Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/960726
SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE 2018 I I-CONNECT007 85 a primary industry leader. Camouflage cloth- ing that can change color and patterns, wall coverings that can change, military e-textiles, a blanket to simulate the effect of the weighted blanket used to calm autistic children, and the list goes on. The other takeaway from the discussion was the number of variables, and level of variability, inherent in working with e-textiles. This may require a change in mindset for those of us in the traditional printed circuit board industry. Even our concept of "flexible" is different. One significant "a-ha" moment for me was regarding the concept of "flexible." In my mind, that is the traditional flexible circuit to resolve space, weight, and packaging issues. In this discussion, one of the panelists picked up a sample of material with conductive materials woven in and crumpled it like a piece of paper. Yes, that blows my flexible circuit perspective right out of the water! As I continue to learn more, I am excited about the possibilities for the future merging of electronics and textiles. There is a lot of work to be done to bridge the gap between the industries. The IPC and panelists that spoke at this buzz session are laying the groundwork. In addition to the e-textiles buzz session, the D-72 E-Textiles Materials subcommittee met for a full-day working session to resolve com- ments to the first section of their draft stan- dard and to pinpoint the key characteristics the standard will include. This was a very produc- tive working meeting and now the group will have a path to build the content that will com- prise the standard through 2018. IPC is also hosting IPC E-Textiles 2018 in September in Des Plaines, Illinois [1] . This will be a one-day workshop for innovators, tech- nologists, Tier 1s, and OEMs to come together to collaborate on solutions, identify partners, and help propel growth for the e-textiles mar- ket. The event will provide a venue for active participation during technical presentations as well as hands-on learning and networking. I am excited to see how the e-textiles market evolves over the next several years. The tech- nology alone is interesting, but even more so, in my opinion, is what doors this will open from an end-product perspective. Our imagina- tions just may be the limiting factor. S&T References 1. IPC E-Textiles 2018 Workshop. Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2018 video: Stephanie Rodgers and Diana Wyman, Apex Mills and AATCC, discuss e-textiles and the new related IPC standard.