Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1433652
DECEMBER 2021 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 41 Johnson: Great. I'm going to step back and ask a broader question. How does IPC choose the topics for the technical program? Kelly: We've organized the technical program by nine different categories, spanning 1) Fac- tory of the Future implementation; 2) enabling future technologies; 3) meeting extreme re- quirements; 4) PCB fabrication and materials; 5) circuit design and component technologies, 6) quality, reliability, test, and inspection; 7) assembly processes; 8) electronics materials; and 9) conscientious engineering. ese nine categories are managed by our technical pro- gram committee, the TPC. is organization of volunteers are subject matter experts in the industry. We rebuilt the committee this year from the ground up. Johnson: Great. From your perspective, how important is it to have these voices together in one event—suppliers, manufacturers, and OEMs? Kelly: It's key. You need to have that voice from the original equipment manufacturer. ey're the ones dreaming up and designing new prod- ucts with requirements that flow down on how things are built, and the quality and reliabili- ty levels needed. On the other side, you have material suppliers, and equipment and tool suppliers. ey are continually offering new equipment and capabilities so that these new products can be made. Johnson: Matt, what are your recommenda- tions for getting the most out of the program? Kelly: It's always tricky. Everybody loves the amount of content, and then the feedback is that there's too much content and they can't attend it all. Come prepared and organized with your must-see agenda each day. In fact, we have mobile apps to help you with that. e program will pull you in many directions, so come with a map. For example, there are four simultaneous tracks with the technical confer- ence alone. Johnson: How does the technical program merge with the professional development courses? Kelly: We have a full slate of professional de- velopment (PD) courses. ere's something for everyone. We've been careful that the PD course schedules do not overlap with the tech- nical conference. Most PD courses are entry- level and general know-how, but the class can still get very deep into the topic due to the length of the classes. We find that many of the PD attendees are either new to the industry, may have a new job, or have a new assignment, for which they need some new base knowl- edge. Barry Matties: What has you most excited about the technical program and the professional de- velopment program overall? Kelly: In the technical conference, what really jumps out at me is the continued demand for these Factory of the Future topics. I'm excited about all the different topics we'll be bringing; I'll give you some examples. We have "trans- formational journey" style strategic topics, and then we get into more specifics. We have won- derful sessions on cybersecurity, supply chain, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. We have sessions on Factory of the Future and what that means for quality, and an entire area on flexible hybrid electronics as well. e conventional technologies are also mak- ing significant advancements. I'm referring to our PCB Fab and Materials track. From what I can see, we likely have the strongest PCB fab track there has been. ere are, for example, 29 stellar papers on microvia design, HDI, and semi-additive pro- cesses. e semi-additive processes are new buildup technologies delivering much small- er line and spacing capabilities. We have two