New Electronic Manufacturing Certification Helps Protect Manufacturers' Intellectual Property

In 2013, the Association Connecting Electronics Industries (IPC) launched a certification program that allows printed board manufacturers to show their commitment and concern to protect customers’ intellectual property by complying with industry best practices.

In a press release, Michael Mosan, the vice president of global technology of TTM Technologies, averred that the protection of intellectual property is extremely important in the electronics industry.” He further said that IPC’s new Intellectual Property Protection Program is designed to help improve facilities’ programs and ultimately get them certified to a university standard.

The electronic manufacturing certification process was based on IPC-1071, also known as Best Practices for Intellectual Property Protection in Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing. It is designed to regulate the electronic manufacturing processes for commercial, military, industrial, and high-reliability markets. It was developed with help and input from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), assembly companies, and printed circuit board manufacturers.

The certification process encompasses a facility audit that is anchored on a 130-question evaluation that examines the specific areas that involve physical facility security, information technology security, and compliance with specific regulations, including ITAR and EAR.

The audit questionnaire covers specific categories. These are related to the main categories in the IPC-1071 standard, which also includes corporate policy, employee training, emergency procedures, supply chain, vendor management, destruction of scrap materials, and many more.

The Certification Process

Electronic manufacturing organizations that want to be certified are required to submit to a certification process. There’s not much pressure here because interested organizations can go through the process at their own pace. They have three levels of audit to choose from, depending on their level of needs:

• Level 1, Basic Intellectual Property Protection, is best suited for manufacturing facilities that produce high-volume consumer goods.

• Level 2, High Intellectual Property Protection, best suited for manufacturing facilities that produce high-value goods.

• Level 3, Advanced Level for Military, Government and Commercial Intellectual Property Protection, designed for military and high-security systems.

Requiring participating organizations to obtain electronic manufacturing certification is one of the most significant campaigns of IPC. It works to ensure the protection of manufacturers’ intellectual rights and guarantee the reliability and quality of their finished products.

Source: IPC.org

The Importance of Electronic Manufacturing Certification

To be able to achieve excellence in electronics assembly, a company needs to have an electronic manufacturing certification. One certification that a company can have is the IPC-A-610 standard. This standard is about the Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies. It is the standard that most companies use worldwide. This standard is widely used because of its good reputation when it comes to its end product, which many consumers patronize. Durability, convenience, and reliability are what most consumers are after when it comes to electronics products.  This type of standard has a special feature of having highly reliable printed wiring assemblies. This means that the end product is really top of the class.

Every company that wants to learn IPC-A-610, the training program of this standard includes certification and instructional materials that mainly focus on the standard. When a company has a certification of this standard, it means that the company exhibits its commitment to customer requirements in producing quality products. Quality products are important; when a company produces such a product, it will increase its reputation as a good and reliable manufacturer. The training and certification of this standard has instant recognition, legitimacy, and value throughout the electronics industry. The training also produces certified IPC trainers. They provide IPC trainers with detailed instructional plans and high-quality materials. They can conduct training for application specialists, which includes the management and sales teams.

The excellent candidates for an IPC-A-610 training are trainers and quality supervisors who have the knowledge and skills in electronic assembly, as well as manufacturing supervisors and engineers who are well-versed in assembly. Also qualified for such training are those people who are responsible for the quality and reliability of the electronic assemblies of their company. Candidates are certified once they complete their course of study and pass the certification examinations. When they finish the training course and become IPC-A-610 certified IPC trainers, they will be provided with instructional materials to help them conduct modular application specialist training. They are taught to use a modular approach when they conduct training because this can help the company customize its training according to its needs.

Every company that will let its employees attend an IPC-A-610 Training and Certification Program will be able to gain a lot of benefits. The training program offers a wide range of learning and knowledge when it comes to the electronic world. Companies can gain continuous improvement of product quality and reliability through such a certification and training program. Authorized IPC training centers will see to it that their students will learn and understand the course that they are taking. Such knowledge of the standards can make a company more efficient when it comes to its production. The training program also supports the company’s commitment to continuous improvement of product quality and reliability.

Certification in electronic manufacturing is necessary to help safeguard the well-being of its workers and consumers. This is why every electronic manufacturing company should strictly implement standards on its manufacturing processes. This will not only benefit them but also their consumers.