Solving real business challenges, Factory of the Future programs identify new technologies that modernize industry processes. Several of these new disruptive technologies already exist such as AI-enabled inspection, AI-machine learning, CAD, 3D design, simulation, 3D printing and more. IPC connects you with these disruptive technology companies, sorts through the technologies and provides a focus for the electronics manufacturing industry.

iNEMI/IPC White Paper
Complex Integrated Systems: The Future of Electronics Manufacturing
iNEMI/IPC white paper on complex integrated systems highlights future technology and manufacturing ecosystem needs.
Outlook for Data Analytics in the Electronics Manufacturing Industry
The increasing complexity of electronics manufacturing requires embracing data analytics to manage electronics factories, according to a new white paper from IPC’s Chief Technologist Council.

IPC-CFX - Bringing Smart Factories to Life

IPC Connected Factory Exchange (IPC_CFX) is the baseline shop floor equipment communication standard the electronics manufacturing industry is using to power its factory modernization.

MES-Based PROCESS CONTROL of Test Machines Using IPC-CFX

IPC-CFX Process Control and Traceability: Real-Time Risk Mitigation in Hand Soldering

MTC Demonstrates Europe's First Electronics Smart Factory Using Legacy Machines, June 16 2020 ... Manufacturing Technology Centre 

IPC-CFX
Learn more about how IPC-2591 is enabling "plug and play" IoT communication across the manufacturing environment, where all equipment, manufacturing processes, and transactional stations can communicate without the need for specialized software.
IPC Factory of the Future Presentations
Access the Factory of the Future video recordings and presentations on topics essential to transforming your electronics manufacturing operations
IPC Factory of the Future Related Standards

 

Join a Factory of the Future Standards Committee Today

How Can I Become a Factory of the Future Standards Committee Member


IPC has published several standards related to the Factory of the Future initiative to assist electronics manufacturers with implementing their modernization plans. As an example there is IPC-2591, CFX (Connected Factory Exchange) supporting Smart Factory with machine to machine communication.  Other standards like IPC-2551, digital twin; IPC-Hermes-9852 and IPC-2581C support the Factory of the Future role out. IPC continues to look at new standards to lead, transform and modernize the electronics manufacturing industry.  

Interested in becoming part of the movement to help develop standards for Factory of the Future?  

 

IPC-1782 Standard for Manufacturing / Supply Chain Traceability of Electronic Products

IPC-1782, Standard for Manufacturing / Supply Chain Traceability of Electronic Products

This standard establishes minimum requirements for manufacturing and supply chain traceability based on perceived risk as agreed between user and supplier (AABUS). This standard applies to all products, processes, assemblies, parts, components, equipment used and other items as defined by users and suppliers in the manufacture of printed board assemblies, as well as mechanical assembly and printed circuit board fabrication. This standard is applicable both for internal traceability (i.e., traceability within the environment in which the product is assembled) and external traceability (i.e., as products and materials are moved between locations as part of their supply chain). Minimum requirements are based on four levels of traceability for materials and processes. These levels can correlate to the IPC Product Classification System (Class 1, Class 2,  and Class 3 and Space/Defense/Medical) and/or another set of categories of compliance, based on the business model/economic needs of the end-use market for the final product (e.g., telecom, aerospace, automotive, medical device, consumer electronics, etc.) or a subassembly within that product.

IPC-1783, International Standard for Component-Level Authentication (CLA)

IPC-1783, International Standard for Component-Level Authentication (CLA)  (UNDERDEVELOPMENT)

This standard establishes the methodology for the absolute authentication and provenance of singular materials and composite products using immutable unique identification. The standard will distinguish between product provenance. It will define the creation and enrollment of unique identifiers, the building of the relationships of components as they are used or applied, including mandates and requirements for the associated secure information technology infrastructure, while ensuring interoperability between process provenance cluster data. The standard will apply too all areas and silos that connect materials and discrete manufacturing, including semiconductors, electronics, printed board fabrication, printed board assembly and the application of the product in the market.

IPC-1792 Standard for Cybersecurity in the Manufacturing Industry Supply Chain

Standard Under Development

This standard provide s a system for reducing manufacturing supply-chain cybersecurity risks. Within this system, the standard identifies four models (levels) of cybersecurity protection which can be used to assess a manufacturing facility’s cybersecurity model to show existing cybersecurity protections and to identify steps to take to achieve higher cybersecurity models.  This standard is applicable for internal cybersecurity (i.e., within the environment in which the product is assembled) and external cybersecurity (i.e., as products and materials are moved between locations as part of their supply chain). This standard also includes mechanisms for self- or third-party assessment to the four cybersecurity models as well as a mechanism of validation by a certificate authority (CA).

IPC-2551 International Standard for Digital Twins

IPC-2551, International Standards for Digital Twins 

This standard establishes the IPC Digital Twin, which is comprised of the Digital Twin Product,  Digital Twin Manufacturing and Digital Twin Lifecycle frameworks. Within the Digital Twin Architecture, this standard stipulates and defines Digital Twin properties, types, complexities and readiness levels. The IPC Digital Twin includes historical information about a product, including the history of design in terms of revision and engineering changes, and manufacturing information, that many refer to as the Digital Thread. This standard, together with the sectional standards referenced, enables any manufacturer, design organization or solution provider to achieve full application interoperability to create smart value chains, as well as the mechanism to assess their current IPC Digital Twin readiness level. This standard provides all manufacturers with the information and guidance necessary to understand a full Digital Twin, Digital Twin Product, Digital Twin Manufacturing and Digital Twin Lifecycle. This standard also provides information and guidance on how manufacturers can benefit from Digital Twins, how to assess Digital Twin readiness level and how to prepare a factory of any size or production volume to implement a full Digital Twin approach to its factory and/or products.

