IPC-A-610E Released: Industry Requirements for Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies Updated

IPC—Association Connecting Electronics Industries has released the E revision of IPC-A-610, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies. IPC said its most widely-used standard, which provides visual acceptance criteria for post assembly mechanical and soldering assembly requirements, now addresses additional technologies, including flexible circuits, board in board, package on package, depanelization and additional SMT terminations.

The photos and drawings that show good and bad connections, considered one of the most important features of IPC-A-610, have also been upgraded. The E revision contains 165 new or updated illustrations, bringing the total to more than 800.

In addition, the standard has been revamped for ease of use and clarity. Sections have been reorganized so data and images are easier to find and to make it easier to use. Zenaida Valianu, Training and Development Specialist at Celestica agrees, "The document is more intuitive and manageable than before, allowing users to navigate more easily and locate information promptly.”

The many changes that have occurred in array packaging since the standard’s last revision are also addressed in the E revision, as are changes to hot tear and filet lifting.

There are new sections on depanelization, board in board, package on package, and flex attachment, which Jack Crawford, IPC Director of Certification, calls "high interest topics.”
Designers and manufacturers will appreciate criteria for package-on-package technologies, often used to boost solid-state memory capacity, and for board-in-board connections, where daughter boards can be mounted perpendicular to the assembly using a through-the-board method.

Upgrades to a companion document, J-STD-001, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies, have also been made in a recent release of the standard’s E revision. IPC J-STD-001E provides material and process requirements for producing soldered electrical and electronic assemblies, aiding those who set up manufacturing processes.

The first copies of IPC-A-610E, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies, will be available for purchase in the IPC Bookstore at IPC APEX Expo. Translations of the revised standard in multiple languages will be released in the coming months.

For more information on IPC-610E, visit www.ipc.org/610 or contact Jack Crawford, IPC Director of Certification, at JackCrawford@ipc.org. Full day workshops on the revisions to IPC-A-610E will take place May 18 in Irvine, California and May 20 in San Jose, California, USA. Visit www.ipc.org/workshops-brochure for details.

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