General Interest Archives

At FlexTrades, we’re in the business of solving problems. That means we ask a lot of questions — and we answer a lot of them, too.

One of the most common questions we get from clients, technicians, and new recruits is about IPC standards. What are they? Why do they matter? And what do all those numbers and letters mean?

Let’s clear it up.

What Is IPC?

When most people say IPC, they’re referring to IPC International, Inc. But that wasn’t always the name.

Back in 1957, six printed circuit board manufacturers came together to form the Institute of Printed Circuits. Their mission? To set shared standards, push industry innovation, and eliminate the kinds of supply chain headaches still common today.

As the industry grew beyond PCBs, so did IPC. In 1999, the group expanded to include all of electronics manufacturing. That expansion came with a name change — The Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits. Eventually, that mouthful became IPC International, Inc.

Today, IPC is the organization responsible for setting the standards that govern electronics manufacturing. That includes the way PCBs are developed, tested, inspected, and assembled. And that’s where J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 come in.

What Is J-STD-001?

You’ll often hear this called J-Standard for short. The official name is IPC J-STD-001H, and it’s a critical global standard in electronics manufacturing.

It outlines the process requirements for soldered electrical and electronic assemblies, including everything from the materials used to how assemblies are tested and inspected. The standard emphasizes process control — meaning it’s not just about the end product, but how you get there.

If you’re working in PCB assembly, soldering, or inspection, you’ll likely need J-STD-001 certification. It verifies that your processes meet industry expectations for quality and repeatability.

What Is IPC-A-610?

This one is often shortened to IPC-610, but the full name is IPC-A-610 Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies.

Where J-STD-001 focuses on how electronics are built, IPC-610 focuses on how they’re judged. It defines what an acceptable finished product looks like and qualifies people to perform that final inspection.

If you’re certified to IPC-A-610 standards, you’re trained to assess the quality and acceptability of PCBs based on IPC-defined criteria.

Together, IPC-610 and J-STD-001 create a comprehensive system: build to the standard, inspect to the standard, certify to the standard.

Want to Learn More?

There are dozens of additional IPC standards, far too many to cover here. But if you’re interested, you can explore the full list to learn more about each certification and what it covers.

Are You Certified in J-STD-001 or IPC-610?

FlexTrades is always looking for experienced technicians with IPC certifications. If you’ve got the credentials, join our Talent Network and get connected with projects that match your skills.

Got a Question We Haven’t Covered Yet?

We want to hear it. Send your questions to writingteam@flextrades.com and we just might answer it in a future blog post.

Steel is everywhere. Look around.

Buildings. Bridges. Safety rails. Brackets. Cars. Trains. Sinks. Surgical tools. Jewelry. Even the scissors in your kitchen drawer.

It’s one of the most widely used materials on the planet, yet few people ever stop to ask the obvious question — where does steel actually come from?

Let’s walk through it.

Step 1: Turn Raw Materials into Molten Metal

It starts with iron ore, mined from the ground.

But iron ore on its own isn’t enough. It needs to be reduced, and that’s where coke comes in. Coke is created by crushing coal, then carburizing it at high temperatures in a furnace without oxygen. What you get is a carbon-rich, rock-like material that looks like small black chunks.

Add the coke, the iron ore, and some limestone to a blast furnace. That’s where the transformation happens.

Superheated air is blown into the base of the furnace, igniting a combustion reaction. The result? Molten pig iron. (Fun fact: it takes about 1.5 tons of iron ore to make just 1 ton of steel.)

The limestone helps remove impurities like silicon dioxide — the stuff you’d find in sand and rock.

Technically, pig iron isn’t quite iron or steel. But it’s the bridge between the two.

Step 2: Convert Pig Iron to Steel

Once the pig iron is molten, it’s transferred by ladle to another furnace.

