The previous IPC Apex Expo brought more than 9,000 visitors from 45 countries together under one roof. It will be no different this year, as 85 % of the floor space was already sold in June 2018. Technical experts, industry leaders, engineers, researchers, and more will take part in all activities that will surround this tradeshow. JB Straubel, the Chief Technical Officer and Co-founder of Tesla, Inc. will present his keynote speech, “Accelerating and Disrupting Innovation: The Tesla Story”, on opening day. He will discuss the power of innovation, as well as, creating products and ideas for the 21st century. This is open to all registered attendees.
Visitors to the tradeshow will have access and learn more about trending materials, applications, and processes that follow today’s markets, such as Industry 4.0 and wearables. Live demonstrations, technical conferences, professional and standards development, as well as, workshops and tutorials are all done by corporate technologists, consultants, training center staff and university faculty, and will cover all trending topics in this industry. This includes automation, rework processes, handling performance, lead-free fabrication, etc. Activities taking place will offer endless education and networking opportunities that provides the knowledge, technical skills and best practices to address challenges and difficulties.
The CFX demonstration will once again be a highlight this year, since it connects all areas of the production line together. It is a free data and control method used to communicate across the entire process. This includes machines, sensors, software, etc. With this demonstration, visitors will have access to analytical reports and live machine activity data, which is connected via the CFX cloud server, all in real-time.
Another activity that will occur is the world championship hand soldering and rework competition. Participants will be asked to remove components and old solder on a board, to then place and solder new components, all in 90 minutes. The competition will be scored according to IPC standards and evaluated by a Master Instructor. Competitors from around the world representing Britain, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam will compete for the crown and the title of first champion.
The IPC Apex Expo will also have their reoccurring technical paper competition where members of the Technical Program Committee selects the best paper based on its content. This also includes processes and data used for the conclusion, as well as, writing professionalism, and its value to the industry. Visitors can also look forward to the Innovation Awards, which recognizes and celebrates innovators and forward thinkers who are changing the technological landscape of the electronics industry.
