CityU's Centre for Electronic Packaging and Assemblies, Failure Analysis and Reliability Engineering (EPA Centre) was accredited in June  for their test method, dubbed the Reliability Testing of Printed Circuit Boards, by the Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS). This is the third accreditation the Centre has obtained from the HKAS in two years, and the first time an accreditation of its kind has been awarded to a testing laboratory in Hong Kong.

 

Accreditation for the reliability testing method is based on the standards of the Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging of Electronic Circuits (IPC), traceable to the US National Institute of Science and Technology. EPA Centre Director, Chair Professor Y C Chan of the Department of Electronic Engineering, said, "This is a very important benchmark for international recognition of our technical expertise."

 

The accredited Reliability Testing of Printed Circuit Boards is capable of monitoring the condition of electrical and electronic products when subjected to thermal shock from -80 to +150 Degree Celcius within minutes, thus ensuring the quality of electronic products. "This newly accredited method provides a high value-added testing service to local industry," said Professor Chan, "and will upgrade their international exposure."

 

The EPA Centre has been accredited by the  HKSA since November 2002 under its Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (HOKLAS). The previous two certificates the Centre obtained under the Scheme were in the categories of Chemical Testing, and Physical and Mechanical Testing. This third and latest accreditation, in the category of Electrical and Electronic Products, allows the Centre to offer a comprehensive range of internationally accredited testing services to industry in the Pearl River Delta region.