EPTAC BLOG

In Search of the Ultimate Instructor

Written by Leo Lambert | Jun 17, 2022 8:14:01 PM

Looking for an adventure? 
Interested in sharing your knowledge? 
Want to mentor new people? 
Enjoy meeting new people? 
Willing to learn something new and different? 
Like or enjoy travelling? 
Work with an interesting people and team? 
We are looking to hear from you! 

“Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly or it vanishes”[1]

The ability to share knowledge is a skill we all need to work on to maintain and improve the products and services we provide.

An old commercial once implied we cannot build tomorrows product with yesterday’s skills. Therefore, we must apply ourselves in working to accomplish those goals, and the process should be enjoyable. That is our battle cry.

Therefore, the intent of EPTAC is to improve the knowledge and skills of the employee, as they need to know what they are doing and must have the skills to accomplish those goals.

We are looking for individuals who have the ambition to teach and to provide employees the knowledge and skills to build their respective products and as I stated in one of my seminars “Employees are the last line of defense to the product before it goes to their customers.” Customers do not want to purchase products or services that do not work; therefore, the employees need to know what to do and why they have to do it a certain way to maintain quality. Hence, the bottom line of any manufacturer or manufacturing operation is to improve yields, reduce defects, improve quality, and have satisfied customers i.e., control cost and expenses. Hence, the employer mandates the employees have this type of knowledge, training, and certification, as producing bad products increases their product cost, impacts reputation, and hinders the potential of more business.

We are looking to grow our instructor team. There are many people who might be interested in a career change; such as someone with tribal knowledge of the electronic manufacturing and an interest in teaching this to others, people with teaching skills who can learn the technology, people who are tired of the daily grind of repetitive processes and even people from the industry who have retired and want to keep current about the products being manufactured and have an interest in teaching.

Our staff will provide the resources and the opportunity to learn the material, provide you with the knowledge necessary to become instructors and trainers in the electronic manufacturing field.

The next generation of manufacturing personnel necessitates the required knowledge and skills to meet the needs demanded of these innovative technologies and products. Manufacturing resources, knowledge and efficiency will be the edge for companies to succeed in the future. This provokes us into action to be able to deliver and transfer this knowledge to the workforce.

Another point to elaborate is the difference between teaching and training. Teaching being the ability to get the student to understand a topic with examples and experience.[2] Whereas training is a process by which someone is taught the skills that are needed for an art, profession, or job.[3]

So that is what we do, teach the standards, and train the physical skills required to repair and rework printed circuit boards, such as removing and replacing components, be it either plated through hole or surface mount technology. The teaching portion is based upon industry standards as developed through IPC a global industrial organization who maintains and controls the related documents.

The documents involved include the following:

IPC-J-STD-001 Requirements for Soldered Electrical Assemblies. This specification is for qualifying the materials used in soldering and distinguishing the acceptable and rejectable conditions of individual solder joints. This program also has a workmanship program where individuals physically build a product demonstrating their skills and knowledge of soldering.

IPC-A-610, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies. This document describes and presents visual interpretations of the acceptable and rejectable conditions as found during an inspection of the electronic product manufactured.

IPC-6012 Qualification and Performance Specification for Rigid Boards. This is the document which is used to qualify circuit boards as it defines conductor thickness and width, plating thickness for each class of product, and defines all the visual and internal anomalies associated with circuit board fabrication.

IPC-A-600, Acceptability of Printed Boards. This specification is a product assurance document and provide visual interpretations of the requirements of the circuit board fabrication process.

IPC/WHMA-A-620, Requirements & Acceptance for Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies. This document covers the requirements for the fabrication and assembly of cables used within the electronic industry, be it either military, medical, automotive, commercial, industrial, or space and aeronautics.

IPC-7711/7721, Rework, Repair and Modification of Electronic Assemblies. As stated in the title, this document covers all the methodologies to repair printed circuit boards, be it laminate defects, manufacturing defects, or engineering change requirement which includes the modification of the circuit board itself.

Additionally, we also have internal programs which were designed internally covering a variety of topics related to manufacturing electronic products.

If there is any interest or questions regarding all of the above, please contact us at eptac@eptac.com or view our webpage at www.eptac.com.

EPTAC is An International Leader in Solder Training and IPC Certification

EPTAC has been helping corporations increase quality standards, improve productivity, and maximize profits for over 30 years. With nineteen locations in North America, online courses and webinars and on-site training, EPTAC is continuously expanding its offerings and exceptional instructional staff to provide easy access to knowledge and skill base programs when and where the industry demands it.

 

[1] www.azquotes.com/quote/81883 Famous quotes of Peter Drucker

[2] www.thefreedictionary.com

[3] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/training