Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/960726
32 I-CONNECT007 I SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE 2018 ated from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa in 1984, when mammoths roamed the earth. Initially got a job with General Dynamics' Con- vair Division, in San Diego. That was materials testing, a lot of structural materials, absolutely nothing to do with solder, or electronics, even though they had an electronics division. I grew up in Iowa, so I'm an Iowa boy. When Rock- well Collins had a job opportunity, a friend called and said, "Looking to come back home? There's something you might be interested in." I got on the phone, and turns out I was the third one they interviewed, as the first two guys turned down the job. Good for me that no one wanted this position. I always laugh at the irony of that; I could have been doing something completely different. As I often say, I'm the last of the dinosaurs. I've been in the same group, the same position (Rockwell Collins Fellow, Materials & Process engineer) my entire career at Rockwell Collins, and today, especially with the millennials, that is just not how our industry operates, or how jobs operate. I'm our designated subject mat- ter expert on solder. Anything that's solder related, I act as an enterprise resource for tack- ling solder and material problems. Goldman: When did you first get involved with IPC and IPC committees? Hillman: 1988 and I wasn't even given a choice. Two names out of the past, you'll remember, John Hagge and John Mather, who were very involved with the printed circuit board side of IPC. They worked with Don Dinella and the other circuit board guys looking at plated through-holes, looking at soldering stress. Mather and Hagge were two of my mentors, and they had highly recommended IPC as a way to understand the industry and what was going on, to create a network of people that I could call and get help with problems. They said I needed to be involved with IPC, so I basically went to management and said, "My mentors say I should be going to the IPC conferences, so I should be going." They said, "Okay." In my 30 years with Rockwell Collins, not once have I ever had to justify my participa- tion. We've been very privileged that our man- agement understands the value and benefit, which comes from being part of IPC, being on the committees, making presentations, so that's been very good. I know other compa- nies, other people are not so fortunate, but we've had great participation support here at Rockwell Collins. Goldman: What committees and subcommit- tees are you involved with? Everything having to do with solder? Hillman: I'm on probably more than I should be. One primary focus is being the committee chair for the IPC J-standard 002 component solderability, and I have been that for a long time. I was also the committee chair for the IPC J-standard 003 board solderability, but I just wasn't doing justice to that committee in being proactive. Luckily, we found a couple other great individuals to take over for that com- mittee. I'm also a member of the J-standard 001, J-standard 006, with a lot of solder activi- ties, things covering assembly. The IPC-7093 bottom terminated component committee, the IPC-7095A BGA committee, things that'll revolve around solder, such as workmanship or underfill. I'm on the underfill committee, though not as active as I'd like. Yeah, I think the more committees you're on, the more you learn, the more you have a chance to partici- pate, and add, and help those committees out. I would rather be a member on the commit- tee than run the committee, because I think that's where the committees need the greatest help, and that's where you get some things done. That's where the committees are look- ing for those people to help them, and go find answers, and bring more drafts and pictures. I've been helping develop documents as best I can. Maybe the one thing I probably can claim some credit for is with the IPC J-standard 002. That truly is a joint standard committee effort. We have the IPC organization, and we have the JEDEC organization, which is the active component group in the industry. We have the ECIA organization which is the passive compo - nent group, components such as surface mount