The Liberty Packaging Blog

Over 110 million Americans tuned in to watch the Super Bowl in 2012, and for three straight years the Super Bowl has broken its own viewer record, priming this years’ (2013) to be, again, the most viewed television event in history (even before the official numbers come out). There is the typical build up and fanfare surrounding the event, and why not; it is the quintessential BIG American event. This year was different. The story lines set this one apart: two young coaches who are brothers (who probably have the fiercest rivalry and adoration for each other), an all-time great retiring, a mid-season second year backup quarterback turned sensation, and the list goes on. My favorite story line, albeit a quiet one, had to do with Joe Flacco.

News about athletes has been trending in the wrong direction over the past few years, more and more negative things, and we forgive them because they can jump high, run fast, or throw hard. Joe (yes we are on a first name basis) has kept his nose clean. He seems calm and collected at all times. Even during crunch time of the biggest games it looks like his pulse might peak at 75 beats per minute. His own father has even described him as dull. To ESPN “Joe is dull… As dull as he is portrayed in the media, he’s that dull. He is dull.” His father, not to beat the point to death, even speculated that some of Joe’s funny wedding pictures couldn’t have been his idea, because they were too funny. “I guarantee none of it was Joe’s idea.”

“We solve product reliability issues with our Intercept Technology barrier packaging” is one of my elevator speeches. Because of this association with and passion for reliability issues, Liberty Packaging is a member of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and the Reliability Society, a technical Society within the IEEE, the world’s leading association for the advancement of technology. The New York City headquartered IEEE is dedicated to the advancement of technical innovation and excellence. It boasts over 400,000 members in more than 140 counties.  The Reliability Society has 24 chapters and members in 60 countries worldwide. The Boston/New Hampshire/Rhode Island IEEE chapter whose meetings I attend, is recognized as one of the top three most active chapters worldwide every year. That recognition is a credit to its dedicated volunteer officers.

Of course, with attending organizational meetings, comes potential networking benefits, but more important to me is the wealth of information shared at these meetings.  The monthly topics presented by leading experts are fascinating and enlightening.  During the December 2012 meeting, Ted Dangelmayer of Dangelmayer Associates and author of two renowned books on establishing a successful ESD management program, presented on the problems of electrostatic discharge to electronic devices. The reliability group members are typically engineers, so the presentations can be quite complex, such as one coming up in February having to do with Photonic Magnetometry to be presented by Chris Sataline from Lincoln Labs MIT, in Lexington MA.  Keith Donaldson, Director of the Intercept Technology Group, and I presented a few years ago on the topic How Carbon Footprint, Green Initiatives, and Reliability Can Work Together or Against Each Other”  Our presentation was based on a Bell Laboratories, Alcatel-Lucent, environmental impact study for manufacturers.  In fact, that white paper is available by request through the Liberty Packaging web site.

Liberty Packaging has been and still is involved with a few other professional groups such as SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers), NDIA (National Defense Industrial Association), ESDA (Electrostatic Discharge Association) and the afore-mentioned IEEE.  For folks looking to furthering their careers and their knowledge, I highly recommend attending and perhaps being involved in a technical association.

Click here for your copy of the Bell Labs Environmental Impact Study

I had the opportunity to hear the vice president of a major computer company speak about reliability and the tactics they use to achieve increased product reliability.  Because human nature strives to keep things the same and views change as uncomfortable, he emphasized that the change process was long and arduous. This VP was brought in like the new sheriff arriving in Dodge City. It was apparent he had complete executive support to change this company’s operation and design systems; in doing so he would enact a change in its culture. It worked famously. Their return has been extraordinary; they achieved tremendous increases in product reliability which led to lowered cost of goods on every level of the corporation and a stronger reputation amongst their customers.

Where the icky brown rusty corrosion is easy to see on ferrous metals (steels; iron based), corrosion on non-ferrous metals is less visually intrusive, but may be more debilitating.  The electronics industry uses both ferrous and non-ferrous metals in their manufacturing.  Many of the chassis and support structures may be made of steel, but the conductive non-ferrous metals used for electron pathways are typically copper, silver, aluminum, and/or their alloys.

Here are four problems that can occur from corrosive reactions to the non-ferrous metals in electronics and their assemblies:

The title does not refer to my beloved Red Sox, but to my own home team at Liberty Packaging.