Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1521713
58 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2024 Which IPC standards are the most "qualified" through the VS process? e IPC J-STD-001/IPC-A-610 (soldering and inspection) QML program is the most popular, but the IPC-1791 Trusted Supplier program continues to gain traction. Could you provide some general guidance on how a company can prepare itself for an audit? If you are not one already, you must become an IPC member, which allows you to acquire the IPC standards you need and begin to determine the amount of training and education that will be required for your manufacturing employ- ees to maximize their potential. e final step is to begin the VS audit qualification process, but the VS team can assist you at every step of this process. Why would someone do a Standards Gap Analysis (SGA) and not simply do an audit? SGA is a program designed to help a customer become more familiar with using an IPC stan- dard. It may be surprising, but it is very com- mon that manufacturers require education and clarification around the standards they are using. ere is a lot there. An SGA pro- vides a high-level overview of the manufactur- ing processes. e team visits a customer and conducts a yes/no type of interview using the IPC standard(s) as a guide. We provide a com- pletely confidential internal report showing all gap findings and containing recommenda- tions for improvement. Some customers feel an SGA is a good prerequisite to a full QPL or QML audit and qualification. Some customers will use SGA if they are considering a merger or acquisition. But SGAs have proven to be valuable tools for our customers, no matter the primary reason for participating. Tell me about the Technology Solutions program, something that perhaps a PCB fabricator would be more inclined to use than some of the other VS programs. Technology Solutions was created to provide troubleshooting and problem-solving for a par- ticular manufacturing problem. In essence, we go in and help solve a problem. For example, an EMS provider's conformal coating process experiences bubbles aer curing. e team troubleshoots the problem and determines a root cause. A confidential report is provided showing the findings and recommendations to correct the problem. e team then fol- lows up with the customer to verify the prob- lem has been successfully resolved and has not re-occurred. is has proven a tremendous value to our customers, whether they ever par- ticipate in a formal audit process. PCB fabri- cators are more likely to engage in the Tech- nology Solutions than others in the Validation Services program. It can be applied to pretty much any part of the value chain for root cause analysis and problem-solving. If someone is interested in learning more about VS, participating in a gap analysis, or getting assistance solving a problem through the Technology Solutions program, who should they contact? Please contact me at RandyCherry@ipc.org. I've been in various parts of manufacturing for over 40 years, and I love to go to a customer's site and help solve a problem, whether through the SGA, audit process or by providing tech- nology solutions on the ground. Thank you, Randy. This has been an interest- ing discussion. As we work to develop more standards and standardize more technolo- gies across the value chain worldwide, Validation Services will become of even greater value to industry members. Congratulations on 11 years. SMT007 Read "The Journey to IPC-1791 Validation," in IPC Community. In his interview, John Vaughn of Summit Interconnect details the process of working with IPC and what it means to be certified to this standard.