Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/960726
26 I-CONNECT007 I SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE 2018 by Patty Goldman I-CONNECT007 Another IPC conference and show is now history, which is always a little sad. Out of all the meetings, technical papers, the exhibition, and all the people, it's the people, of course, who make the IPC APEX EXPO exciting, uplift- ing, and enjoyable. We spend time renewing acquaintances, hugging old friends, meeting new people, catching up, learning new things, and sometimes we just marvel at it all. That's not saying that the technical confer- ence was insignificant. It was substantial, with five tracks covering design, manufac- ture, assembly, reliability, test and inspection, new technology, and much more. In addition, numerous courses were taught over the week- end and late into the week. This year it seemed as if there were more and better sessions on PCB manufacturing. Many standards and spec- ification committee meetings were held. You really needed a planned agenda, or it could be truly overwhelming. But if you knew what you needed to learn about or what you needed to be involved in, you would not have been dis- appointed. The disappointment for me was not being able to cover more than a smidgen of what the conference had to offer. Plus, there was the expo part of IPC APEX EXPO, which was sold out and as big as it has ever been. Unfortunately (in my mind), the PCB section on the show floor was overwhelmed by oversized—and in some cases excessively tall—booths featuring SMT equipment. Just as unfortunately, it seems the IPC board of direc - tors is also trending away from PCB manufac- turing—and apparently being part of the indus- try is no longer a criterion for appointment. I hope that comes back around soon. On the other hand, more OEMs than ever are taking an interest in standards development IPC APEX EXPO 2018: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow