Newly Appointed IPC APEX EXPO Technical Program Committee Calls for IPC APEX EXPO 2023 Participation

The newly appointed IPC APEX EXPO Technical Program Committee (TPC) is inviting engineers, researchers, academics, technical experts, and industry leaders to submit technical conference abstracts for IPC APEX EXPO 2023 to be held at the San Diego Convention Center. The technical conference will take place January 24–26, 2023.

“The TPC – comprised of top technical leadership and subject matter experts from across the electronics industry – continues to build and strengthen the IPC APEX EXPO technical conference. A new committee chair and co-chair are leading the group through process improvements with a focus to provide stronger technical content spanning various technologies and the supply chain,” said Matt Kelly, IPC chief technologist. “The TPC’s mission is to deliver strong, relevant, and valuable technical programming that balances conventional technology advances with next-generation disruptive technologies. With these upgrades to the TPC, I’m excited to see what the IPC APEX EXPO 2023 technical conference has in store.”

Led by Stanton Rak, Ph.D., SF Rak Co. (Chair) and Udo Welzel, Ph.D., Robert Bosch GmbH (Co-Chair), the committee comprises the following members: Beverley Christian, Ph.D., HDP User Group; Bhanu Sood, Ph.D., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Eric Campbell, IBM; Hans-Peter Tranitz, Ph.D., Continental Automotive GmbH; Jason Keeping, Celestica Inc.; Kelly Scanlon, IPC; Martin Goetz, Northrop Grumman Corporation; Matt Kelly, IPC; Michael Ford, Aegis Industrial Software; Michael Carano; Milos Lazic, Indium Corporation; Paige Fiet, TTM Technologies, Inc.; Paul Cooke, Asahi Glass Co. Ltd.; Radu Diaconescu, Swissmic SA; Robert Kinyanjui, Ph.D., John Deere Electronic Solutions; Sarah Czaplewski-Campbell, IBM; Tim Burke, Ph.D., Arch Systems Inc.; Todd MacFadden, Bose Corporation; Laura Cohen, Ph.D., Continental Automotive; John Bauer, Collins Aerospace.

Technical conference paper and poster abstracts are due Monday, June 20, 2022. IPC seeks abstracts summarizing original and previously unpublished work describing significant results from research experiments, highlighting new techniques or materials, and/or discussing cutting-edge trends and challenges facing the electronics manufacturing industry.

To submit an abstract, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org/CFP. For more information on participating as a technical conference presenter or professional development course instructor, please contact Julia Gumminger, manager, professional development and events, at CallForParticipation@ipc.org.

North American PCB Industry Sales Down 11.7 Percent in March

IPC releases PCB industry results for March 2022

IPC announced today the March 2022 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.05.

Total North American PCB shipments in March 2022 were down 11.7 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, March shipments rose 5.6 percent.

PCB year-to-date bookings in March were down 25.9 percent compared to last year. Bookings in March fell 1.3 percent from the previous month.

“Stronger shipments suggest marginal improvement in supply chain dynamics but a drop in orders alludes to slowing demand across a number of downstream sectors,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist.

March 2022 PCB book to bill ratio chart - 1
March 2022 PCB book to bill ratio chart - 2

View charts in pdf format

Detailed Data Available

Companies that participate in IPC’s North American PCB Statistical Program have access to detailed findings on rigid PCB and flexible circuit sales and orders, including separate rigid and flex book-to-bill ratios, growth trends by product types and company size tiers, demand for prototypes, sales growth to military and medical markets, and other timely data.

Interpreting the Data

The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to twelve months. A ratio of less than 1.00 indicates the reverse.

Year-on-year and year-to-date growth rates provide the most meaningful view of industry growth. Month-to-month comparisons should be made with caution as they reflect seasonal effects and short-term volatility. Because bookings tend to be more volatile than shipments, changes in the book-to-bill ratios from month to month might not be significant unless a trend of more than three consecutive months is apparent. It is also important to consider changes in both bookings and shipments to understand what is driving changes in the book-to-bill ratio.

