Dr Chris Hunt

Dr. Chris Hunt is the CTO at GEN3 and leads the technical development across the company’s product portfolio. He worked previously at the National Physical Laboratory, the UK primary National Metrology Institute, for over 40 years. Initially, Chris worked in the Surface Analysis Group, led by Ernie Hondros FRS, where he did some of the early work in secondary ion mass spectrometry and sputter depth profiling with Auger Electron Spectroscopy. He worked in the area of intergranular stress corrosion cracking in steels with Alan Turnbull FRS, where he earned his PhD. Chris then built a new group in the electronics interconnection area. While building this team, Chris became heavily involved in standards, eventually becoming the chair of the UK and then the IEC committee in electronics assembly. Much of this standards work has been in the area of surface insulation resistance measurements and conductive anodic filamentation.

Chris has won numerous awards, including: Best International Paper at IPC APEX EXPO; Serco Chairman’s award for the environment; IEC 1906 Kelvin award for services to the development of standards; Literati club, a highly commended award for a paper in soldering and surface mount technology. Chris has published more than 40 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, over 130 NPL scientific reports in open literature, and over 70 papers appearing in conference proceedings.

Chris invented a new conducting technology for textiles, which led to a patent that was registered globally. While the initial work was done at NPL, the project was spun out, where it attracted significant venture capital investment. Although successfully demonstrating the technology, the company failed to attract sufficient business and closed. Chris then joined GEN3, where his wide experience has been brought to bear in developing the company’s technology.

Graham K. Naisbitt

Graham K. Naisbitt is a Freeman of the City of London, a Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Marketors, and the recipient of the IEC Lord Kelvin 1906 Award. Graham began his career in 1969 at Socaltra, a French industrial engineering consortium. Later, he worked with French heavy-engineering giant Fives Group, and between 1979 and 1985, he served at Claudius Peters AG, a German subsidiary of Babcock International.

In 1979, the Naisbitt family created Concoat Ltd., to which Graham returned in 1985, making the logical step change from heavy engineering into the electronics industry as the U.K. distributor of HumiSeal. From 1979 to 2005, Concoat grew to become the manufacturing licensees of HumiSeal conformal coatings whilst also creating many of its own coating formulations.

Concoat began to develop conformal coating application equipment that extended to both in-line dip and spray coating systems in 1982. By 2002, Concoat acquired Multicore Solders SPCID (Soldering Process Instrumentation Division) from Henkel KGaA, thus expanding its equipment manufacturing division. Following the sale of Concoat to HumiSeal, GEN3 Systems (now GEN3) was created in 2005 and continues to be a successful, family-controlled business. Both of Graham’s sons have since joined the business as the third generation of the family.

In 2020, thanks to the Covid pandemic, younger son Andrew took over the day-to-day running of the business. In 2021, Andrew was appointed CEO and Graham stepped back as president.

With over 40 years in the electronics industry, Graham is a specialist in conformal coating, cleaning, SIR and CAF testing, electrochemical reliability issues, solderability, and process control matters. He has authored over 100 technical papers and given presentations around the world. He is also the current vice-chair of IPC 5-30 Cleaning and Coating Committee, which embraces 15 test standard groups, and is a maintenance leader with IEC TC91 for SIR, CAF, ionic contamination testing, and solderability.

About GEN3

For three generations, GEN3 has designed, engineered, manufactured, and distributed test and measurement equipment into the electronics industry to shield your circuits from failure in the field.

Our reputation for excellence has grown to a global scale. Our team is made up of industry experts who work to set the standards around circuit testing, measurement, and compliance. We collaborate with key industry associations, offering our unique experience and expertise to educate all on what it takes to succeed. For product protection, the preferred way is GEN3 where precision comes as standard, acting as a mentor and your front-line defender.

In the high-reliability arena, there is too much at stake to allow room for error. Testing must be finite and flawless. At GEN3, we understand your need for precision. Get closer to perfection by minimising your risk.

To help the reader understand the requirement of Objective Evidence as defined in IPC-J-STD-001H, GEN3 has created a useful aid. Please visit www.objectiveevidence.org for details.