I'm Stephen J. Marshall; National Sales Manager for Calumet Electronics Corporation. Calumet has been manufacturing mission-critical PCBs since 1968 and I have been with Calumet since 1993. During that time, I have been involved in a variety of activities related to performance specifications and quality standards. I have had a front row seat to several industry-changing events, including the conversion to electronic production data, the dot.com bust, the growth of surface mount technology, the introduction of RoHS and the current economic recession.

I have also witnessed the dismantling of American manufacturing and the classifying of its output as a common commodity. My new column presents matters I have discovered and dealt with relating to manufacturing rigid PCBs for performance-critical missions during my tenure. I am solely responsible for the content of this column. Much of the content has been gleaned from referenced documents and Internet searches. I am not qualified as a consultant--the information provided is intended as a reference for readers to use in the pursuit of solutions specific to their actual applications. I do not guarantee any specific benefit or result to the reader.

My primary focus will be conformance to specifications including IPC-6011, IPC-6012, MIL-PRF-31032 and MIL-PRF-5510 performance and qualification specifications, and compliance with standards including ISO9001, AS9100 and Nadcap. I will also address related matters including Central Contractor Registration (CCR); the Defense Supply Center Columbus; the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); the IPC Policy Recommendations to the Department Of Defense Printed Circuit Board Executive Agent, March 2009; procurement documentation, product realization, The Report to U.S. House and Senate Armed Services Committees on Department of Defense  Implementation of The National Research Council Committee on Manufacturing Trends in Printed Circuit Board Technology Recommendations, March 2008; Total Quality Management; and Six Sigma applications. 

These subjects are complex, but they are critical elements required to participate in military, aerospace and other markets that demand high reliability. Many subjects will require a series of articles to cover. I will attempt to drill down to a level of detail that addresses the ambiguity of interpretation to achieve consensus of meaning between provider and user. My goal is for that consensus to become the new industry benchmark for creating, capturing and delivering world-class value for PCBs made in the U.S. It is a lofty ambition for a modest column, but I believe "off-sourcing," the practice of outsourcing manufacturing offshore, has created many hurdles that it is time for us to address and overcome.

The North American electronics industry is the general audience, but my target audience consists of three groups: PCB designers, procurement and quality professionals. These three groups have to provide solutions that determine levels of success on a daily basis. The mass migration to outsourcing changed the priorities and methods used to reach solutions. Today's business model places a high priority on cost reduction and all solutions must be consistent with that model. The PCB designer has to have performance, the procurement professional has to have pricing and the quality professional has to have dependability.