Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1156271
72 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2019 Background Fifteen years ago, when certification to MIL- PRF-31032 was in the early years, I authored an article about certification status. Now, it's time to revisit the subject, data, and changes that have occurred since. In 2003, my article ex- plained the new certification process for MIL- PRF-31032 (all military boards), identified the companies that had completed certification, and forecasted where it might go. In this col- umn, I'll examine the same data from 2018 and take another look at the future. U.S. Military Requirements for PCBs The U.S. military segment of the printed cir- cuit board (PCB) industry is small but strategi- cally important to the country and the world. Assuring a reliable supply of such boards is the task of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) lo- cated in Columbus, Ohio. The main DLA tools for verifying capable supply bases are the mili- tary specifications for printed wiring boards. There are three main specifications: MIL- PRF-31032 (all boards), MIL-PRF-55110 (rigid PCBs), and MIL-PRF-50884 (flexible PCBs). For 50 years, MIL-PRF-55110 and MIL- PRF-50884 were the only specifications avail- able; however, in 1995, MIL-PRF-31032 was introduced to encompass both of these docu- ments, add some quality systems requirements, and to shift much of the quality control and quality assurance responsibility to the suppli- The Past 15 Years: Changes to MIL-PRF-31032 Certification, Part 1 From the Hill by Mike Hill, MIL-Q-CONSULTING LLC