Electronics Industry Welcomes Bipartisan Proposal in Congress to Boost U.S. Printed Circuit Board Sector

The electronics manufacturing industry is welcoming a new, bipartisan proposal in the U.S. Congress that would help bring back the country’s printed circuit board (PCB) sector.

The Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards Act of 2022, introduced by Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Blake Moore (R-UT), would incentivize purchases of domestically produced PCBs as well as industry investments in factories, equipment, workforce training, and research and development. The bill’s provisions are modeled on the kinds of support provided to the closely related semiconductor sector under the CHIPS Act of 2021.

Chris Mitchell, IPC vice president of global government relations, said: “This bipartisan bill addresses vulnerabilities in a key segment of the electronics manufacturing value chain, taking a ‘silicon-to-systems’ approach that prioritizes innovation, resiliency, and innovation across the electronics industry. We thank Reps. Eshoo and Moore for their leadership in helping to rebuild U.S. electronics manufacturing, and we call on all Members of Congress to support this bill.” 

PCBs are as integral to electronics as semiconductor chips, their better-known partners. They are the physical platform upon which microelectronic components such as chips and capacitors are mounted and interconnected. Electronic systems cannot function without PCBs.  

However, according to “Leadership Lost,” a report recently published by IPC, the United States “has lost its historic dominance in the PCB sector.” Since 2000, the U.S. share of global PCB production has fallen from over 30% to just 4%, with China now dominating the sector at around 50%. Only four of the top 20 electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies are based in the United States. Any loss of access to non-domestic sources of PCBs would be “catastrophic,” the report said.

Numerous government and industry reports have raised the alarm for almost 20 years. Most recently, a 2018 Commerce Department report characterized the sector as “dying on the vine,” and the department’s 2022 report on the information and communications technology (ICT) industry noted the same supply chain risks.  

CalcuQuote Launches Community for Exchanging Inventory -- StockCQ

StockCQ is a digital marketplace for electronics manufacturers to trade parts directly with each other

CalcuQuote, a supply chain solutions provider for the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry, has launched a beta version of their newest offering, StockCQ, a peer-to-peer platform for OEM and EMS companies to directly trade inventory with each other.

A collaboration between CalcuQuote and IPC, a global electronics industry association, allowed a rapid, iterative response to the collective concerns of the electronics manufacturing executives about the impact of component shortages. Through a series of roundtable discussions, with more than 75 executives in attendance, consensus was reached that a fair way of sharing inventory directly with each other would help mitigate the impact of the ongoing component shortages, free up working capital and reduce waste.                                                                         

“Global component shortages have clearly been a top pain point voiced by virtually every EMS leader, especially over the past few years.  IPC and our member-driven EMS Industry Council are very excited to facilitate this strong collaboration between CalcuQuote and a growing group of EMS / OEM companies.  We believe that we have a very real opportunity to address this significant industry need,” said Mark Wolfe, IPC Executive EMS Advisor.

CalcuQuote’s research across millions of searches shows that cases of sufficient stock responses from the supply chain have dropped more than 20% during the past year. This leads to a significant number of assemblies being stuck without the components they need in order to be completed. However, findings also show that in 30% of cases where authorized distributors are out of stock, the same component was also identified as excess inventory by another company within the CalcuQuote ecosystem. This 30% overlap between shortages and excess inventory is the reason why StockCQ can help alleviate the supply chain challenges.

StockCQ derives its name from the idea of a global stockroom where electronics manufacturers can virtually store their excess and slow-moving inventory. The listed inventory can then be easily searched and safely purchased directly by other electronics manufacturers.

Individual and group discussions with 100+ electronics manufacturers across the globe have shown an enthusiastic willingness to participate in this newly formed beta community. In just two weeks of beta access with a group of 15 users, there have been 50+ successful matches among the 45,000 listed part numbers.

“The CalcuQuote team is excited to address a significant challenge facing the electronics supply chain with a technological solution. StockCQ will become a trusted digital community for OEM and EMS companies to trade fairly with their peers,” said Chintan Sutaria, CEO of CalcuQuote. “The spirit of collaboration has already shown to be very strong with dozens of electronics company executives attending executive roundtable sessions and sharing their feedback so that we can build a solution that works for everyone.”

Participation in beta StockCQ is by invitation only for all electronics manufacturers (OEM and EMS companies). To request your invitation, contact stockCQ@calcuquote.com or visit calcuquote.com/stockcq.

Rising Material Costs Remain Key Pain Point for Electronics Manufacturers

Per IPC’s May Global Sentiment of the Electronics Supply Chain Report, nine in ten electronics manufacturers surveyed are currently experiencing rising material costs, while nearly four-fifths are experiencing rising labor costs. Supporting data from IPC’s May Economic Report, indicate there are three main forces exerting pressure on the economy, and conversely, the electronics manufacturing industry: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, inflationary pressures pushing costs higher, and China’s strict COVID policy that is hindering production in China and compounding existing supply chain issues.

