Designing a Sustainable Future

In case you’ve had the possibility to peruse the schedule for IPC APEX EXPO 2023, you will have observed one thing shocking: chunk of the lessons cowl PCB design this yr.

Whereas it might be historically thought of a PCB fab and meeting present, it’s rapidly changing into a vacation spot for PCB designers and design engineers. Flipping via this yr’s schedule, I counted 15 Skilled Improvement and Technical Convention lessons that target PCB design, in addition to a number of fabrication lessons that a lot of it’s best to in all probability take.

I checked in with Carlos Plaza, IPC’s senior director of instructional improvement, to debate the group’s drive to current extra PCB design curriculum on the upcoming present and the way the present can provide designers the instruments they should overcome the numerous challenges presently dealing with the business.

Andy Shaughnessy: Carlos, I discover that there are extra PCB design lessons on the docket this yr, in addition to a much bigger concentrate on design general on the present. Was that one in all your goals for 2023?

Carlos Plaza: Sure. To accommodate the massive variety of registrants we have had this yr, we have expanded the provision of our present programs in order that individuals now have extra alternatives to take high-demand programs like PCB Design I & II, PCB Design for Navy Functions, and Superior Troubleshooting and Defect Evaluation. We’ve additionally responded to business members’ requests for added programs on extremely topical topics. Search for new programs on design for excellence, troubleshooting for PCB meeting, implementing Business 4.0 applied sciences, and extra.

Shaughnessy: I perceive that you just made some enhancements to the design lessons this yr. Inform me about that.

Plaza: Enchancment is an integral a part of our course of. In the end, we would like our curriculum to assist designers and engineers do their jobs extra successfully. To realize that aim, we make a degree of following up with course individuals about their expertise and meet with material specialists to establish matter areas of curiosity to business professionals. The data obtained from these conversations, in addition to the suggestions obtained from our end-of-course surveys, are then used to replace content material and tailor the supply of every course regularly. Latest enhancements, for instance, have ranged from tweaking class beginning instances to including new modules that handle rising applied sciences and strategies.

Shaughnessy: You’re in contact with plenty of these designers and design engineers. What are their largest challenges proper now?

Plaza: At an organizational degree, the retirement of huge numbers of child boomers poses an ongoing problem. From now till 2030, roughly 10,000 boomers will retire day-after-day. The pandemic exacerbated this sample, as many older employees determined to retire early quite than threat an infection. This unprecedented mind drain implies that organizations are compelled to continually onboard new employees and upskill new and present workers members to each protect many years of institutional data and sustain with the lightning-fast tempo of technological improvements, to not point out the concomitant evolution of business requirements and buyer necessities. The scarcity of expert candidates additionally implies that many present workers members are being requested to rapidly study new expertise to fill the breach.

Shaughnessy: Why ought to PCB designers attend IPC APEX EXPO and take some programs? 

Plaza: The Skilled Improvement program brings collectively probably the most skilled business specialists in each space of PCB design. It’s the perfect alternative to study from those that have already made the massive errors and developed processes that can show you how to maximize your effectiveness and effectivity. 

Shaughnessy: Thanks, Carlos. 

Plaza: Thanks, Andy.

For extra details about PCB design curriculum at IPC APEX EXPO, try the December 2022 problem of Design007 Magazine.