There, it’s combined with scrap steel in one of two systems:

Basic oxygen furnaces, which blast high-pressure oxygen into the metal to burn off impurities
Electric arc furnaces (EAFs), which melt scrap instead of ore — a more sustainable method, though it can yield lower-grade steel

By this point, the transformation is complete. Molten steel is born.

Step 3: Shape It with Continuous Casting

Ladles transfer the molten steel into tundishes, which feed into a continuous caster.

The caster shapes the metal as it cools, forming it into things like:

Ingots
Blooms
Billets
Slabs

These are all known as semi-finished products — not ready for use, but ready for what comes next.

Step 4: Roll It Out

Next, the steel passes through rolling mills, where it’s processed into usable forms:

Steel plates
Coils
Rods
Bars

If the steel is rolled while hot, it’s called hot rolled steel. If it’s done after cooling, you get cold rolled steel, which is stronger and has a smoother finish.

Step 5: Final Touches

The last step is finishing.

Depending on the end use, that might include:

Pickling
Coating
Tinning
Annealing
Tempering
Cutting
Slitting
Coiling
Packing

Each of these changes the performance or appearance of the steel before it heads off to do its job in the world.

Want to see how it all works? Check out this video and article from the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Bonus Resources

If this kind of thing sparks your interest, FlexTrades has a whole archive of How It’s Made content. It’s worth the scroll.

Manufacturing has evolved through four industrial revolutions, and with each shift, machines have played a central role in shaping how things get made. Among them, the metal working mill has quietly remained a constant.

It doesn’t get as much historical attention as the lathe, but the mill has earned its place — not just in factories, but in the foundation of modern production itself.

Eli Whitney and the Birth of the Mill

The story of the mill begins in the late 1700s, when clockmakers used crude versions to cut balance wheels. But it wasn’t until 1818 that the United States could truly call the milling machine its own. That credit goes to Eli Whitney.

You probably know Whitney as the inventor of the cotton gin. What you might not know is what came next.

Facing the threat of war with France, the U.S. government began offering contracts for mass musket production. At the time, muskets were handmade, and that meant each one was slightly different. No interchangeable parts. No inventory system. No consistency. Whitney saw the flaw. And he saw the fix.

He began designing machine tools that could create musket components with identical size, shape, and function. These tools would allow parts to be mass-produced, stored, and swapped. That vision led to the milling machine — and, more importantly, to the production system we still rely on today.

In 1801, he presented this system to President-elect Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was impressed. And with that vote of confidence, Whitney began manufacturing arms with his new technology, eventually passing the business to his son in Hamden, Connecticut.

Evolution Through the Revolutions

Milling machines didn’t stop evolving with Eli Whitney.

In 1867, American engineer Joseph R. Brown debuted a universal milling machine at the Paris Exhibition. It was a leap forward in precision and capability. Then in 1936, Rudolph Bannow improved the design even further. He believed mills should offer more movement and access — allowing tools to approach a part from multiple angles with less manual repositioning.

Bannow’s invention became the Bridgeport milling machine. It was revolutionary. And even now, many U.S. manufacturers still use Bridgeports in their shops.

But as game-changing as the Bridgeport was, it’s still manual. And with the rise of automation, software, and digital control systems, milling machines have taken another leap — this time into CNC.

But that’s a story for another day.

Let me take you back to my childhood living room. Picture it with me: a couch, a loveseat, a floor model television, a console table, and a lamp or two. Pretty standard. But one thing stood out. Sitting on the console shelf was a kaleidoscope. I’m not sure where my mom found it (or why she bought it), but I loved that thing. I’d pick it up, hold it to my eye, and slowly turn the end, mesmerized by the changing patterns and bursts of color. Back then, I thought it was magic. Now I know better—but it’s no less fascinating.

Kaleidoscope Components

Kaleidoscopes are built from simple components that come together in a surprisingly scientific way. At one end of the tube is an eyepiece, at the other, an end cap. Inside are two or three mirrors placed at precise angles to form a V or triangle. Most kaleidoscopes include small, everyday objects inside—beads, ribbons, bits of glass, buttons, or glitter—housed in thin transparent cells made of glass or plastic. The magic? It’s all in the angles and light.

