IECQ signs agreement with Stack International

Close up of a semiconductor silicone wafer

IECQ, the IEC Quality Assessment System for Electronic Components, recently concluded a cooperation agreement with Stack International, a group of independent, multinational high-reliability electronics equipment manufacturers.

Under the terms of the agreement, IECQ is authorized to publish S/0001 (Stack Specification 0001), General Requirements For Integrated Circuits And Discrete Semiconductors, as a joint IECQ/Stack Specification, meaning that IECQ CBs (Certification Bodies) will be able to issue IECQ Process Approvals according to this specification. To ensure that IECQ CBs meet Stack requirements for the auditing process, IECQ is given permission to use Stack’s audit checklist and guidelines. Additionally, assessments conducted by IECQ CBs to the joint IECQ/Stack Specification can be accepted by Stack Members.

An IECQ representative will be able to take part in Stack Specification Committee teleconferences and thus participate in the maintenance of the specification. Both organizations will attempt to coordinate their annual meetings to allow for cross-participation whenever possible.

This new partnership should prove fruitful and effective for both organizations. It will give IECQ the opportunity to be closely involved in future developments of the specification, with the possibility of a tie-in to its ECMP (Electronic Component Management Plan). It will provide Stack International and its members with easy access to testing and certification at the international level.

Stack International

Based in the UK (United Kingdom), Stack International is a not-for-profit independent company established in 1974, whose members, located in the USA (United States of America) and the UK, consist of Aircraft Braking Systems, Crane Aerospace and Electronics, GE Aviation, Goodrich, Honeywell, Northrop Grumman, Plexus Corporation, Rockwell Collins and United Technologies. The sectors covered include commercial and military avionics, consumer electronics and sub-contract manufacturing. Stack International acts as a forum for cooperation between members and has been cleared by both the European Commission and US Department of Justice.

Stack International and its members share experience, "know-how" and workload by cooperating closely in technical and procurement forums on a "pre-competitive" basis, both among themselves and with their suppliers, to enhance their industry leverage as a group and reduce each individual member’s cost and risk of component ownership.