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FREE Opening Session: A Leaded Engineer in a Lead-Free World
Wednesday, September 23
8:30 am–9:30 am
Moderator: Dave Hillman, Rockwell Collins
Panelists: Linda Woody, Lockheed Martin Missile & Fire Control; Carol Handwerker, Sc.D., Purdue University; Stephan Meschter, Ph.D., BAE Systems Platform Solutions; Mark Fulcher, Continental AG

Lead-free assembly is here and growing in size and scope in many, but not necessarily all product areas. Even with RoHS, there are products that are exempt from lead-free use. What is the view from these last bastions of tin-lead? How do designers and component and manufacturing engineers deal with a world that is becoming lead free while they’re still operating in leaded mode? Our panel of experts will fill you in on how they and their companies are coping with manufacturing RoHS-exempt product in a world where lead free is becoming the norm.

IPC Technology Roadmap
Thursday, September 24
8:30 am–10:00 am
Moderator: Jack Fisher, Interconnect Technology Analysis, Inc.
Panelists: Dieter Bergman, IPC, Joe Fjelstad, Verdant Electronics, Denny Fritz, MacDermid, Inc.

The IPC International Technology Roadmap provides vision and direction for companies in the electronics manufacturing industry. The Roadmap encompasses the supply chain infrastructure needed for single chip and multichip packaging, printed board issues,assembly considerations, optoelectronics and related management/environmental key pressure points. The roadmap even includes a technical driver software tool so long-range planners can compare their current offerings with the technology needs of tomorrow. Learn more about this incredible document from the key contributors in this free session.

Acceptability, Reliability and Failure Analysis

Failure analysis has always been on the final frontier of electronics assembly. It's an integral tool used in an effort to ensure the reliability of electronic products and systems throughout their lifecycle. After the product has been successfully built, delivered to the customer, and put in the field, something really bad can happen — it comes back. The customer is irate and wants corrective action, today! No one likes to hear the words “field failures” or “product returned from field”; however, they are a fact of life for all companies at some point.

Many of the industry's foremost failure analysts will be at IPC Midwest 2009 to provide a very unique view into the world of failure analysis. On Thursday, September 24, 2009 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, industry leaders will present technical case studies and provide how-to guidance through failure analysis free forums right on the show floor:

Cross-Sectional Preparation of Specialty and Problematic Components
10:15 am
Presenters: Richard Wagner and Gabe Lucas, Buehler Ltd.

Explore cross-sectioning techniques for identification of failure sites and verification of failure mechanisms through actual case studies.

Advanced Applications of XRF for Lead Detection on Electronic Assemblies
11:00 am
Presenter: Paul Lomax, Fischer Technology Inc.

RoHS regulations have forced component suppliers to provide components with many different solder finishes. Review a new technique for reliably identifying unknown samples of material for the presence of lead utilizing XRF instrumentation.

Are the Test Results in Your C of C Still Applicable to the Products You Are Buying?
11:45 am
Presenters: Debby Obitz, John Radman and Renee Michalkiewicz, Trace Laboratories

What happens when materials tested don’t meet the requirements of the specification that the Certificate of Compliance (C of C) states have been met? Learn which material purchases are the largest risks for the OEM and determine what questions need to be asked when receiving that C of C.

Implementing the New IPC Thermal Stress, Convection Reflow Assembly Simulation Test Method, IPC-TM-650, Method 2.6.27
12:30 pm
Presenter: Chris Mahanna, Robisan Laboratory

IPC has developed a thermal stress method that simulates convection reflow rather than traditional wave soldering — get a handle on implementation, qualification and ongoing verification of this new industry test method.

Analytical Methods of Detecting Lead in Electronic Assemblies
1:15 pm
Presenters: Mike Fredrickson and Carmine Meola, ACI Technologies Inc./EMPF

Understand recent advances in nondestructive methods of quantifying lead in electronic products through spectroscopy, fluorescence and other elemental analysis.

Failures Resulting from Cleanliness: What to Test?
2:00 pm
Presenter: Joe Russeau, Precision Analytical Laboratory, Inc.

Identify how failures resulting from cleanliness can be among the most difficult to diagnose, and address the disconnect between understanding what causes