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144 I-CONNECT007 I REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2019 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE by Chris Mitchell IPC—ASSOCIATION CONNECTING ELECTRONICS INDUSTRIES IPC's most recent annual conference and trade show, IPC APEX EXPO 2019, took place in late Jan - uary, and by all indi- cations, it was among the best IPC shows ever! The overall suc- cess and quality of IPC APEX EXPO is a testament to the innova- tion and growth taking place in the electronics industry as well as our members' passion and commitment to standards development, learn- ing opportunities, and pro-industry initiatives. Here are my top seven takeaways from APEX EXPO from the perspective of someone whose job requires translating our highly technical industry into everyday language that policy- makers and their aides can understand. 1 IPC's Connected Factory Exchange (CFX) Took Center Stage IPC-CFX is an industry standard designed to serve as the digital backbone of electron- ics manufacturing companies. By simplifying and standardizing machine-to-machine com- munications, CFX is establishing a foundation for Industry 4.0 applications. The surest sign of CFX's success were the dozens of exhibi- tor booths sporting "CFX supporter" placards. You couldn't miss them on the show floor, nor could you miss the interest in the two full-scale CFX demonstration lines, which hosted hourly tours throughout the week. To learn more, please visit ipc-cfx.org or contact IPC VP of Standards and Technology David Bergman. Seven Takeaways From IPC APEX EXPO 2019