Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1509873
56 PCB007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2023 the PCB manufacturing process. e things I learned there I am now using whenever I am tasked with designing a PCB. With PCB design experience under my belt, I am better equipped to handle the unpredictable chal- lenges that may come my way. PCB007 References 1. "The Global Printed Circuit Board Market: Key Insights, Forecasts, and Growth Outlook," MKTPCB. com. 2. "6 PCB Design Stats to Make You Look Smart Around the Water Cooler," by David Marrakchi, Altium, Feb. 21, 2017. 3. "Development of a Printed Circuit Board Design Laboratory Course," by P. Kurtay, 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access. Hannah Nelson is a validation engineer at Texas Instruments and in her third year of IPC's Emerging Engineer Program. She is a former IPC Student Board Member. To read past columns, click here. lization of solder paste. Interestingly, students also learned the importance of time manage- ment when designing a board, to "spend suf- ficient time building the circuit" that would ensure the board could be manufactured dur- ing the specified project time because simula- tion needs adequate time to ensure the circuit works properly. e course taught them the importance of starting the design process early enough to allow for design optimization. Overall, students completed the class "more motivated and better prepared to tackle more sophisticated design projects." To me, this shows that when someone can obtain a basic understanding and skill set, they're ready to take on more rigorous design challenges. Stu- dents learn to manage their time while opti- mizing designs. Even if colleges cannot fit in a semester-long course, I would love to see these topics taught in a few general engineering lab sessions to at least familiarize students in a hands-on set- ting. If neither option is available, I implore the greater electronics manufacturing industry to support their local IPC chapter. Together, we can pull industry forward. When looking back on my college expe- rience, our IPC chapter provided opportu- nities for us to learn skills like soldering and PCB design. e IPC Education Foundation even offered free courses to learn more about