Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/721932
September 2016 • SMT Magazine 11 tunities in the military and aerospace indus- tries, including ITAR compliance. He also pro- vides some points to consider when selecting an EMS provider. I also spoke with Dr. Jay Sabido of Philip- pine-based Ionics EMS Inc. We discussed EMS trends and opportunities in the country, as well as talked about the challenges EMS firms faced when dealing with military/aerospace electron- ics, and ensuring supply chain integrity. Allen Dill of Blackfox Training Institute writes about their advanced manufacturing program for military veterans, and how it en- ables these veterans to qualify for employment in aerospace, defense, medical, and other fac- ets of electronic manufacturing. His colleague, Sharon Montana-Beard, meanwhile discussed the IPC Certification Program's Space Hardware Addendums training and certification, the top- ics covered in the training course, and the pro- gram benefits. As always, we have our stable of expert col- umnists to provide their insights on the differ- ent aspects of the electronics manufacturing and assembly industry. First, Dr. Jennie S. Hwang picks up from where she left a few months ago to write the fourth part of her column series on the theory behind tin whisker phenomena. Robert Voigt, on the other hand, discuss- es specifying a custom machine when users are faced with an unusual product configuration, a unique space requirement, an unorthodox han- dling system, or an application totally unrelat- ed to the PCB or SMT assembly business. Ford's column this month, meanwhile, takes the lid off the shop-floor digitization issue once and for all, to determine how what the industry will do today will be different from past chal- lenges that caused people to move forward cau- tiously when it comes to solutions related to In- dustry 4.0 or the smart factory. Last but not least, Tom Borkes writes about how the complexity and rapid rate of change in the electronics assembly industry has not per- mitted the academic community to properly educate the student—and what must be done to address the issue. I hope you enjoy this month's issue of SMT Magazine. Next month, we will focus on leader- ship—what makes a great leader and the chang- ing roles of the leader in this industry. Stay tuned! SMT Stephen Las Marias is managing editor of SMT Magazine. He has been a technology editor for more than 12 years covering electronics, components, and industrial automation systems. FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION Source: I-Connect007 The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) is a set of United States Government regulations on the export and import of defense-related arti- cles, related technical data and defense services. EMS provid- ers creating electronics subassemblies for military/ defense applications are required to register with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) in order to be ITAR compliant. In our recent survey, we asked what the greatest challenge that manufacturers face when it comes to ITAR compliance. Majority of the respondents say ongoing compliance is the biggest issue, especially when their companies are global enterprises with many businesses outside of the United States. According to the respon- dents, the classifications are not based on an un- derstanding of the technology; rather they are political, and as such subject to intense lobbying efforts. They are changing frequently, which leaves companies scrambling to re-classify parts of their designs on the fly. I-Connect007 Survey: A Look at the Mil/Aero Industry—ITAR