Kaleidoscope Science

Here’s how it works. Light enters the kaleidoscope and travels in a straight line. When it hits a surface, it reflects. That reflection is where the visual show begins. Mirrors bounce light back and forth, while the objects scatter and refract that light in different directions. The result is a continuous, evolving display of color, shape, and symmetry. Think of it as a mini laser light show controlled entirely by what’s inside the tube—and your imagination.

Kaleidoscope Fun

Because the objects inside the kaleidoscope move freely, you’ll never see the same image twice. That’s part of the magic. Every slow twist of the end cap reveals a new scene, never to be repeated. So the next time you find one, take your time. Look closely. Rotate slowly. And take in the simple wonder of it all.

Want more articles like this? Check out FlexTrades’ blog for other interesting insights on how everyday things are made.

The history of manufacturing is an interesting one. While many people understand it through the lens of the four industrial revolutions, there is so much more to the story. One of the most enduring pieces of that story is the lathe—a machine tool that predates every industrial revolution and continues to evolve to this day.

The Ancient Origins of the Lathe

Archaeological digs show that lathes were in use as early as the 13th century BCE. Ancient Greek, Assyrian, and Egyptian woodworkers used early versions of the lathe, though it required two operators. One person would spin the piece of wood using a rope while the other shaped it with a cutting tool.

Even thousands of years ago, craftsmen were building the foundation of modern manufacturing.

Lathe Innovations in the Roman Era

The Romans and other early cultures in Northern Italy, China, and what is now Turkey made some key upgrades to the original lathe design. The biggest innovation? A foot pedal. When pressed, the pedal spun the workpiece, allowing a single operator to do the job.

Efficiency increased. Output grew. And so began a long journey of continuous improvement.

The First Industrial Revolution: Powered Turning

Fast forward to the early 19th century and the arrival of steam power. During the First Industrial Revolution, inventors found a way to attach steam engines and water wheels to lathes. This allowed the workpiece to spin much faster than before. With higher speeds came greater precision and the ability to produce more uniform parts.

The Second Industrial Revolution: Metal Takes the Stage

By the late 1800s, powered lathes featured electric motors and forged tooling. These upgrades allowed lathes to cut metal, not just wood. That development turned the lathe into one of the most versatile machine tools in history.

What was once a tool for craftsmen now became a cornerstone of industrial-scale production.

Industry 3.0 and 4.0: The Rise of the CNC Lathe

Every industrial revolution changed the lathe—and the third and fourth were no exception. As computers and automation became central to manufacturing, the lathe evolved once again into the CNC lathe.

CNC stands for computer numerically controlled. These machines are programmed to operate automatically with minimal intervention. They can execute precise cuts on complex parts at high speeds and with incredible consistency.

Want to dive deeper into how CNC machines work? Check out our article on CNC machinery here.

From Rope to Code

The story of the lathe is also the story of manufacturing. With each revolution came a new level of innovation. What started as a two-person wooden tool has become a computer-controlled system shaping the future of production. At FlexTrades, we believe in honoring that history while helping our technicians and clients stay prepared for what comes next.

People say it takes a village to raise a child. We’ve all heard that phrase, but how often do we stop to consider what it really means? As we approach National Aunt and Uncle’s Day on July 26, I’d like to share my version of that village—because for me, it started with family.

This day may not come with parades or parties, and you won’t find much about it online. But if you’re looking for a way to honor the often-unsung heroes in your life, here’s a suggestion: tell their story.

Growing Up in a True Village

I was raised in an actual village—one with just a couple hundred people when I was a kid. Daycare didn’t exist back then. Fortunately, I had uncles who stepped up to help my grandma open one. Around their day jobs, they made sure she could care for me and dozens of other kids. That little act of sacrifice made a generational impact. To this day, I know over 50 adults who still call them “uncle.”

