattern Standard. IPC-7070 will address component placement issues, while IPC-7351 will address board design, land pattern and through-hole pad issues. Since the board actions in IPC-7351 combine the existing standard with a proposed through-hole standard (IPC-7251), the committee decided to circulate a survey to ensure that all previously involved committee members are informed of these potential actions.

The 5-21g Flip Chip Mounting Task Group continued its work on revision A to IPC-7094, Design and Assembly Process Implementation for Flip Chip and Die Size Components. The group is focusing its attention on expanding the document to include more recent technology for flip-chip application, current trends in terminal designs for higher density flip-chips and modifying substrate and interposer terms to reflect current trends.

The 5-21k IPC-SM-817 SMT Adhesive Task Group re-formed and opened IPC-SM-817, General Requirements for Dielectric Surface Mounting Adhesives, for revision A. This task group will be modify the standard accordingly in the coming months.

The 5-22a J-STD-001 Task Group reviewed more than 80 open action items and comments on IPC J-STD-001F, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies. This task group met a second day to resolve comments on criteria common to both IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610, Acceptability for Electronic Assemblies. IPC staff is now preparing J-STD-001 revision F for ballot.

The 5-22arr J-STD-001/Conformal Coating Material & Application Industry Assessment Task Group discussed the current status of round robin testing and made a number of revisions to measurement protocols.

There were three J-STD-001 related committee meetings. The 5-22as Space Electronic Assemblies Task Group continued work on the addendum used for electronic assemblies that need to operate in micro-gravity, micro-atmosphere environments with extreme temperature excursions and very high mechanical shock and vibration during launch.

The 5-22f IPC-HDKB-001 Task Group had an initial meeting to develop a roadmap to update the handbook to incorporate Revision F changes. In addition, the 5-22bt J-STD-001 Technical Training Committee met to share ideas for improvements to the training program for Revision F. This committee also reviewed the new IPC Certification Quality Initiative, which provides uniquely scrambled exams and electronic training reporting.

The 5-22h Thermal Profiling Guide Task Group held its first meeting and focused on revision A of IPC-7530, Guidelines for Temperature Profiling for Mass Soldering (Reflow & Wave) Processes. The group discussed missing definitions and modification of what thermal profiles should be covered, including special applications of laser, inductive soldering, hot bar, and hot belt. The group also discussed development guidelines, calibration, process control, and process guidelines.

The 5-23a Printed Circuit Board Solderability Specifications Task Group completed work on IPC J-STD-003C, Solderability Tests for Printed Boards. This group is discussing a replacement for the solder float test which has been proven to be unreliable. An amendment with typographical corrections and some clarifications will be published in later this month.

The 5-24b Solder Paste Task Group began review of all test methods originating with the group.

The 5-24c Solder Alloy Task Group discussed how to properly incorporate two new alloy families into the Appendix tables A-1, A-4 and A-5 in the J-STD-006C by an Amendment Ballot process. The decision is to not use trade names or company names in the standard, but to use site IP information, patent number, when such was awarded, and the alloy composition.

Flexible Circuits

The D-11 Flexible Circuits Design Subcommittee met to advance the Working Draft to IPC-2223D, Sectional Design Standard for Flexible Printed Boards. The group reviewed a proposal for a new section that addresses a new cover material used as a bonding agent in rigid-flex designs, which would allow for the elimination of the window “cut-out” of covers in the rigid area. The group also reviewed a proposal to address electroless “flexible nickel” plating for ENIG applications in flexible printed boards, however the current proposal has not yet been accepted due to concerns expressed by the group over the level of reliability testing that has been performed to date on the material.

The D-12 Flexible Circuits Performance Subcommittee met to advance the Working Draft to IPC-6013D, Qualification and Performance Specification for Flexible Printed Boards. Edits were made to text and the supporting illustration Figure 3-15 for the definition of thermal zones in microsection evaluations. The group also reviewed a cross-sectional illustrated drafted by Michael Collier of Teradyne that addresses voiding or delamination in the transition zone between flexible material and rigid material. There is a lack of a corresponding microsection inspection/test for this type of anomaly, and so the group will reconvene via teleconference in early summer 2015 to draft a Destructive Physical Evaluation (DPA) section for IPC-6013D when there is a suspicion of this type of anomaly.

The D-13 Flexible Circuits Base Materials Subcommittee discussed new a modified requirement for propagation tear strength for a polyimide film that would be a slightly lower value for 50 to 100 micron thick material. This will be covered by an Amendment 2 to IPC-4202A.

The D-15 Flexible Circuits Test Methods Subcommittee worked on the TM 2.6.3.2 (Insulation and Moisture Resistance, Flexible Base Dielectric) to what was believed to be a draft of the C revision of the TM. However, after the meeting at the 2015 IPC APEX EXPO, the group has discovered a major flaw in the method as developed and continues its work on revising this test method.