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78 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2018 Augmented reality (AR) adds texture and in- formation to the world we already live in, pro- viding a deeper learning experience by inte- grating digital information in a real-time envi- ronment. For the automotive industry, AR will likely be instrumental in future advancements. Volvo uses Microsoft's HoloLens, a type of AR glasses, that enables production line workers to view assembly instructions digitally in re- al-time while working to put together parts of the vehicle. For consumers, Volkswagen recently launched an app for its luxury brand Audi that allows car shoppers to experience an AR-based test drive without being close to the automo- bile. Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, is also something that has come a long way in the past several years. Ad- ditive manufacturing enables the production of components more quickly, and it shortens the design process by digitally changing part of the model. It allows changes to be made more quickly than traditionally. Components that can be produced with addi- tive manufacturing in automotive applications include exhaust and emissions, fluid handling systems, and exterior parts such as bumpers. Additive manufacturing is expected to be used in the very near future on interiors and seat- ing, tires and suspension, electronics, frame- work and doors and engine components. With all this rapid change, what can we do to move forward? IPC is involved in creating standards for the automotive industry and has found the advances in electrical systems in car manufacturing a natural growth industry for electronics manufacturing. Two years ago, IPC developed its first auto- motive addendum, IPC-6012DA, Automotive Applications Addendum to IPC-6012D Qualifi- cation and Performance Specification for Rigid Printed Boards. The addendum addresses the reliability of rigid printed boards which must survive the vibration and thermal cycling en- vironments of electronic interconnects within the automotive industry. Under development are additional automo- tive addendums for the following IPC stan- dards: IPC-A-610, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies; IPC J-STD-001, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies; and IPC/WHMA-A-620, Requirements and Ac- ceptance for Cable and Wire Harness Assem- blies. We encourage you to join us in standards de- velopment activities to ensure the needs you face in this ever-changing and rapidly advanc- ing industry are met. We welcome your input and expertise as we all embrace the future of automotive electronics. PCB007 John Mitchell is president and CEO of IPC−Association Connecting Electronics Industries. To read past columns or to contact Mitchell, click here. I-Connect007's Pete Starkey and Taiyo America's regional sales manager, Don Monn, discuss the lat- est developments in direct imaging solder mask, specifically a direct image version of their high-per- formance one. With the continuous reduction in fea- ture sizes, direct imaging has become a necessity to achieve the required registration on a panel. Taiyo America Direct-Imaging Solder Mask Developments