Aunts Who Shaped the Way I See the World

My maternal grandparents raised their niece as one of their own. Technically, she’s my cousin. But for nearly 40 years, she’s been “Aunt.” She introduced me to the joy of books, the challenge of Scrabble, and the beauty of a well-told nursery rhyme—ones I now sing to my own nieces. Another aunt walked me to the school bus every day and eventually bought me my first suit when I finally traded in high-vis shirts for a professional career. Without her, I doubt I’d be writing this article today.

The Uncles Who Taught Me to Build—and Be

One uncle taught me construction. Another shaped my understanding of agriculture. A third showed me the intersection between hard work and creative design. They weren’t always gentle, but they were always kind. They’ve remained my closest confidants and most trusted mentors.

Passing It On

Because of them, I know how to weld, run a lathe, frame a house, and even braid my daughters’ hair. I learned grit and grace in equal measure. And that came in handy, because 12 years ago, I became an uncle to a little girl born into a situation that needed more than just holiday visits and birthday cards. Two years later, her sister arrived.

Life didn’t exactly prepare me to raise girls, but thanks to the village that raised me, I knew how to raise people. My aunts and uncles taught me that. I just hope the lessons I’m passing down serve my girls as well as they served me.

So today, if you’re lucky enough to still have your aunts and uncles around, reach out. Tell them what stuck. Thank them for what mattered. Share their story. Because sometimes, the best way to celebrate someone… is simply to remember them well.

From commuter sedans to long-haul trucks, tires are essential to everyday life. At FlexTrades, our skilled technicians travel across the country to support U.S. manufacturers — and many of them drive thousands of miles to reach their assignments. So when it comes to the reliability of tires, we don’t take it lightly.

In fact, we support several leading tire manufacturing clients nationwide, providing the talent that helps keep production lines rolling. That’s why, in this edition of How It’s Made, we’re exploring the process behind the rubber that meets the road.

Tire Materials

Tire manufacturing starts with a mix of natural and synthetic materials, blended for strength, flexibility, and durability.

Natural Rubber
Synthetic Rubber / Polymers
Steel Wire: Used in belts, beads, and truck tire plies
Textile Cords: Provide structural support within plies
Fillers: Carbon black and silica, used to reinforce rubber during the Banbury mixing process
Antioxidants & Antiozonants: Protect the rubber from heat, oxygen, and ozone damage
Curing Additives: Sulfur and zinc oxide, key ingredients during vulcanization

Rubber Manufacturing Process

There are three key operations used to prepare rubber for tire building:

Banbury Mixing: Raw and synthetic rubbers are mixed with fillers under heat and pressure to form solid, workable rubber
Extruding: Shapes the rubber into usable forms
Calendering: Layers rubber with fabric or steel to create belts, plies, and edge covers

Once processed, the material is cut, sheared, spliced, or shaped to exact specifications — ready for tire construction.

Tire Components

Every tire is made of multiple layers, each with a specific purpose:

Innerliner: Keeps air sealed inside the tire
Plies: Provide strength and hold air pressure
Bead: Ensures an airtight seal with the wheel
Sidewall: Protects the structure from road and curb damage
Belts: Add strength to the tread and improve performance
Tread: Provides grip, traction, and durability

How Tires Are Made

The tire-building process happens in two stages on highly specialized machinery, such as:

Tire Building Machine (TBM)
Tire Assembly Machine (TAM)
Tire Forming Machine (TFM)
1st and 2nd Stage Machines

These may be manually operated or fully automated depending on the facility.

Stage One: Casing Building

This step forms the base structure of the tire — also called the carcass. It includes:

Wrapping the innerliner onto the drum
Layering body plies over the innerliner
Placing the beads at each side
Inflating the drum bladder to shape the plies over the beads
Adding and pressing sidewalls into place

Stage Two: Tread & Belts Application

The carcass moves to a second machine where steel belts and tread are added. At this point, it’s known as a green tire — shaped but not yet cured or hardened.

