Which Employee Should Undergo For Ipc-a-610f Certification Program

By Author: Ms Betty Hunt
Total Articles: 1
Comment this article

Often training centers are asked who in a given organization we recommend should be trained in a given IPC certification program. The answer lies specifically in which standard training program and the context in order to answer that particular question. I answer this question each of the major IPC certification programs will be answered in a different manner.

For IPC-A-610 certification areas within a company should include several functional areas including purchasing, operations, quality control, sales, incoming inspection, and contract administration. Purchasing, especially if they are procuring board assemblies, need to know some of the nuisances of board quality. In addition, they need to be able to “speak the language” of suppliers. This language, from a quality control standpoint, is the IPC-A 610 acceptability of electronic assemblies. On the incoming side, quality control needs to know the standards so the workmanship and anomalies can be looked at. Finally, operations, on the assembly end of the PCBs needs to know to what standards ...
... the boards need to build to and inspect for those standards prior to shipment.

In regards to the IPC J-STD-001 certification the operations personnel including quality control, process engineering as well as contract administration should be IPC-J-STD-001 certified. If a client wants to come in for an inspection or a process audit, then standards knowledge will prove useful in conversing with the customer’s representatives.

With respect to the IPC-A-620 wire and cable harness inspection certification program, like the 610 certifications critical area in the procurement, supply chain management, quality control, operations, and others will need to become certified. Personnel performing, the quality function can take a look at specific customer drawings and understand their expectations and compare these to what is being delivered to them.

When it comes to the IPC 7711/7721 PCB rework and repair program certification is this area is generally only required in the operations are where rework (on the line) or returned product (repair area) is being done.

The IPC-A-600 standard, which entails the inspection of printed wiring boards including rigid, flex, and rigid-flex, is mainly used by design engineers, board shops, and incoming QC inspection at the EMS or electronics assembler. This will help ensure that boards meet the specification prior to adding a lot of value in terms of electronics assembly.

For each of the major IPC certification and training programs, the standards certification holds different meanings for different employees and their positions within the organization. The meaningfulness of holding this certification is a function of the type of the organization, the customers that are served, the types of contracts undertaken by the organization, and quality system requirements.

All of the IPC certifications are part of the IPC multi-tiered certification program where the master site licenses employ master trainers who teach CIT’s or certified instructor trainers who certify CIS candidates or associates. The credentials themselves belong to the employees. Finally, all credentialed personnel are on a 2-year re-certification plan. The IPC certification system fits nicely into anyone’s quality management system.

I am the principal of BEST Inc. I have 20+ years of experience in running small businesses. I am a practicing instructor in IPC certification and have a passion for teaching in a variety of life skills as well as in soldering and PCB repair.