IPC’s monthly PCB industry statistics are based on data provided by a representative sample of both rigid PCB and flexible circuit manufacturers selling in the USA and Canada. IPC publishes the PCB book-to-bill ratio by the end of each month.

EMS North America Industry Report, March 2022

IPC releases EMS industry results for March 2022

IPC announced today the March 2022 findings from its North American Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.44.

Total North American EMS shipments in March 2022 were up 2.3 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, March shipments rose 14.3 percent.

EMS bookings in March fell 13.3 percent year-over-year but rose 18.7 percent from the previous month.

“Industry output improved in March, despite the headwinds from geopolitical conflict straining already stressed supply chains,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist. “The book-to-bill remains high suggesting strong orders, but we have seen order flow slow in recent months which are likely the early signs of weakening demand.”

March 2022 EMS book to bill ratio chart

Detailed Data Available

Companies that participate in IPC’s North American EMS Statistical Program have access to detailed findings on EMS sales growth by type of production and company size tier, order growth and backlogs by company size tier, vertical market growth, the EMS book-to-bill ratio, 3-month and 12-month sales outlooks, and other timely data.

Interpreting the Data

The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to twelve months. A ratio of less than 1.00 indicates the reverse.

Year-on-year and year-to-date growth rates provide the most meaningful view of industry growth. Month-to-month comparisons should be made with caution as they reflect seasonal effects and short-term volatility. Because bookings tend to be more volatile than shipments, changes in the book-to-bill ratios from month to month might not be significant unless a trend of more than three consecutive months is apparent. It is also important to consider changes in both bookings and shipments to understand what is driving changes in the book-to-bill ratio.

IPC’s monthly EMS industry statistics are based on data provided by a representative sample of assembly equipment manufacturers selling in the USA and Canada. IPC publishes the EMS book-to-bill ratio by the end of each month.

iNEMI Shares Hybrid PCB Survey Results

Apr 14, 2022

Hybrid PCB Survey Results Webinar

April 26 & 27, 2022

iNEMI’s PCB & Laminates Technology Integration Group (TIG) has identified thermoset hybrid PCB reliability as a critical focus area. Combining standard laminates with layers of low loss dielectric materials can provide the electrical performance required to meet an increasing range of high frequency applications at minimum cost. However, this combination of dissimilar resin materials has associated challenges for PCB manufacturing processes and can result in a reduction in durability and reliability, often only apparent as a field failure.

The PCB & Laminates TIG surveyed some of the industry’s top laminate manufacturers, PCB fabricators, and OEMs/ODMs to better understand hybrid PCB utilization and some of the common challenges associated with manufacturing hybrid PCBs. This webinar will present an analysis of the survey responses, including metrics on hybrid PCB utilization along with insights into hybrid PCB manufacturing challenges and their implications for hybrid PCB design. Suggestions for future collaborative projects related to hybrid PCBs will also be presented and attendees will have the opportunity to offer input on specific interests.

Registration

This webinar is open to industry; advance registration is required. Two sessions (with the same content) are scheduled — see registration links below. Get additional details about the webinar, and if you have any questions, please contact Steve Payne (steve.payne@inemi.org).

Session 1 (Americas/Europe)

Tuesday, April 26

12:00-1:00 p.m. EDT (Americas)

6:00-7:00 p.m. CEST (Europe)

Register for this webinar

 

Session 2 (APAC)

Wednesday, April 27

7:00-8:00 a.m. CST (China) 

7:00-8:00 p.m. EDT on April 26 (Americas)

Register for this webinar

 

               

 

Winners of IPC Hand Soldering Competition at InnoElectro Hungary Announced

In cooperation with InnoElectro, IPC hosted its popular Hand Soldering Competition (HSC), on March 29-31. Skilled competitors demonstrated their expertise in hand soldering printed circuit boards while competing for cash prizes. The first in-person trade show held in Hungary since the onset of the COVID pandemic, and the first time IPC held a competition at InnoElectro, the HSC welcomed 38 competitors, including 11 women and 27 men, representing 17 electronics companies from Hungary.                                                 

A technically challenging competition board was introduced this year, resulting in only seven of the 38 competitors successfully completing a functioning circuit board assembly.

