Community Magazine

Community-Fall2025

IPC International Community magazine an association member publication

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6 2 C O M M U N I T Y M A G A Z I N E FA L L 2 0 2 5 Tokai Rika's journey toward adopting IPC standards for automotive elec- tronic assemblies was long and com- plex, taking about a decade to com- plete. Traditionally, Japanese automo- tive electronics manufacturers relied on domestic or in-house standards, often differing from overseas suppliers. These differences created significant barriers in global procurement, making it harder to source parts from IPC-com- pliant overseas suppliers and creat- ing cost inefficiencies due to duplicate testing and process requirements. The turning point came around 2021, when Toyota formally adopted two core IPC standards—IPC-A-610, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies, and IPC-J-STD-001, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic As- B I T S & B Y T E S Japan's Voice in Global Electronics Standards Inside the 7-31BV-JP Automotive Addendum Task Group By Norihito Suzuki, Tokai Rika Tokai Rika is a Japan-based manu- facturer specializing in automotive com- ponents, including electronic control units, switches, and security systems. The company plays a key role as a Tier-1 supplier to leading automakers, with a reputation for advanced manufac- turing technologies and strict quality control. Beyond its domestic base, Tokai Rika operates globally, supplying high-reliability com- ponents essential for modern vehicles, from safety systems to electronic assem- blies. Its strength lies in combining innovation with uncompromising quality standards, which has positioned it as a trusted partner in the automotive supply chain. semblies—into its Toyota Technical Standards (TS). This move advanced IPC adoption in Japan's automotive supply chain but also revealed a gap: Japanese companies were not partici- pating in IPC's standards committees, meaning that revisions and addenda were being decided primarily in the U.S., Europe, China, Southeast Asia, and India without Japanese input. Tokai Rika's Path to IPC Adoption and Remaining Challenges For Tokai Rika, the adoption pro- cess was protracted due to the need to verify—through extensive, hands- on testing—that IPC-compliant prod- ucts could match Japan's stringent quality benchmarks. Japan's unique standards, while ensuring exception-

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