Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1520492
94 I-CONNECT007 I REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2024 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE very important DFs: design for manufacture (DFM), design for reliability (DFR), and design for assembly (DFA), referred to holistically as DFX (design for excellence). Lee gave many examples that stressed the importance of following industry standards and guide- lines in the design of printed boards and assemblies. He stressed the importance of becoming familiar with common materials, machinery, and processes the PCB indus- try uses in order to "design for" measured success needed by the industry in order to provide measurable quality, performance, and reliability. Later that morning, I bounced over to the "Ask the Flexperts" PD sessions featuring Mark Finstad and Nick Koop from TTM. Both innovators in their own rights, this Flexpert tag team was able to cover all aspects of flex and rigid-flex design principles to not only con- firm industry-proven design methodology but follow up with tangible, expert, manufacturing stakeholder responses from TTM to illus- trate what designers can do to improve their future flex designs. The two generously provided all attendees with a tote ring of flex circuit ref- erence material, which can serve as a tactile guide in determining how flex structures behave mechanically. As my PD class-hopping continued, I was lucky to open the door of an advanced PCB design class, quickly seat myself, and realize that for the first time, I was in the presence of IPC's foremost PCB training authority, Kris Moyer, teaching live. Kris has served many industries during the span of his career and has been teaching and training PCB design using the materials and media he has developed for IPC over many years. Kris has worked on projects that often involve subject matter he cannot speak about, and if he did, you get the feeling that black SUVs loaded with national security agents would show up within minutes. Kris' PD course quickly entered into the realms of advanced applications and per- formance of circuit materials and struc- tures. Having only heard Kris' material covered during some past Zoom classes, I must say that watching him teach advanced physics con- cepts related to PCBs in a live class made me want to learn more about phys- ics. His personal career path is quite an inspiration and involves not only PCB design but includes PCB innovation and, due to some of the national security requirements of his previous employers, even quite a bit of invention. Overall, I was quite impressed with the design course offerings at IPC APEX EXPO 2024. There were many more I would have like to have attended, but like many others commented, it was difficult to choose with so much happening at once. Well, maybe next year. S&T Kelly Dack, CIT, CID+, provides DFx centered PCB design and manufacturing liaison exper- tise for a dynamic EMS provider in the Pacific Northwest while also serving as an IPC design certification instructor (CID) for EPTAC. He is an I-Connect007 columnist. To read past columns, click here.