Nov 03, 2011 
They are the subjects of countless headlines and industry tweets - the impact on industry of conflict minerals, embedded technology, process defects and supply line issues such as counterfeit parts - and the topics of two full days’ worth of free BUZZ sessions at IPC APEX EXPO® 2012, February 28-March 1, at the San Diego Convention Center. Hitting on the issues the industry is buzzing over, seven BUZZ sessions will offer industry members an ideal forum to learn about issues from subject-matter experts and get direct answers to their questions.
“Issues like conflict minerals are extremely complex, so it’s important that individuals in our industry get access to credible information on these topics and the opportunity to understand how their companies may be impacted," says Greg Munie, Ph.D., IPC conference director.
The IPC APEX EXPO BUZZ sessions kick off on the afternoon of February 28 with Bob Willis and Christopher Hunt, Ph.D., of the National Physical Laboratory, presenting Tin Whiskers, Delamination, Copper Dissolution, CAF, Coating Adhesion. Hunt and Willis will share the results of some of the most interesting and innovative research work conducted at NPL on these defects. Their session will continue with free mini sessions and individual troubleshooting on the show floor at the NPL Defect Database Clinic.
With insights into the future, Jack Fisher, Interconnect Technology Analysis Inc., will highlight key discoveries of the 2012 IPC International Technology Roadmap and how the document can be used as a sort of GPS to guide companies in their development of business and market strategies and to validate and justify capital investment.
In Embedded: Emerging Technologies on February 29, Mark Beesley, MB Manufacturing, and Vern Solberg, Solberg Technical Consulting, will provide an in-depth look at where embedded technology is going and what the industry can expect to see in the coming years.
Focusing on the massive implications and complexities of the recent conflict minerals regulation in the U.S., the session Are Conflict Minerals the New RoHS? will host a respected panel of experts who will provide the latest information on the SEC regulations, guidance, and industry tools to help companies meet legal and customer requirements that will rapidly flow through the entire supply chain.
On March 1, the panelists in Supply Line Issues will go beyond the issues of price, quality and delivery to shed light on how to effectively deal with the growing concerns of obsolescence, quality and compliance of parts and counterfeit parts in the supply chain.
In addition, a session on solar power will be back by popular demand to provide an update on this growing alternative-energy market and a session showcasing the top three research papers from IPC APEX EXPO’s International Academic Paper Competition will be presented.
In total, seven free BUZZ sessions will be presented at IPC APEX EXPO over three days.
Exhibits-Only registration is free to individuals who register in advance of the event at www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org/register. The Exhibits-Only registration includes free access to the BUZZ Sessions, NPL Process Defect Database Clinic, New Product Zone and all free special events as well as the largest exhibition in North America for printed board design and manufacturing, electronics assembly and test.
For more information on all the activities at IPC APEX EXPO, including the industry’s premier technical conference, professional development courses, and standards development meetings, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org.
IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 3,000 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $2.02 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; Bangalore, India; and Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing, China.
»