On the winner’s podium at InnoElectro were:

First Place: Zsombok Péter Richard, BHE Bonn Hungary Elektronikai Kft. (Hungary), completing his board in 59 minutes scoring 539 points out of 558 possible points. He received a first-place certificate, cash prize of 300 euro, a soldering station from Hakko, and a gift from Almit.

Second Place: Vizi Zoltan, Tommi Invest Kft. (Hungary), completing his board in 51 minutes and 17 seconds with 532 points out of 558 possible points. He received a second-place certificate, a cash prize of 200 euro and a gift from Almit.

Third Place: Korpavàri Bence, Cserhati Sandor Technikum (Hungary), completing his board in 57 minutes with a score of 531 out of 558 possible points. He received a third-place certificate, a cash prize of 100 euro and a gift from Almit.

Best Company Team Award

IPC and its partner InnoElectro presented a new award, recognizing the best company team in hand soldering. Companies with two or three competitors were automatically entered in the best company competition. The best company award was determined by the best scores of the contestants from that company. This year, 13 companies with a total of 34 competitors were considered for the Best Company Award. The top prize was presented to Elektromont Kft. (Hungary), with the combined score of 944 against a maximum possible score of 1,116, completed within a total combined time of 112 minutes and 29 seconds (maximum time allowed 120 minutes).

IPC would like to thank Polygone CAO, who designed this year’s competition board in accordance with IPC-A-610 criteria and features 116 components which provided a significant challenge to contestants.

IPC-A-610 Master Instructors from Elas and Microsolder, the two IPC licensed master training centers in Hungary, served as competition judges for this year’s competition.  IPC thanks Csàszàr Csaba, Microsolder; Bődi Béla, Elas; and Jakab Zoltán, Elas for their outstanding commitment throughout the competition.

IPC thanks HSC sponsors for their generous support:

  • Gold Sponsors: Hakko, Atelier Systems and Thalès
  • Silver Sponsors: Almit GmbH, Optilia, SFM-Société Française de Microscopie, and Polygone CAO
  • Local Sponsors: InnoElectro, Elas and Microsolder.

Upcoming HSC competitions in Europe include:

  • Regional Competition in Germany -- SMTconnect in Nuremberg from May 10-12, 2022
  • Regional Competition in France -- Global Industrie in Paris from May 18-20, 2022.

“IPC thanks and congratulates all the participants and their companies for their interest and for taking up the challenge,” said Philippe Leonard, IPC Europe director. For more information on participating in next HSC competitions in Europe, contact Leonard at PhilippeLeonard@ipc.org. Registrations forms are available on the IPC’s HSC-dedicated page.

Geopolitical Uncertainty Affects Electronics Manufacturers Worldwide

Global Supply Chains Feeling Impacts of Russia-Ukraine War

New data from IPC show that the electronics manufacturing supply chain is already feeling the impact of the Russia-Ukraine War.

IPC’s April Monthly Economic Update and Global Sentiment Survey found that four-fifths of manufacturers expect the war to have a negative impact on commodity prices and transportation costs, while seven in ten anticipate a negative impact on the stock of raw materials.

Among other conclusions, the IPC survey results show:

  • The Material Costs Index rose to its highest level, with almost the entire panel reporting rising material costs.
  • Manufacturers expect the automotive, consumer, and industrial electronics markets to be most negatively impacted by conflict, while the defense market may be positively impacted.
  • Overall demand remains strong. The New Orders Index declined slightly in the last month but remains well in expansionary territory. The Backlog Index also fell slightly.
  • Inventories Available to Customers (IAC Index) slipped into contractionary territory this month, suggesting inventory levels are low.
  • Inventories Available to You from Your Suppliers (IAFS Index) improved marginally but remains in contractionary territory, suggesting most respondents are experiencing this.

