Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1512467
DECEMBER 2023 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 53 any existing internal design, manufacturing, supply network, or other restricted business data. is is the subject of IPC's new sustainability standard. It's the ability to automatically create declarations that satisfy all matters related to sustainability, as well as provenance, supply- network trust, traceability, and cybersecurity. It's all included in one mechanism and fueled by the data that is already a part of the Smart manufacturing soware we use today. e best modern MES solutions, utilizing the IPC Connected Factory Exchange (CFX) standard, for example, are already capable of recording energy usage at any point in the fac- tory. When this is combined with exact mate- rial traceability, enough information is avail- able to enable the automated accumulation of material sustainability credentials against products, including all materials and manu- facturing conditions. Manufacturing data in the digital domain is flexible enough to be for- matted into whatever sustainability reports are required. Automating the required reporting and proof of conformance comes, therefore, with very little additional cost to the manufac- turing operation. Substantial benefits are made in parallel as reduced wasted energy consump- tion helps reduce manufacturing costs signifi- cantly. e greatest challenges and opportunities for manufacturing today involve sustainabil- ity. Having a pragmatic approach using exist- ing tools in a collaborative, sustainable, stan- dards-based ecosystem, in which an open mar- ket of sustainability credential solutions are appropriate to the scale of the manufacturing company, sector and material type, make them "plug and play." e idea for a "sustainability gold rush" may sound very exciting, until you realize it is your gold that companies are aer. Better to think first and avoid the risk and waste of poorly thought-out solutions with limited scope. Please contact me or IPC if you are interested in understanding more about the collective approach. SMT007 Michael Ford is the senior director of emerging industry strategy for Aegis Software. To read past columns, click here.