BANNOCKBURN, Ill., USA, January 10, 2011 ― Plans are ramping up for IPC APEX EXPOtrade;, April 10?14 in Las Vegas, aimed at meeting the needs of the engineers, PCB designers and manufacturing wizards who are tasked with bringing todays consumer, industrial and high-reliability electronic products to life. With a focus on education, IPC will bring industry experts from around the world to lead 50 half-day professional development courses covering critical topics in design, PCB manufacturing, electronics assembly and test ― supporting electronics manufacturers as they develop the next generation of electronics. Course instructors include: David Hillman and Douglas Pauls, Rockwell Collins; Dr. S. Manian Ramkumar, Rochester Institute of Technology; Dr. Rita Mohanty, Speedline Technologies; Dr. Harald Wack, Zestron America; Richard Hartley, CID, L-3 Avionics Systems Inc.; Dr. Ron Lasky, Indium Corporation of America; as well as other distinguished experts. Professional development curriculum highlights include: Building Long-Term Reliability in PCBs (PD-01) Design for Manufacturing (PD-08) Counterfeit Components ― Causes, Cures and Solutions (PD-09) Preventing Production Defects and Failures (PD-15) Mastering Lead-Free and Tin-Lead Selective Soldering (PD-16) PoP and BTC Assembly ― Material, Process and Reliability (PD-26) Designing PCB Stackups to Balance Signal Integrity Against Manufacturability (PD-41) Practical Tips for Rework of Advanced Packages (PD-51) Each course will run for three hours and will include a workshop handbook. Forward-thinking organizations are making employee development a renewed priority, says Susan Filz, IPC director of industry programs. IPC APEX EXPO offers a tremendous educational opportunity to take advantage of expert instruction in the classroom and to see what suppliers and exhibitors are offering.  To view all professional development course descriptions and instructor biographies, visit www.ipcapexexpo.org/courses. For more information on all the activities at IPC APEX EXPO, including the largest exhibition in North America for printed board design and manufacturing, electronics assembly and test, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org. About IPC IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 2,700 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $1.7 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Garden Grove, Calif.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; Bangalore, India; and Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing, China.