Community Magazine

Community-Fall2025

IPC International Community magazine an association member publication

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FA L L 2 0 2 5 C O M M U N I T Y M A G A Z I N E 2 5 "We knew the industry needed something better." The turning point came in 2019, when CFX made its public debut at APEX EXPO. Vendors across the show floor displayed the CFX logo on their machines, feeding real-time data to a cloud simulation. "I could open my smartphone browser, show an unexpected machine stop, and people saw it just worked. That broke the ice." Life Beyond Standards For all his technical focus, Tom has a life firmly rooted in the outdoors. Living near the mountains in Germany, he enjoys skiing, sledding, biking, and hiking, often accompanied by the family's two dogs. His wife is active in dog sports, and one of their pets, a mini Australian shepherd, is even a trick- dog grand champion. "Me, I'm more the entertainment guy with the dogs," he says, laughing. Looking Ahead As retirement approaches, Tom has no plans to step away from the Association. "I've worked in this industry for 25 years," he says. "I could just relax, but why waste the experience? This allows me to keep contributing without the pressure of deliv- ery deadlines, but with plenty of challenges to solve." Those challenges include sustainability and the emerging Digital Credential Exchange standard, which will extend communication beyond the factory to governments and across enterprises. Together with CFX, it will complete the digital foundation of the Factory of the Future. For Tom, the motivation is simple: the people and the problems. "Committee meetings are never bor- ing," he says. "We bring challenges to the table, and together we find solutions. That's what keeps me coming back." Tom Marktscheffel • IPC Committee Activity: Tom is involved in 25 committees, a combination of chairing or active involvement in a variety of subcommittees, task groups, A-teams, and councils. • Career: 25+ years in SMT manufacturing, R&D manager background • Award winner: President's Award (2025); Dieter Bergman Fellowship Award (2023); Ris- ing Star (2022) • Hobbies: Skiing, biking, hiking, and dog walking

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