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a negative supply shock on already strained supply chains. It will take many months to fully determine the full effect it is having on the electronics industry,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC chief economist. “While the invasion has more severe negative consequences for Europe, the impacts are being felt globally.”

Additional survey results indicate:

  • Inventories remain tight -- Results this month suggest inventories available from suppliers have deteriorated over the last month.
  • Government is not doing enough to spur innovation and capacity in the semiconductor industry -- Only three in ten electronics manufacturers feel their government is moving with appropriate breadth to spur innovation and capacity.
  • Backlogs are rising at a faster pace in North America vs. APAC -- While 59% of manufacturers in North America report backlogs are currently rising, only 33% of APAC manufacturers indicate the same.                                                                          

 “Downside risks have increased but a recession is still unlikely in the United States in 2022. The risks of a recession in 2023 have increased somewhat,” added DuBravac. “In Europe, the probability of a recession in major economic markets has increased. Several countries will see flat quarterly growth for several consecutive quarters which could easily turn negative and result in a recession in 2022.”

IPC surveyed hundreds of companies from around the world, including a wide range of company sizes representing the full electronics manufacturing value chain.

View the full reports:

PCB Design for Manufacturability

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Date
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Tuesday and Thursday 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.

 
Description:

Taught by an industry expert with more than 40 years of experience in the field, this 3-week online program is designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to reduce or eliminate design, documentation, and capability issues that often arise when completed PCB designs are sent to the fabricator for production.  

Course Content

  • DfM Course Introduction, Fabricator Capability and Materials
  • Panelization, Stackups and Surface Finishes
  • Conductive Features, Holes/Vias and Other Mechanical Features
  • Masks and Inks, Impedance and Signal Loss, and Electrical Test
  • FPC, Documentation and Specifications

 

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PCB Design for Rigid-Flex Boards

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Date
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 - 
Tuesday, Thursday
6:30 pm ~ 8:30 pm America/New_York

Enrollment Period
 - 

Description

This course provides the skills necessary to effectively implement designs requiring flex and rigidflex circuits in accordance with product requirements. The class also focuses on the impact of these designs on manufacturing and assembly techniques, documentation, and manufacturing file generation. 

Taught by an IPC-certified industry expert with 25+ years of experience in the field, the six-week program utilizes interactive webinars, on-demand recorded class sessions, job-specific exercises, and team projects to facilitate mastery of the key concepts required to design flex and  rigid-flex boards. 

PCB Design for Flex & Rigid-Flex Boards This course is ideal for designers, engineers, technicians, and other individuals who want to develop the skills required to create flex and rigid flex designs.

LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES 

This program is designed to provide circuit board designers with a balanced foundation of theoretical knowledge and practical skills in flex/rigid-flex circuit board design.

Upon completion, participants will be able to:  

  • Design flexible / rigid-flex board designs.
  • Understand the trade-off of flexible PCB materials.
  • Define a board stackup that implements flexible and rigid-flex structures.
  • Import and / or define board outline geometry for complex flexible board shape.
  • Understand and mitigate signal integrity issues with flexible circuits.
  • Understand and define effects of mechanical retention on flexible substrates.
  • Define and implement component packaging methodologies to mitigate effects of bending on component stresses.
  • Understand and mitigate effects of bending stresses on conductive patterns in flexible circuits. 

 

 

Online Event

3000 Lakeside Dr.
Suite 105N
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States

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Online Event
3000 Lakeside Dr.
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States

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PCB Design for Embedded Components

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Date
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 - 
Monday, Wednesday
11:00 am ~ 1:00 pm America/New_York

Enrollment Period
 - 

Description

This course provides the skills necessary to effectively implement designs requiring embedded components in accordance with product requirements. The class also focuses on PWB/PBA designs that require advanced or complex packaging, have reduced available board area, reduced physical component count, and require improved signal integrity performance. Participants will also consider the impact of these designs on manufacturing and assembly techniques, documentation, and manufacturing file generation. 

Taught by an IPC-certified industry expert with 25+ years of experience in the field, the six-week program utilizes interactive webinars, on-demand recorded class sessions, job-specific exercises, and team projects to facilitate mastery of the key concepts required to design boards containing embedded components. 

Online Event

3000 Lakeside Dr.
Suite 105N
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States

Online Event

Online Event
3000 Lakeside Dr.
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States

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PCB Design for Military & Aerospace Applications

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Date
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Description

This course addresses specific challenges encountered in military and aerospace applications, including the effects of vibration, shock, radiation, altitude, extended operating temperature range, and other design considerations for high-reliability applications. The class also focuses on the impact of these designs on manufacturing and assembly techniques, documentation, and manufacturing file generation.  