IPC/DAC-2552 General Electronic Components Model Based Definition (MBD) Standard

Standard Under Development

This standard will establish data format standard of model-based design (MBD) of components, printed boards and printed board assemblies, to enable any ODM/OEM to establish physical model of components, printed boards or printed board assemblies for Digital Twin Factories. This standard will also define the data content and format required for the modeling of components, printed boards and printed board assemblies, as well as the purpose for the data content in product design and fabrication. MBD can be shared across the supply chain, significantly improving product design quality, shortening product time to market and reducing research and development costs. This standard will focus on several key areas: Terms and Definitions, MBD Component Library,  MBDs for Printed Boards, MBD of Printed Board Assemblies, Definition of Data Security Sensitivity Level, and incorporating other IPC digital Standards.

IPC-2581 Generic Requirements for Printed Board Assembly Products Manufacturing Description Data and Transfer Methodology

IPC-2581 Generic Requirements for Printed Board Assembly Products Manufacturing Description Data and Transfer Methodology

This standard specifies the XML schema that represents the intelligent data file format used to describe printed board and printed board assembly products with details sufficient for tooling, manufacturing, assembly, and inspection requirements. This format may be used for transmitting information between a printed board designer and a manufacturing or assembly facility. The data is most useful when the manufacturing cycle includes computer-aided processes and numerical control machines. The IPC-2581C revision will include general quality of life improvements to the data exchange model, as well as introducing elements necessary for the communication of board impedance characteristics, advanced options for drill and routing features, design for flexible circuits, and DfX measurements.

IPC-2591 Connected Factory Exchange (CFX)

IPC-2591 Connected Factory Exchange (CFX)

This standard establishes the requirements for the omnidirectional exchange of information between manufacturing processes and associated host systems for assembly manufacturing. This standard applies to communication between all executable processes in the manufacture of printed board assemblies – automated, semiautomated and manual – and is applicable to related mechanical assembly and transactional processes. 

Need more information on IPC-CFX, select:  Software Development Resources, Education and Equipment Qualification 

IPC-HERMES-9852: The Global Standard for Machine-to-Machine Communication in SMT Assembly

IPC-HERMES-9852: The Global Standard for Machine-to-Machine Communication in SMT Assembly

IPC-HERMES-9852 an open industry standard, developed by The Hermes Standard Initiative and approved by IPC, provides a state-of-the-art communication protocol for machine-to-machine communication between equipment units in electronics assembly lines for surface-mount technology (SMT). Thus IPC-HERMES-9852 represents a next generation standard to the technology documented in IPC-SMEMA-9851. Specifically, IPC-HERMES-9852, version 1.2 provides an electrical SMEMA interface replacement from version 1.1 of the standard and extends the interface to communicate such things as unique identifiers for handled printed boards, equipment identifiers of the first machine noticing a printed board, barcodes, conveyor speed and specific information about the product type.

Used with IPC-2591, Connected Factory Exchange, IPC-HERMES-9852 can assist any electronics manufacturer, large or small, to align their companies with smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0.

IPC-2553 Global Standard for Digital Sustainability Credentials

IPC-2553 Global Standard for Digital Sustainability Credentials

This standard will establish the framework, content definition and secure interoperability mechanism that provides the needed ability to exchange factors that influence environmental sustainability, without the risk of IP leakage, in a way that scales from the original source of materials, through to the final product. The standardized cellular approach will eliminate the need for manual data processing, data translation and middleware, providing the opportunity for multiple developers of sustainability solutions or add-ons to existing solutions throughout the industry, to create automated tools appropriate to the nature of the materials and products in the most cost-effective way.

The framework defined in this standard is indented to support the exchange of data related to supply-network trust, material provenance, and cybersecurity, as well as the tracking of sustainability-sensitive materials, and accumulation of energy consumption on a granular basis. This standard provides the mechanism to comprehensively support sustainability calculations in Scopes 1,2 and 3 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which establishes comprehensive global standardized frameworks to measure and manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from private and public sector operations, value chains and mitigation actions, in ways that are relevant or required in any sector or purpose.

IPC Factory of the Future...In the News
Want to know more about IPC's Factory of the Future initiative? Access articles, podcasts, interviews and more from IPC's global trade media partners.
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IPC Factory of the Future - Chief Technologist Council
Find out information on the council structure, the council mission and objectives, and council members
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IPC Report

An Analysis of the North American Semiconductor and Advanced Packaging Ecosystem; Rebuilding U.S. Capabilities for the 21st Century


The Evolution of Factories of the Future: What You Need to Know
IPC recently convened a roundtable of electronics executives to discuss trends driving the industry’s migration to the factory of the future. A summary of the discussion is now available.
Art of the Possible Podcast
From the factory floor to the executive suite, IPC President and CEO John W. Mitchell's the “Art of the Possible” podcast covers all manner of industry challenges and opportunities to better equip you with tools and ideas for success.