68 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2024
IPC achieved a landmark in 2023 IPC created an apprentice-
ship program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. The
response from industry has been enthusiastic. Zentech Man-
ufacturing is the first employer partner to adopt IPC's national
program. IPC is working with Zentech to secure grant funding
that will help offset the costs incurred with training.
When I started working on
global sourcing for American
Standard Circuits, a friend sent
me a book by the NY Times econ-
omist Thomas Friedman called "The Lexis
and the Olive Tree." Well, not being a fan of
the NYT or even economists as a whole, I
put the book on a shelf and forgot about it
until I got a call from my book-giving friend,
and he asked me what I thought of the book.
I mumbled something unintelligible and
quickly changed the subject.
In the ever-evolving
landscape of elec-
tronics manufactur-
ing, the box-build
process stands out
as a critical phase
that bridges the gap between individual com-
ponent manufacturing and the delivery of a
fully functional electronic system. Mike Konrad
delves into the subject of box-build best prac-
tices within the electronics assembly space in
a conversation with Out Of The Box Manufac-
turing in Renton, Washington.
Zentech First to Adopt IPC Apprenticeship
National Program Standards
Global Sourcing Spotlight:
Golf, Friedman, and the Benefits
of Global Sourcing
The Knowledge Base: A CM's
Perspective on Box Build Practices
TOP TEN
EDITOR'S
PICKS
Jake Benz, LPKF sales manager for North America, discusses
the company's advancements in laser depaneling. LPKF has
introduced a green wavelength laser for processing rigid FR-4
circuit boards, bringing significant gains in processing speeds
to market.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024:
Advancements in Laser Depaneling with LPKF
Jake Benz
