Soldering Skills Earn Dollars

Aug. 8, 2012

Hand soldering is still a skill with tremendous value, even in this age of automated assembly. Indeed, any engineer who has worked on their own prototype designs will proudly point to their hand-soldering efforts. To honor engineers who take pride in this skill, the IPC Midwest Conference & Exhibition is sponsoring the Second Annual IPC Midwest Soldering Competition, taking place in Schaumburg, IL from August 22-23. Competitors must complete a functional electronics assembly within a tight 30-minute time limit, with the action taking place on the show floor from 1 to 4 PM each day. The top-three finalists will receive cash prizes of $500, $250, and $100; the first-place winner will also walk away with a WSJ 100 Soldering Station compliments of PACE Worldwide, as well as bragging rights for their hand-soldering skills. First place also receives paid hotel and airfare to IPC APEX EXPO®, to be held Feb. 21, 2013 in San Diego, CA, to compete in the IPC Hand Soldering Grand Championship.

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.