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92 I-CONNECT007 I REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2024 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE by Kelly Dack What is invention without innovation? What is innovation without capability? What is capability without standards and guidelines? What are standards and guidelines without the design and manufacturing stakeholders who produce them? Folks say that invention involves the creation of things entirely new, while innovation is the process of improving the creations or find- ing new ways to use them. This observation holds true in all realms of PCB design. How- ever, PCB designers, seated at PCB design workstations with very powerful CAD tools at hand, often misunderstand the concept of invention. Like a new musician making a lead error in a blues riff will refer to off-color notes as "jazz," many new PCB designers not checking in with supplier capabilities will consider their work an "invention." A mistake is a mistake. DFM is a step in the innovation process, which is a necessary part of design. If new materials or processes do not exist, applying the concept of invention involves long timelines and astronomical financial backing, which must occur in order to reach the goals of a new product con- cept. On Sunday, April 7, I attended a "design for" Professional Development session taught by Dale Lee. Presented as a two-part morn- ing and afternoon class, Dale covered some A Potpourri of Design PD Classes Professional Development