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| The Seattle EMC Chapter organizing
committee for “The Bruce Lee Show” celebrates after
the conclusion of the successful one-day tutorial and exhibition.
Shown from left are speaker Lee Hill, Chapter Chair Pat Andre,
speaker Bruce Archambeault, Chapter Vice-Chair Janet O’Neil,
and Registration Chair Len Carlson. |
I’m writing this letter on the way home
from attending the SE Michigan EMC Chapter’s “2004 Automotive
EMC Conference.” Over 175 people were present to hear updates
on SAE and International automotive EMC Standards. Speakers included
EMC engineers from the “Big Three” car companies, including
General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler. Not all speakers present
were from companies in the greater Detroit area, however. Speakers
such as Jim Polonis of Southwest Research Institute based in San
Antonio, Texas; James Rader of Harley Davidson in Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
Russ Carstensen represented NARTE based in Medway, Massachusetts;
and former EMCS President Dan Hoolihan journeyed from the colder
climes of Minnesota to visit fair Michigan. With temperatures
in the low 20s, Mr. Hoolihan noted that this was indeed warmer
than Minnesota, which had been experiencing below zero weather!
Held at the Ford Conference and Event Center in Dearborn, the
facility was spectacular and surprisingly cost-effective compared
to hotel venues. Congratulations to Kimball Williams of Underwriters
Laboratories and his organizing committee for a well run, two-day
conference. Chapter Chair Scott Lytle of Yazaki North America
was extremely pleased with the success of this event, and didn’t
seem to mind handling the greater than expected registrations.
This SE Michigan EMC Chapter conference was the second big EMC
Chapter event I have attended in 2004. The first was organized
by the Seattle EMC Chapter. Over 125 people attended their one-day
tutorial and exhibition with speakers Bruce Archambeault of IBM
and Lee Hill of Silent Solutions. The topic was “EMC Design
Concepts and Applications for the Real World.” This too was
a great event and much appreciated by the attendees from companies
such as Boeing, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Intel, and Tektronix.
Many were heard to say they learned things they could use on the
job – the very next day! I’m sure you will read about
these two excellent conferences in the Chapter Chatter column
of the next Newsletter.
Why am I writing about these events? They were both upbeat, with
a good “buzz” and enthusiastic attendees. Those in Seattle
and SE Michigan were extremely excited about EMC challenges and
opportunities this year. People were discussing company budgets
available for improving their EMC capabilities, whether it be
purchasing new test equipment, test chambers, consulting services,
or enhancing existing laboratory environments. Engineers were
eager to streamline testing methods and implement cost effective
design techniques. There was energy in the conference rooms that
was very infectious.
I would say we are off to an excellent start in 2004! The economy
must be improving! At least in these parts of the world! There
are many upcoming EMC conferences and symposia around the world
in 2004. Many are listed in the Calendar Section of this Newsletter
(see page 77). Check them out and consider attending. Let’s
see if the “buzz” is starting in other parts of the
world! EMC
