Renaming the "Packaging" forum. 1

[Tunalover]

Does anyone else concur that this forum should be renamed to "Electronic Packaging"?


Tunalover

 

[IRstuff]

I think there are way more packaging applications than just for electronics.

TTFN
faq731-376

Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529

Of course I can. I can do anything. I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

 

[Tunalover]

I was the one who originally convinced the Tneg-Tips administrator to establish the forum and at that time is was called "Electronic Packaging". Sometime between then and now the word "Electronic" was removed and completely changed the intent. This is a very large segment of the mechanical engineering profession and I believe that it should be changed back.



Tunalover

 

[MikeHalloran]

I know exactly one engineer who has a real degree in Packaging Engineering, as in engineering product packaging for resistance to damage during shipping and storage. Sort of ironically, he works for a medical electronics company, but he's busy enough with product packaging issues that he doesn't do any 'electronic packaging' in the usual sense.

A quick scan of the forum found only one discussion specific to product packaging as distinct from electronics packaging. If there's a large congregation of such packaging engineers seeking help from their peers, they aren't doing it here. Maybe they're all as good as my friend is, and don't need much help. ;-)

I know a lot of engineers who engineer the structure of electronic products. None have a degree specific to Electronic Packaging, but most would claim that's what they do. A lot of them come here. A lot of them come to other E-T forums too, seeking help on thermal issues and producibility issues.

I tend to agree with you that the original forum title was more descriptive of the majority of the forum's content, but I don't want to chase away the guys who deal in boxes, bags, cushions and dunnage, either, just because they don't bring a huge number of their problems here.

I might suggest something more inclusive, like
"Electronic and Product Packaging Engineering",
but I don't know if that's too long or too awkward.





Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[robgus85]

I assumed "packaging" meant the integration of mechanical, electrical, structural, etc. into a single piece (aka skid). Of course both electronic and shipping are issues within this topic. At my last job there were "Package Engineers" who were mechanical engineers who packaged machinery, control systems, piping, baseplates, etc. into skids. Based on my initial impression, this is the type of engineering that I assumed this board would cover.

 

[Tunalover]

Again, the ORIGINAL title of this forum was "Electronics Packaging". Removing the word "Electronics" completely changed the forum's meaning and intent. "Electronics Packaging" is really the mechanical design portion of "Electronic Product Development". For example, much of the design of a TV is done by industrial designers and mechanical engineers who design the chassis, the cover, the bezel, etc. The electronics engineer designs the circuit boards, the CRT (or whatever depending on how new your TV is) and any internal wiring in conjunction with the mechanical engineer. Needless to say, "Electronics Packaging" represents a large part of the mechanical engineering community seeing how almost EVERYTHING nowadays is intensively electronic.

Does anyone know how to contact the forum management in order to resolve this?




Tunalover

 

[MikeHalloran]

One way to contact forum management is to Red Flag your own post. Leave a polite note in the resulting dialog box. Do not expect a direct response.

In this particular case, it's not necessary to do any of that.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[IRstuff]

A separate electronics related forum for packaging has just appeared: forum1568: Electrical Enclosures and Electronics Packaging

TTFN
faq731-376

Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529

Of course I can. I can do anything. I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

 

[Tunalover]

When I browse the forums list I don't see "Electrical Enclosures and Electronics Packaging". Is that supposed to appear under the Mechanical Engineering category? I didn't see it there. Is that where it's supposed to be?

Thanks!


Tunalover

 

[itsmoked]

Hi Tuna;
It's advertized right in the middle of the front page:
[URL unfurl="true"]http://www.eng-tips.com/index.cfm[/url]

And also appears in the list of forums (bottom of Electrical in the left column:
[URL unfurl="true"]http://www.eng-tips.com/threadcategory.cfm?lev2=11[/url]

Got a link of where you're not seeing it that you think you should be?

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Tunalover]

itsmoked-
Thanks for that.

It really shouldn't be under Electronic/Electrical Engineering. It should be under Mechanical Engineering because mechanical engineers (and sometimes Industrial Designers) do the electronics packaging design, not the Electrical guys.


Tunalover

 

[IRstuff]

When forum links are provided, you can simply click on the link and the forum will be automatically added to your threadminder.

TTFN
faq731-376

Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529

Of course I can. I can do anything. I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

 

[Tunalover]

IRStuff-
Yes I'm aware of that. But the way it is now, if someone browses to find the "Electronic Enclosures/Electronic Packaging" forum they will find it under Electronic/Electrical Engineering not under Mechanical Engineering.



Tunalover

 

[IRstuff]

That's because there's already a packaging forum in the ME section, namely, this one.

TTFN
faq731-376

Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529

Of course I can. I can do anything. I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

 

[Tunalover]

IRStuff,
I believe they should BOTH go under the Mechanical Engineering category. Any new ME user will browse through the forum categories and not even review what's in the Electronics/Electrical Engineering category. He'll never even know that a forum exists for him if he is one of the large number of MEs who work in electronic packaging.


Tunalover

 

[Compositepro]

Tunalover, with respect, I think you are being a little narrow minded to insist that electronic packaging does not belong under electronic engineering because primarily mechanical engineers work in that area. Mechanical engineers dominate the majority of all the forums here, like hvac or automotive, but there are even electricals who work in automotive.
I thinky it is perfectly sensible that electronic packaging is located under electronic engineering. That does not mean that only electrical engineers are allowed there.

 

[Tunalover]

Compositepro,
The discipline of electronic packaging design belongs to the mechanical engineer with few exceptions. As I stated above, if a new member were to browse the forums (which are grouped by discipline) then he will ignore the electrical engineering category and completely miss the presence of the electronic packaging forum. Besides, that forum originally existed under the Mechanical Engineering category when I suggested it be created years ago. It was originally called "Electronic Packaging" (or some variation thereof) but apparently the forum management did not understand what that meant and took off the "Electronic" part leaving only "Packaging". That left the user community at large to come to believe the forum has to do with cardboard, shrink wrap, Styrofoam, and other materials required to ship and market a product. There's no logic behind having the forum start out in the Mechanical Engineering category then be placed in the Electrical Engineer category due to a renaming error.



Tunalover