BANNOCKBURN, IL — IPC this week released its biennial technology roadmap for printed circuit boards and electronics assembly.

“The roadmap represents a quantitative summary of the expected changes in board, component and assembly technology from 2008 to 2018, and includes new unique interconnection and assembly potential chapters that show revolutionary applications which are still in the embryonic stage,” says Jack Fisher, chairman, IPC Roadmap Committee. “All this information enables companies to test their short- and long-term goals within a future technology framework. Best of all, the roadmap was purposely designed as an ‘operational level’ roadmap to help companies gain an acute understanding for virtually every operation on the manufacturing floor.”

The document bases its forecasts on so-called product emulators, which include electronic games (portable); consumer products (under $500); handheld/wireless electronics; mid-range performance electronics; high performance systems (mainframe, server, mass storage); RF and microwave electronics (10 MHz); harsh environments/aerospace; and harsh environments/auto electronics.

New this year: A software analysis program developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology is included. The NIST program enables companies to enter its products so that their features can be compared individually to the technology drivers used to define the emulators.