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74 The PCB Magazine • October 2016 IPC, it is an organization that has been around for nearly 60 years, focused on the advance- ment of all sectors of the printed circuit board world—design, manufacturing, assembly, and test. With respect to our topic today, this or- ganization's membership is heavily populated with true experts in the printed circuit board field and if a problem arises in your day-to-day travels, it's very likely that someone within IPC can help you solve it, as they have probably dealt with it before. IPC has a couple of specific areas that can be used for your benefit. Various conferences and meetings throughout the year are held around the world. These events typically contain tech- nical sessions, where someone can learn about a variety of topics pertinent to the printed cir- cuit board world, as well as meetings in which various sectors of the industry are discussed at the highest levels. Of specific interest to many would be the standards development meetings that occur twice per year. These meetings focus on the many test methods and test specifica- tions that IPC issues for the industry and the sessions are organized into various topics. A tre- mendous amount of experience can be found in any of the meeting rooms and much infor- mation can be gleaned just by attending and listening. The chairpersons and co-chairpersons of the various committees and task groups are all experts in their fields and the attendance in a single meeting will likely span all four of the sectors mentioned above: design, manufactur- ing, assembly, and test. In addition to the conferences and meetings, IPC also has a Validation Services division. This group is tasked with qualifying companies to a variety of lists, depending on their specific role in the industry. Specifically, there is a Qualified Products List (QPL), a Qualified Manufacturers List (QML), and a Qualified Test Laboratories list. From these lists, you can search for com- panies and contacts that can likely help you di- rectly with the issue you are dealing with. For example, if there is a widget that you are look- ing to obtain to help with your issue, it's pos- sible it already exists and the QPL could help you find a source. At the same time, if you're in a time or resource crunch and you need help with your production process, using the QML might be a good resource. And, lastly, if some form of testing is of interest, the Qualified Test Laboratories list could be a good place to start. Similar to IPC, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which is a supporting agency of the De- partment of Defense, also has QPL and QML lists in the military arena…along with a certified list of test laboratories that are suitable for testing PCB-related items for military-based applica- tions. Once again, these various lists are stacked with knowledgeable colleagues and companies that can surely help you with the issue you are currently dealing with. While there is certainly merit in the notion of solving a problem completely and totally on your own, that never really happens if you think about it, as you're utilizing someone else's experience in some way or another whether you realize it or not. Even a "problem" as simple as being asked to draw a line on a piece of paper is "solved" by understanding Euclid's geometric principals. It's his "experience" that allows you to solve the problem, whether you know who Euclid is or not! So when a problem or issue arises, don't be afraid to ask around and get some help. Experts (and information) in all varieties of fields are everywhere if you're willing and able to search them out. PCB Keith M. Sellers is operations manager with NTS in Baltimore, Maryland. " IPC has a couple of specific areas that can be used for your benefit. Various conferences and meetings throughout the year are held around the world. " DON'T REINVENT THE WHEEL—FIND AN EXPERT!