Rev 2.7 STAR Special - Dr. Adam & Mike Konrad

The D-Code Podcast

Special Edition of The D Code – Live from the SMTA Star
Event
We had the rare opportunity to sit down with Dr. Adam
Klett of Kaizen and Mike Konrad at the SMTA Star event in Kansas for
a jam-packed roundtable episode of The D Code Podcast — and this one
went deep!
Here are a few highlights you don’t want to miss:
EIS > SIR?
Dr. Klett introduced us to Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS)
— a powerful evolution of SIR testing that uses AC signals to gather far more
detailed cleanliness data from circuit boards. It's like the SIR test... with
superpowers.
Cleaning Isn’t Optional
As Mike put it: "You can't be a little clean. You're either clean
or you're not." Partial cleaning? Even worse than not cleaning at all.
IPC Standards Are Changing
IPC removed the “pass/fail” resistivity number now it’s on us to prove
cleanliness. That means more testing, more validation, and more data-driven
decisions.
SMTA’s Future Focused Mission
Dr. Klett is leading initiatives to bridge the generational gap in our industry
developing young professionals, making technical knowledge more accessible, and
building the future of electronics manufacturing.
From Fab to Assembly: It All Matters
We explored how everything from PCB fabrication chemistry to automated wash
systems adds up in the fight against electrochemical migration, dendritic
growth, and long-term field failures.
This episode is PACKED with insight, especially if you work
in PCBA, reliability engineering, or process validation.
Tune in if you're curious about the future of board
cleanliness testing and what SMTA is doing to build the next generation of
industry leaders.
#SMTA #ElectronicsManufacturing #EIS #SIR #Kaizen #IPC #PCBA