BANNOCKBURN, Ill., USA, October 26, 2011 Move over Top Chef and Project Runway, IPC Association Connecting Electronics Industries announces the first annual IPC APEX EXPO Hand Soldering Competition, February 28C29, 2012, at the San Diego Convention Center. This skills competition will pit competitors against each other to build a functional electronics assembly within a 30-minute time limit.

The winner of the two-day competition will go on to compete against the winner of the IPC Midwest competition for the title of IPC Grand Champion. Many companies take pride in how many IPC Certified Specialists they have on staff and this event is a fun and friendly way to give them an opportunity to let their staff shine, says Kris Roberson, IPC manager of assembly technology. IPC Master Instructors will judge assemblies on soldering in accordance with IPC-A-610E, overall electrical functionality of assembly and the speed at which the assembly was produced.

In addition to pocketing a cash prize of $500, the winner will own bragging rights as the Best Hand-Soldering Technician in the West. Prizes of $250 and $100 will be awarded to two runners up. The winner of the IPC APEX EXPO competition will then go head-to-head with Nichole DeVries, CIT, an instructor with Raven Industries, in the IPC HAND SOLDERING GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP on March 1. DeVries won the IPC Midwest competition in September 2011. In addition to pocketing a cash prize of $1,000, the winner will own bragging rights as the IPC Hand Soldering Grand Champion.

IPC APEX EXPO Hand Soldering Competition entries will be accepted until December 31, 2011. Competitors will be selected from all submitted entries. Competition spots will be announced and the competitors notified by e-mail on or before January 15, 2012. To submit an entry, go to www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org/soldering. For more information on IPC APEX EXPO conference exhibition, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org. Special thanks to Premier Sponsor OK International/Metcal and Sponsor Cobar Solder Products Inc. For information on additional sponsorship opportunities, contact Maria Labriola, IPC manager of sales, at MariaLabriola@ipc.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 3,000 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 $2.02 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; Bangalore, India; and Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing, China.