Taught by an IPC-certified industry expert with 25+ years of experience in the field, the six-week program utilizes interactive webinars, on-demand recorded class sessions, job-specific exercises, and team projects to facilitate mastery of the key concepts required to design boards for military and aerospace applications. 

PCB Design for Military and Aerospace Applications is ideal for designers, engineers, technicians, and others who want to acquire or increase their ability to meet the design, manufacturing, packaging, and routing challenges posed by military, aerospace, and space applications. 

Before taking this course, it is recommended that participants complete the PCB Fundamentals courses (I and 2), OR be familiar with the following:

  • Schematic symbol creation
  • Schematic Generation
  • Documentation and Dimensioning
  • Standard Rigid Printed Board Design
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PCB Design for HDI & Advanced Packaging

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Date
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 - 
Monday, Wednesday
11:00 am ~ 01:00 pm America/New_York

Enrollment Period
 - 

Description

This course provides the skills necessary to create PWB/PBA designs that require advanced or complex packaging. These include boards with limited board area that must comply with IPC standards and require non-orthogonal placement and routing, non-standard board outline geometry, non-standard board mounting, and advanced board materials.  

Taught by an IPC-certified industry expert with 25+ years of experience in the field, the six-week program utilizes interactive webinars, on-demand recorded class sessions, job-specific exercises, and team projects to facilitate mastery of the key concepts required by circuit board designers. 
This course is ideal for individuals who need further experience with packaging and routing challenges involved with modern high density, reduced board area, and complex geometry designs.

 LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES 

This program is designed to provide circuit board designers with a balanced foundation of theoretical knowledge and practical skills in printed circuit board design.

Upon completion, participants will be able to:  

  • Compress circuit topology while maintaining circuit performance.
  • Understand the trade-off of advanced PCB materials. 
  • Define a board stackup that take implements micro-vias. 
  • Import and / or define board outline geometry for circular or other non-standard shape.
  • Define and implement non-standard (non-orthogonal) parts placement and routing.
  • Define non-standard PCB mechanical retention and keep-outs.
  • Define and implement non-standard component packaging. 
Online Event

3000 Lakeside Dr.
Suite 105N
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States

Online Event

Online Event
3000 Lakeside Dr.
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States

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Presents Virtual Session On Medical Electronics – Enhancing Quality & Reliability to Boost Manufacturing & Export

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Date
- (7:06 - 7:15am CDT)

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

4.00 PM – 5.00 PM

Tentative Program Schedule

4.00 PM: Welcome Address by Mr Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator, Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AIMED) & Mr. G V Subrahmanyam, Jt. Coordinator, EVG, AiMeD

4.10 PM: Special Address by Dr Jitendra Sharma, MD & CEO, AMTZ

4.20 PM: Introduction to IPC Standard by Gaurab Majumdar, Executive Director, IPC India

4.25 PM: Presentation on “IPC Standard - Medical Applications” by Mr C S Nagaraj, Master IPC Trainer

5.15 PM: Q&A session

 

Industry Importance: There is one thing that is an absolute must when it comes to medical equipment: it must work as expected, and it has to work correctly every single time it is used. Because of this, medical equipment is built according to some of the strictest and demanding standards in the manufacturing industry. Indian Medical industry demands the highest standards of quality, precision, and reliability when it comes to printed circuit board needs. AIMED, AMTZ & IPC have joined together to create awareness of the importance of medical electronics manufacturing standards

Benefits of Participation & Who can participate: The session will create awareness of the medical industry best practises on electronics manufacturing. Professionals involved with medical electronics industry are encouraged to participate. Staffs involved with production and quality of medical electronics supply chain manufacturing will be benefitted.

Registration: There is no registration charge for participation. Zoom link….

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Automated Optical Inspection: Implications on Board Assembly

Apr 22, 2022

The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) is conducting an industry-wide survey to assess the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and its implementation for automated optical inspection (AOI) in board assembly. 

This survey focuses on the status of technology adoption. If your company has no plans to adopt AI in AOI process, we would like to know that, too. The survey looks to highlight common challenges or capture lessons learned for future development. It will also identify the defect modes and component types most commonly seen from AOI. 

Results from this survey will help define future AI solution scenarios for improving the AOI process. It will also inform the definition of an experiment plan for the next phase of iNEMI’s AI Enhancement to AOI for PCBA project. For additional information, contact Haley Fu (haley.fu@inemi.org).

Preview the survey questionnaire.

Go to the online survey.

DEADLINE FOR INPUT: Saturday, May 14, 2022

 

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