IPC-A-610 Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies
The global benchmark for PCB assembly workmanship quality. Kingdta applies IPC-A-610 Class 2 as standard and Class 3 for high-reliability applications including medical, aerospace, and industrial control.
What Is IPC-A-610?
IPC-A-610, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies, is the most widely used electronics assembly standard in the world. Published by IPC (Association Connecting Electronics Industries), it defines the visual quality and workmanship acceptance criteria for soldered connections, component placement, laminate condition, and hardware installation on printed circuit board assemblies.
The standard defines three product classes based on the end-use application and required reliability level:
Consumer products where the primary requirement is function of the completed assembly. Lowest workmanship requirements.
Products where continued performance and extended life are required, and uninterrupted service is desired but not critical. Industrial, commercial electronics.
Products where continued high performance or performance-on-demand is critical. Medical, aerospace, automotive, military. Zero tolerance for defects.
Kingdta assembles to Class 2 as the default standard for all commercial and industrial orders, and to Class 3 upon customer request for medical devices, aerospace electronics, and other high-reliability applications.
What This Means for Your Project
Defined Acceptance Criteria
IPC-A-610 eliminates ambiguity. Every solder joint, component placement, and surface condition is evaluated against published, internationally recognised criteria — not subjective operator judgement.
Trained & Certified Inspectors
Our quality inspectors hold IPC CIS (Certified IPC Specialist) credentials. They are trained to the same standard used by aerospace and medical manufacturers worldwide.
Class 3 Capability for Critical Applications
If your product requires zero-defect workmanship — medical implants, flight computers, industrial safety systems — we can assemble and inspect to Class 3 requirements with full documentation.
AOI + Visual Inspection Alignment
Our AOI systems are programmed to IPC-A-610 defect categories. Automated inspection and human inspection use the same acceptance criteria, eliminating conflicting judgements.
Documented Non-Conformance Reports
Any board that fails IPC-A-610 criteria generates a formal NCR with photos, defect classification, and disposition (rework, scrap, or customer concession). Full audit trail maintained.
Reduced Field Failures
Studies consistently show that IPC-A-610 Class 2/3 compliance correlates with significantly lower field failure rates. Catching solder defects in production costs 10× less than fixing them in the field.
How Kingdta Implements This Standard
Class Determination at Order Review
During DFM review, we confirm the required IPC class with the customer. Class 3 orders trigger additional process controls including enhanced solder paste volume targets, slower reflow profiles, and 100% X-ray for BGA/QFN.
First Article Inspection (FAI)
The first board of every production run is inspected against IPC-A-610 criteria before the batch proceeds. Any non-conformance is resolved before volume production begins.
In-Line AOI After Reflow
100% of boards pass through our AOI systems after SMT reflow. AOI programs are maintained to current IPC-A-610 defect library. Boards with AOI flags are routed to human inspection.
X-Ray Inspection for Hidden Joints
BGA, QFN, LGA, and other bottom-terminated components are inspected by X-ray. For Class 3 orders, X-ray is 100%. For Class 2, X-ray is applied to all BGA and QFN components as standard.
Final Visual Inspection Before Shipment
A trained CIS inspector performs a final visual inspection of every board before packaging. Any board not meeting IPC-A-610 criteria for the specified class is returned for rework or scrapped.