Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/615135
16 The PCB Design Magazine • December 2015 Mulvihill: Veteran designers tell us that IPC De- signer Certification is the best educational pro- gram for design practices in the industry. The CID and CID+ are professional designations re- spected throughout the industry, specified for major projects and utilized by major corpora- tions for selection and promotion. Shaughnessy: do you have partnerships with oth- er industry organizations? Mulvihill: IPC works on projects in partnership with other industry organizations, notably: • CALCE (Center for Advanced Lifecycle Engineering—University of Maryland) • SMTA (Surface Mount Technology Association) • EIPC (European Institute of Printed Circuits) • FED (Fachverband für Design, Leiterplatten- und Elektronikfertigung— association for PCB design and manufacturing) • AIA (Aerospace Industries Association) • NAM (National Association of Manufacturers) • WECC • SEMI • DDMII Shaughnessy: does the dc help members deal with government agencies? Mulvihill: No. The IPC Government Relations team handles issues associated with environ- mental and governmental regulations that af- fect the electronics industries. Shaughnessy: What are your most successful pro- grams and why? Mulvihill: The IPC 2581-Consortium was formed nearly 10 years ago. Persuading all of the major CAD software vendors to put aside their differ- ences and bringing them to the table for good of the industry was a major effort. Drawing in OEM users to provide input and consent to uti- lize the standard for beta-testing was the next step. The next phase will be to apply the IPC- 2581 to a larger number of facilities, using a variety of CAD software design and assembly tools. This industry standard consists of generic protocols for consistent capturing and trans- mission of design data through all phases of product manufacture—the Holy Grail. This is a great achievement, culminating in a quiet revo- lution that could result in quality and efficiency improvements throughout the entire electron- ics industry. Shaughnessy: Why should someone join the dc? it sounds like there are no risks, only rewards. Mulvihill: Individuals in the electronics indus- try should have an awareness of the importance of design. Up to 75% of a product's cost and performance can be attributed to design. Shaughnessy: is there anything else you would like to share? Mulvihill: For more information on the IPC Designers Council, please contact Kris Roberson, manager, Certification Develop- ment at 1-847-597-2846 or KrisRoberson@ ipc.org. Shaughnessy: thanks for your time. see you at ApeX! Mulvihill: Thank you. PCBDESIGN IPC DESIGNERS CoUNCIL: SERVING PCB DESIGNERS FoR ALMoST 25 YEARS feature interview