Jun 04, 2012 
STI Electronics, Inc., a full service organization providing training services, electronic and industrial distribution, analytical and failure analysis, prototyping, and small- to medium-volume PCB assembly, announces that UP Media Group Inc. (UPMG), publisher of CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazine, has opened the Jim D. Raby Hall of Fame for Electronics Assembly.
Jim is well-known through the industry for his work with soldering and high-reliability printed circuit assemblies. He has spent his 55-year career in electronics manufacturing, starting with the Saturn/Apollo rocket program. He is credited for developing the NASA and Navy (the famous China Lake) soldering schools, and was instrumental in developing the IPC soldering certification curriculum, used by the vast majority of the industry today. He initiated the Electronics Manufacturing Productivity Facility (now known as the American Competitiveness Institute). Over his career, he has trained tens of thousands of engineers and operators.
“Jim Raby is as responsible as anyone for today’s soldering practices and standards, and he is likely the most influential person alive in electronics assembly,” said Mike Buetow, UPMG Vice President, Editorial and Production, and editor-in chief of CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY. “We are thrilled to name the Hall of Fame for Electronics Assembly after a true industry legend.”
“I am so proud and appreciative of this honor from the kind folks at UP Media Group. Obviously I might be a little biased but I think Dad (Jim) is very deserving because of the long-term impact he has had and continues to have on the technology and the people in the electronics assembly industry,” said STI Electronics’ President & CEO David Raby.
During his career, Jim has been issued patents for wave soldering and embedded components, and initiated the Zero Defect Program for wave soldering. He also was the driver of the “Lights Out Factory” concept that revolutionized the modern electronics manufacturing facility.
For more than 30 years, Jim has worked on industry standards, including DOD-STD-2000, MIL-STD-2000, J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610. He also helped write and implement standards for wire harnesses. He has been involved in the research for lead-free solder processes and materials. His seminal paper, “Standardization of Military Specifications,” was the roadmap for reducing some 219 specifications into a single four-document set known as MIL-STD-2000, the precursor to J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610. He has worked on more than a dozen standards and training programs, and chaired or vice-chaired committees on soldering, rework and repair, component mounting, and product assurance. Jim was instrumental in the writing of the curriculum and beta testing for J-STD-001, IPC-A-610D, IPC/WHMA-A-620, and IPC-7711/7721A, and received the IPC Presidents Award in 1984.
In addition to Jim, four other industry legends comprise the first induction class into the Hall of Fame: Moe Abramson and Stanislaus Danko, inventors of the first automated dip soldering process; George Devol, inventor of the first digitally programmable robot; and R. J. Klein Wassink, Philips lead technical engineer in the 1970s-90s and author of several leading works on electronics soldering and assembly. Visit the Jim D. Raby Hall of Fame at circuitsassembly.com/cms/hall-of-fame.
Since 1982, STI Electronics, Inc. (STI) has been the premier full service organization for training, consulting, laboratory analysis, prototyping, and small- to medium-volume PCB assembly in the electronics industry. STI also produces a complete line of solder training kits and training support products. Additionally, the company distributes products for the electronics and industrial markets. For more information, visit www.stielectronicsinc.com.
UPMG Media Group Inc. (UPMG) (upmediagroup.com) serves the global PCB community through print, digital and online products, as well as live and virtual events. UPMG publishes PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB (pcdandf.com) and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY (circuitsassembly.com), as well as the PCB UPdate (pcbupdate.com) e-newsletter. UPMG also produces trade shows and conferences, including the industry-leading PCB West (pcbwest.com). UPMG also produces Printed Circuit University (printedcircuituniversity.com), an online e-learning and training resource, and home of PCB Chat (pcbchat.com).
