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We take the pulse of the PCB industry by sharing insights from leading fabricators and suppliers in this month's issue. We've gathered their thoughts on the new U.S. administration, spending, the war in Ukraine, and their most pressing needs. It’s an eye-opening and enlightening look behind the curtain.
The Essential Guide to Surface Finishes
We go back to basics this month with a recount of a little history, and look forward to addressing the many challenges that high density, high frequency, adhesion, SI, and corrosion concerns for harsh environments bring to the fore. We compare and contrast surface finishes by type and application, take a hard look at the many iterations of gold plating, and address palladium as a surface finish.
It's Show Time!
In this month’s issue of PCB007 Magazine we reimagine the possibilities featuring stories all about IPC APEX EXPO 2025—covering what to look forward to, and what you don’t want to miss.
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Much Ado About Factory of the Future
March 13, 2024 | Chris Jorgensen, IPCEstimated reading time: 2 minutes

For attendees looking for guidance on modernizing their manufacturing, IPC APEX EXPO 2024 will provide plenty of opportunities to learn about the latest innovations and how to begin applying them in your operations today.
Get Connected
Think you know all there is to know about IPC-CFX, how to implement it, and the myriad benefits you can reap from it? IPC APEX EXPO will provide the latest updates on this plug-and-play shop floor communication standard and how to put yourself on the path to success.
When walking the show floor, look for the IPC-CFX flags at vendor booths. These are equipment vendors who know the importance of IPC-CFX for their customers and the industry, and have demonstrated proficiency in IPC-CFX implementations.
These vendors will represent a large portion of the more than 90 pieces of equipment on the IPC-CFX-2591 Qualified Products List (QPL). Ask them about their implementations and how IPC-CFX can benefit your operations.
Want to peek behind the curtain at plans for IPC-CFX Version 2.0? Attend the IPC-CFX Standard Task Group meeting, 10:15 a.m. to noon Monday, April 8. The task group has a lot in store for this full-version update, including the addition of capabilities for dispensing equipment, hand soldering stations, and wave soldering machines, not to mention support for getting IPC-CFX into existing lines with legacy equipment.
Analyze That
Is your company getting the most out of the data flowing through your operations? As our industry evolves to meet new challenges and respond to more complex demands for electronic devices, there is an increasing need to use manufacturing data to improve the way our operations are run.
Get a leg up on best practices for understanding and analyzing the data from your equipment to help you respond to problems faster or before they happen. Attend the professional development course, “Introduction to Machine Data Analytics in the EMS Industry,” led by Tim Burke, PhD, chief technology officer, Arch Systems Inc. This course, on Monday, April 8, will use anonymized data sets from real-world SMT equipment for students to learn how to read and analyze the data and then contextualize it for their factories.
Visit IPC booth #4420 Tuesday through Thursday to grab your free copy of the new IPC Industry Intelligence white paper, “Outlook for Data Analytics in the Electronics Manufacturing Industry.” This white paper provides a nuts-and-bolts approach to the need for data analytics with EMS companies and provides a top-five list of data analytics use cases.
Continue reading this article in the March 2024 issue of SMT007 Magazine.
Suggested Items
IPC Rising Star Award: Young-Ho Hwang, Guru E&E
04/23/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Since 2022, IPC has made significant progress for its Korean members. Young-Ho Hwang has been instrumental in driving these developments. As a core advisory committee member and chair of the 610 RTG, he has played a key role in guiding IPC Korea’s strategic direction, championed the development and adoption of IPC standards across industries, and fostered strong collaborations with stakeholders.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: IPC's Growth and Future in India's Manufacturing Sector
04/23/2025 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOGaurab Majumdar, VP for IPC in SE Asia and India, highlights IPC's impressive growth in India, with certification numbers rising significantly. The Indian manufacturing sector is projected to reach a $300 billion market, alongside a $10 billion investment in semiconductors. IPC is addressing industry demands through standards development and a new workforce project aimed at training students for job placements.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: DuPont Electronics Materials and Innovations
04/23/2025 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPODuPont is many things to many markets, but DuPont Electronics Materials is, perhaps, a bit out of the DuPont "norm," developing specialized electronic materials that are particularly focused on challenging areas such as flex circuits, high power PCBs and products that must withstand harsh environments. At IPC APEX EXPO, Marcy LaRont sat down with Shannon Dugan from DuPont Electronics Materials to discuss some big news. They are being spun off into an independent entity with a new CEO having just been announced as the show wrapped.
IPC Releases Version 2.0 of IPC-2591, Connected Factory Exchange, with Expanded Device Coverage and Smarter Data
04/23/2025 | IPCIPC announces the release of IPC-2591, Connected Factory Exchange (CFX), Version 2.0, the global standard for plug-and-play, machine-to-machine, and machine-to-system communication for digital manufacturing.
IPC Rising Star Award: Feng Xue, IBM
04/22/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Feng Xue is a senior technical staff member in supply chain engineering at IBM. He has 21 years of experience in semiconductor technology and supply chain operations and leads initiatives on internal quality management systems, supplier quality programs, business analytics, app modernization and cloud-native apps for quality processes, IoT solution deployment, and Industrial 4.0 transformation, engineering skill development, and technical leadership development.