association connecting electronics industries (IPC)
The Association Connecting Electronics Industries(IPC) was founded in 1957 as the Institute for Printed Circuits. This name was later changed to Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits, which was renamed Association Connecting Electronics Industries in 1999. Only the acronym IPC, which has always been used, was retained.
The IPC is an association concerned with the problems, solutions, strategies and production techniques of printed circuit boards in the broadest sense. As a globally active organization with over 2,500 member companies, the IPC deals with all facets of the development, manufacture and production of printed circuit boards and their assembly techniques. It provides market forecasts, develops standards, issues guidelines for board manufacturing and quality assurance, and promotes company personnel training and production techniques.
IPC guidelines cover the assembly process and testing for electronic assemblies in which the quality of the final product is determined by the proper handling of the printed circuit boards, the components to be assembled, the solder, the fluxes and the production machinery.