Curing the Tire

The green tire is placed into a curing mold, which functions like a large clamshell. A bladder inside the mold inflates with steam, pressing the rubber into the mold to form the tread pattern and sidewall lettering.

Passenger tires cure for 10–15 minutes at 300°F
Heavy-duty or off-road tires may cure for 24 hours

Once cured, the tire is cooled on a Post-Cure Inflator (PCI) to stabilize its shape before inspection.

Inspection & Testing

Every tire undergoes strict quality control to ensure safety and performance.

Tire Uniformity Testing: Measures balance and roundness under simulated road conditions
X-Ray Testing: Detects internal flaws
Destructive Testing: Verifies structural limits under extreme stress

After passing all inspections, the tire is ready for the road.

For a closer look, watch this Tire Manufacturing Video. And if you’re curious about tire care, check out our article on safe driving and tire maintenance.

Safe travels!

In Minnesota, we like to say we have 11 seasons — not four. They are:

Winter
Fool’s Spring
Second Winter
Spring of Deception
Third Winter
Mud Season
Actual Spring
Summer
False Fall
Second Summer
Actual Fall

Right now, we’re somewhere between Actual Spring and Summer, which means shelves are stocked with bug spray, sunglasses, and (of course) sunscreen. That got us thinking… how is sunscreen made?

Let’s break it down in this month’s How It’s Made feature.

What Does Sunscreen Do?

The sun emits three types of light: infrared, visible, and ultraviolet (UV). UV light is the most harmful to humans. There are two types of UV rays:

UVA: Can penetrate deep into the skin, damaging cells and the immune system
UVB: Can burn the outer skin and contribute to skin cancer

Sunscreen helps by either blocking UV rays or absorbing them before they penetrate the skin. To do this, sunscreen includes active ingredients such as:

Titanium Dioxide
Zinc Oxide
Avobenzone
Octisalate
Oxybenzone
Homosalate

These are mixed with liquids (like purified water), functional agents (emulsifiers, stabilizers), and skin-nourishing ingredients like Vitamin E.

Here’s a graph showing the ingredient percentages typically found in sunscreen.

Four Steps to Making Sunscreen

Step 1: Purify the Water

Sunscreen starts with reverse osmosis purification to ensure clean, contaminant-free water.

Step 2: Mix the Ingredients

Solids, powders, and flakes are added to large kettles or vats with purified water. Recipes outline exact measurements, time, temperature, and mixing speed.

Curious how similar this process is to other manufacturing operations? Check out our past articles:

Step 3: Transfer to Stainless Steel Tanks

Once mixed, the formula is pumped through sanitary piping into 1,000-gallon tanks inside sterile rooms.

Step 4: Fill & Package

From these tanks, sunscreen flows into pressurized filling machines via more stainless piping.

Bottles are fed in by conveyor
Nozzles fill, cap, and seal each bottle automatically
Products are then boxed, palletized, wrapped, and shipped

Choosing the Right Sunscreen

Manufacturing it may be straightforward. Buying it? Not always.

If you’re standing in the sunscreen aisle unsure what to choose, you’re not alone.
Here are two great resources:

American Academy of Dermatology: Sunscreen FAQs
Understanding SPF: Sun Protection Factor

And remember — no matter how many “seasons” your state has, wear sunscreen year-round.

Happy (and SAFE) Sunning!

We hear about “going paperless” all the time — a byproduct of technological advancement. And while digital workflows are growing, paper remains an essential part of modern life. From packaging and printing to hygiene and education, its uses are vast and vital.

But paper isn’t new. In fact, many historians agree it was invented in China around 105 BC — making it a true innovation of the ancient world. In this edition of How It’s Made, we’re diving into the modern papermaking process.

