Conformity Magazine - September 2008 - (Page 16)

This year the Symposium will return to the Westin LaPaloma Resort, the site of the very successful 2006 Symposium. With tutorials, workshops and technical presentations, the Symposium offers many educational opportunities. Each year, the demand for tutorial classes increases, and the ESD Association continues to add new courses to an already wellestablished curriculum. In addition to the vast educational opportunities available at the annual EOS/ESD Symposium, the Association sponsors regional tutorial programs throughout the United States at various times of the year. Many of the professional certification courses are offered through ESD Association local chapters, providing those seeking certification a better opportunity to complete the curriculum within a shorter period of time. Understanding that the need for education is a global need, the ESD Association offers several classes overseas in various locations around the world, including Asia and Europe. Recently, a new program, the International ESD Workshop (IEW), was conducted in Port D-Albret, France, after a very successful inaugural event was held last year in the Lake Tahoe, CA area. The IEW workshop provides a unique environment for envisioning, developing, and sharing ESD design and test technology for present and future semiconductor applications. In addition to classroom education, the ESD Association has started offering online training courses. The online training program was designed to offer educational opportunities for those who have the need to learn more about ESD control issues but do not have the travel budget to attend classes. A variety of topics have already been offered through the program, and several more classes are on the schedule. Bringing ESD awareness to future engineers and technologists has been made possible by the ESD On Campus program. The On Campus program offers lectures to colleges and universities around the world. Certification With the development and worldwide acceptance of ANSI/ESD S20.20 came the need to provide companies with a method to show that they conformed to the standard. A facility certification program was started, and there are now over 130 company sites that are S20.20 certified. The program is administered by the ESD Association through accredited ISO 9000 registrars that have met the requirements of the program. There are also registrars not affiliated with the ESD Association who may certify a facility to the ESD Association’s S20.20 standard. In addition to facility certification, the ESD Association has developed professional certification programs for individuals involved in ESD control. The Program Manager Certification program was developed to provide the information needed for an individual to manage an S20.20-compliant ESD 1 Conformity September 2008 control program in their facility, or to provide guidance in the development of a program as an outside resource. The Program Manager Certification program consists of 10 courses that are offered at various times and locations throughout the year. After completing the courses, candidates take a one-day exam, typically administered during the annual EOS/ESD Symposium. The first certification exam was held in 2005 and five people successfully completed the exam and earned Program Manager Certification. There are now 23 ESDA certified Program Managers. In 2007, the first Device Design certification test was administered, with two people successfully completing the exam. The Device Design program was added to provide professional recognition for those who have demonstrated knowledge in the area of ESD control at the device level. Local Chapters ESD Association local chapters provide educational and networking opportunities on a more frequent and local level. Local chapter activities can include factory tours, technical presentations, regional tutorials and vendor demonstrations. There are currently five local chapters throughout the United States, plus chapters in Mexico, India and the Philippines. Threshold Threshold is the bi-monthly newsletter of the ESD Association, providing up to date information on what is happening at the Association. Starting as a black and white printed newsletter that was mailed to the membership, Threshold is now a multi-paged, multi-colored newsletter that is posted on the ESD Association’s website for viewing by all interested parties. Serving as one of the primary communication devices to the industry, Threshold includes reports on recent events, schedules of upcoming events, human interest stories and much more. In addition to Threshold, the ESD Association has become a regular contributor to industry publications, offering technical information in the field of ESD control. Technical experts within the Association regularly contribute articles pertaining to their area of expertise that are published in major trade publications. Conclusion Over the years, the ESD Association has evolved into a global Association that has become the resource for ESD control. The Association is continuously planning new initiatives to support and assist industry in the field of static control. The ESD Association is the largest industry group dedicated to advancing the theory and the practice of ESD avoidance, with more than 2000 members worldwide. Readers can learn more about the Association and its work at www.esda.org. FAST Link www.conformity.com/2130 http://www.esda.org http://www.conformity.com/2130

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Conformity Magazine - September 2008

Conformity Magazine - September 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Commission Adopts Regulations for Internet-Based TRS Services Another Company Fined for Non-Compliance with HAC Requirements FCC Extends “Do-Not-Call” Registry Compliance Requirements Marketing Company Gets $1.4 Million Fine for Junk Faxes EU Commission Codifies Directive on TTE Market Competition EU Commission Releases Updated Standards List for the R&TTE Directive Updated Standards List for the “New” Low Voltage Directive Released New Standards List Released for the EU’s Machinery Directive The ESD Association: Voluntary Standards in Action ESD Open Forum Medical EMC Standards: Towards the 4th Edition of IEC 60601-1-2 iNARTE Informer Pre-Pulse Voltage in the HBM ESD Model Digital Interfaces and EMC Performance ESD Design Buyer’s Guide Product News Commission Publishes Updated Standards List for the EU’s Personal Protective Equipment Directive FDA Links “Human Factors” to Adverse Events with Medical Devices CPSC Actions in the News IEC Standards Update UL Standards Update Product Reviews Telcordia Standards Update From Our “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” Department Looking Back: Items from Past Issues of Conformity Advertisers

Conformity Magazine - September 2008

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