NUREMBERG, GERMANY — Ekatarina Stahlmann beat out 42 other contestants to take home top honors at IPC’s Hand Soldering Competition here last month.
Stahlmann won a cash prize of €300 for the effort, which took place at the SMT Hybrid Packaging trade show.
Second place and a cash prize of €200 went to Eliane Chesnais of Thales, while Sandra Klinger of SüdWest-Elektronik took third place and a cash prize of €100.
Participants in the hand soldering competition had to build a functional electronics assembly within 60 minutes. Master instructor trainers Rob Walls and Stefan Walls of PIEK served as judges and evaluated each assembly based on workmanship, overall functionality, compliance with IPC-A-610 Class 3 criteria and speed to complete the PCB.
A record 43 competitors competed for the title, IPC said.