The quality of IPC standards

Quality is critical in the aerospace industry where reliability is paramount. For many companies, ensuring quality standards in electronics are applied across the production process...

Quality is critical in the aerospace industry where reliability is paramount. For many companies, ensuring quality standards in electronics are applied across the production process is a pre-requisite for work carried out by subcontractors and systems integrators.
Over recent years, internationally accepted quality standards for electronic hardware production have become increasingly important as outsourcing by OEMs has increased, international trade has expanded and legislation such as the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive has been imposed. This is why the IPC standards in electronics have been adopted across the sector.

Whichever manufacturing sector a contract electronics manufacturer (CEM) is supplying into, maintaining quality standards is increasingly recognised as a key factor in customer satisfaction and a means of ensuring efficiency in manufacturing operations. In the competitive aerospace market contracts may be won or not based on whether suppliers can meet exacting quality standards when manufacturing components and products for use in this highly specialised industry. As a result many CEMs and OEMs are looking to qualified training providers such as Leeds-based Electronics Yorkshire to ensure that staff is trained to apply quality-based processes and procedures such as those issued by IPC.

The IPC association was formed by major global industrial companies including Boeing, NASA, Hewlett Packard, Raytheon, BAE Systems and Nokia, all of which recognised the need to ensure that subcontractors' quality is maintained at an appropriate worldwide level of standard classification. This standard is accepted by multinational OEMs, aerospace and defence contractors, as well as many smaller electronics production companies.

A common misconception is that the IPC concept consists of just one book of standards; however, the truth is that the IPC framework consists of four major aspects, which are standards, training, certification, and membership, and it is the thousands of hours of volunteer time contributed by various individuals throughout the industry that makes IPC strong. IPC standards are created by industry volunteers through committee task groups which exist in the US, Nordic countries and China.

Since 1995, when IPC's first training and certification programme was launched, many major equipment manufacturers have participated in formulating the standards as well as fulfilling them. In its 53 year history, IPC has published standards for many steps of the printed circuit manufacturing and assembly process, building from a foundation of solid design up to final acceptance. Today organisations of all sizes, including those involved in supplying electronic-based products to the aerospace industry, benefit from implementing IPC standards through having trained, certified operators in key positions of the electronic production process, from design through to inspection.

IPC has two levels of staff development programmes, namely certified IPC application specialist (CIS) for staff such as quality line leaders, operational managers, assembly operators and design engineers; and certified trainer (CIT) for instructors empowered to train other staff to the CIS standard. The quality processes for both the trainers and the application specialists are such that each must be recertified on a regular two-yearly basis so as to remain abreast of the many changes that can take place in the electronics industry.

IPC offers globally recognised, industry-traceable training and certification programmes in the key areas of discrimination skills, i.e. see it, hear it, read it, write it and apply it and, through demonstration, in hands-on skills. Many of the specialist staff development programmes cover soldering, product assembly, cable and wire harness assembly, rework of electronics assemblies/repair and modification of printed boards, with IPC-A-600 for printed boards, IPC-A-610 for electronic assemblies and IPC/WHMA-A-620 for cable and wire assemblies, all reinforcing the discrimination skills; whilst two further workmanship programmes, the J-STD-001 for soldered assemblies and IPC-7711/7721 for rework and repair, providing that other critical aspect of hands-on skills to be demonstrated by the student.

The masters of IPC training

Electronics Yorkshire has been delivering IPC training with its own master IPC trainers (MITs) for over ten years and is the only authorised IPC centre in the UK offering five complete programmes at the two levels of CIS and CIT.

One company working in the aerospace industry that has benefited from having staff trained in IPC standards at Electronics Yorkshire is AT Engine Controls, based in Worsley, Manchester. AT Engine Controls is a specialist systems company which has supported the helicopter aerospace industry for over 40 years and which designed the first full-authority control system for the Rolls- Royce Gnome engine. This was initially fitted to the Westland Whirlwind and is now in extensive use worldwide in the Sea King helicopter.

To ensure quality standards throughout its manufacturing processes and procedures are to internationally-recognised levels, AT Engine Controls has introduced a continuing programme of IPC training and recertification for its staff. Tutors from Electronics Yorkshire recently delivered two distinct onsite training courses to staff at the company's base in Manchester. The IPC A-610 electronics assembly course for Application Specialists focused on the industry-accepted workmanship criteria for electronics assemblies, whilst the IPC 7711/7721 rework, modification and repair of electronics assemblies offered a wealth of industry-approved techniques on through-hole and surface mount rework, as well as land, conductor and laminate repair.

Mike Taylor, production engineer at AT Engine Controls, explains: “In an increasingly competitive global market, having staff trained to the IPC standard has become an integral part of us maintaining the highest quality standards throughout our manufacturing processes. As a result we have been able to supply reliable quality products to our customers and have continued to win key contracts in the helicopter aerospace industry. IPC standards are now being viewed as benchmarks by which our company is judged.”

Eric Hinsley, training and technology centre manager at Electronics Yorkshire and one of the organisation's two MITs, comments: “Working to IPC standards ensures that quality levels are acceptable for use throughout the aerospace industry and that staff are trained to apply them correctly and appropriately. We are committed to IPC training excellence and continue to help companies involved in electronics achieve the highest manufacturing standards as we realise this can be an essential requirement when they are looking to win new contracts or maintain existing ones.”

It is anticipated that the demand for IPC training and certification will increase as experienced technical staff and quality control personnel need to not only understand the benefits of quality assurance but also be knowledgeable about new materials and technologies; understanding, for instance, what constitutes a real defect as opposed to a simple, often cosmetic, anomaly – IPC training can, undoubtedly, provide staff with the resources to determine this.

Electronics Yorkshire is a not-for-profit organisation supporting everyone involved in the UK's electronics sector. They currently offer around 20 industry-dedicated training courses which include the full range of IPC Standards for trainers and specialists.

www.electronicsyorkshire.org.uk

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