Step 1: Logging & Cutting

It all begins with trees — mostly fast-growing evergreen species. That said, more and more manufacturers now use renewable fibers like cotton, bamboo, hemp, and jute to reduce environmental impact.

At the logging site, harvested trees are debarked and processed into wood chips using heavy-duty machinery. Check out the debarking and chipping process here!

Those wood chips are then transported to a paper mill for processing.

Step 2: Pulping

Pulping breaks down wood fibers and separates out the components needed to form paper. There are two primary methods:

Chemical Pulping: Used for high-strength products like containers, paper bags, and writing paper, this method cooks the chips in a solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide under high pressure (sulfate/kraft process). This removes lignin, sugars, and other impurities to form a fiber-rich slurry, which is then washed, bleached, and screened.
Mechanical Pulping: Commonly used for newspapers, paper towels, and tissues, this method grinds wood chips using rotating discs — no pressure or heat required. The resulting mixture is also diluted into a slurry and further cleaned for processing.

Step 3: Beating

The pulp slurry is then sent to a beating vat, where it’s pounded and refined. Here, filler materials like chalk, clay, or specialty chemicals are added to control texture, weight, and opacity — all tailored to the intended final use of the paper.

Step 4: Drying

The slurry still contains lots of water — and that moisture needs to go. First, it’s sprayed onto mesh screens to form a wet mat. Then, it’s pressed through industrial rollers to remove about 50% of the water. After pressing, the mats are heated and dried further, bringing total water removal to 90-95%.

Step 5: Rolling

At this stage, the paper is nearly finished. Depending on its end use, additional treatments may be applied. Finally, the dried sheets are fed through industrial rolling machines, creating large paper rolls for use in manufacturing and converting.

Want to see the scale of this operation? Check out this full paper mill tour!

And if you’re interested in sustainability, don’t miss our How It’s Made article on recycling — also on the FlexTrades blog.

The first day of spring arrived on Sunday, March 20, and with it comes sunshine, fresh air… and spring break! It’s the perfect season to get out, explore, and maybe try something a little different.

This year, we invite you to think outside the box and take your travels in a new direction — one shaped by American manufacturing and industry.

It might sound niche, but industrial tourism is more common than you think. And with a wide mix of in-person experiences and virtual options, there’s something for everyone whether you’re traveling or staying in.

Regional Manufacturing Travel Ideas

The Rust Belt: This Great Lakes region (PA, MI, IN, WV, OH) shaped the American industrial backbone. Rich in coal, iron, and transport networks, it’s known for automotive, metal fabrication, food, and chemical manufacturing.

California: A hub for electronics, computers, chemicals, and petroleum products. California has long been a leader in both tech and heavy industry.

Texas: Similar to California, Texas is strong in petroleum and chemical production. It also leads in food and building materials like brick and cement.

New England: With deep roots in America’s earliest industrial revolutions, New England (MA, CT, NH) is now a powerhouse in aerospace, electronics, and appliance manufacturing.

Must-See Museums and Exhibits

American Precision Museum – Windsor, VT
Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation – Dearborn, MI
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory – Louisville, KY
Kregel Windmill Factory Museum – Nebraska City, NE
Baltimore Museum of Industry – Baltimore, MD
Museum of History & Industry – Seattle, WA
The Kazoo Factory – Beaufort, SC
Minnesota Transportation Museum – St. Paul, MN
Heritage Center of Dayton Manufacturing & Entrepreneurship – Dayton, OH
Lowell National Historical Park – Lowell, MA
Goodenough Silver Mine Underground Tour – Tombstone, AZ

Statues and Historical Memorials

The Hat Maker Statue – Danbury, CT
Mechanics Monument – San Francisco, CA
Rosie the Riveter Memorial – Richmond, CA
Thomas Talbot Statue – Atlanta, GA
Brown Building Plaque – Manhattan, NY

Virtual Tours & Online Exhibitions

If you’re interested in more manufacturing history, don’t miss our post:

Inventors & Leaders – Black History Month