EPTAC BLOG

Certification of the Company or the Employee

Written by Mark Pilkington | May 20, 2013 10:12:38 AM

From time to time the question arises that sounds like the following: Is my company certified to IPC [insert your favorite standard here]? Or the statement we hear is, “Our company is certified to IPC such and such."

What we need is a little clarification. The IPC does not certify companies, only the instructors (CITs), and then they can certify the operators (CISs), to the requirements of the particular specifications, be it either IPC-A-610, WHMA/IPC-A-620, IPC/J-STD-001, IPC-A-600, or IPC-7711/7721.

Some plants have been certified to the requirements of IPC specifications, but they do not receive an IPC certificate, but a certificate from the company doing the audit. We’ve done a couple of these to make sure the total manufacturing system is following the requirements of the specifications. Again this is not an IPC certification and the IPC is not involved with this effort.

What your customers should be concerned with is one of the most important paragraphs of J-STD-001, paragraph 1.10 Personnel Proficiency, which defines that, “…all instructors, operators, and inspection personnel shall be proficient in the tasks to be performed…”, the document does not state all the people have to be certified, it states they have to be proficient. The only one who can mandate certification of the operators is the customer in the contractual agreements.

 

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EPTAC is an internationally recognized leader in solder training and IPC certification, providing professionals with the skills to accelerate their careers and businesses and the talent to succeed. For over 35 years, EPTAC has been helping corporations increase quality standards, improve productivity, and maximize profits.

With 24 locations in North America, EPTAC continues to expand its offerings and exceptional instructional staff to provide easy access to knowledge and skill-based programs when and where the industry demands it. Access our scheduled programs through our website or schedule your own corporate on-site training. For more information, call 800.643.7822 or contact us.