The economic impact will be felt most severely in Europe, with the GDP forecast adjusted downward by nearly one percentage point. The GDP forecast for the United States has been lowered by two-tenths of a percentage point, to an expectation of 3.5 percent growth in 2022.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is impacting the economy in several ways, including rising energy and commodity prices, with many hitting new all-time highs; and a decline in confidence, which results in reduced spending by consumers and investment by businesses. Bidirectional sanctions are also slowing economic growth.

“Energy and commodity prices are up significantly for three primary reasons: perceived potential shortages, increased stockpiling, and speculative buying amidst the uncertainty,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC chief economist. “Both the European and U.S. economies are, at least for now, on solid footing and are well-positioned to weather the negative shock of the war, but growth will be hindered.”

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: 

April 2022 Economic Outlook

Current Sentiment of the Global Electronics Manufacturing Supply Chain

IPC Issues Call for Participation for IPC APEX EXPO 2023

IPC is now accepting abstracts for technical paper presentations, technical posters, and professional development courses for IPC APEX EXPO 2023. The technical conference will be held January 21-26, 2023, and professional development courses will take place January 24-26, 2023, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego.

The industry’s premier conference and exhibition for the electronics industry, IPC APEX EXPO provides presenters and their companies with a notable and cost-effective opportunity to promote their expertise and gain visibility with key engineers, managers, and executives from all segments of the industry worldwide.

To recognize exceptional achievement, the IPC Technical Program Committee (TPC) will select top qualifying papers and one top poster for awards. Awards include “Best of Conference,” “NextGen Best Paper,” “Best Student Research Paper,” and “Best Technical Poster.” 

“We are eager to see the exciting new work from our colleagues in the global electronics manufacturing industry,” said Julia Gumminger, manager, IPC professional development and events. “The technical conference and professional development courses are two forums at IPC APEX EXPO where we can advance in a new era of electronics manufacturing by sharing knowledge from experts in all areas of the industry, including design, materials, assembly, processes, equipment, and Factory of the Future.”

For technical conference paper presentations and posters, IPC seeks abstracts that describe significant results from research experiments, highlight new techniques or materials, and/or discuss cutting-edge trends and challenges facing the electronics manufacturing industry. Conference speakers are entitled to a free one-day conference pass for the day of their presentations. Papers will be published in a proceedings document, and both paper and poster presentations will be delivered in person at IPC APEX EXPO 2023 in San Diego. 

Technical Conference (Papers & Posters) Timeline

  • Abstracts Due — June 20
  • Submission Approval/Papers Invited — July 25
  • Papers/Posters Due — September 19
  • Conference Acceptance — October 24
  • Presentations Due — November 21

For professional development courses, IPC seeks abstracts for three-hour sessions of live instruction covering all aspects of electronics manufacturing. Courses can be offered as one 3-hour session or two 3-hour sessions (offered as Part 1 & Part 2 for a total of 6 hours). Honoraria and travel expense stipends are offered to professional development instructors.

Professional Development Timeline

  • Abstracts Due — June 20
  • Course Approval/New Course Plans Invited — July 25
  • Course Plans Due (new courses only) — September 19
  • New Course Acceptance — October 24
  • Presentations Due — November 21

To submit an abstract, visit www.ipcapexexpo.org/CFP. For more information on IPC APEX EXPO 2023, visit www.ipcapexexpo.org.

North American EMS Industry Down 9.7 Percent in February

IPC Releases EMS Industry Results for February 2022

IPC announced today the February 2022 findings from its North American Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.52.

Total North American EMS shipments in February 2022 were down 9.7 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, February shipments fell 0.3 percent.

EMS bookings in February fell 23.8 percent year-over-year and fell 14.8 percent from the previous month.

“EMS orders and shipments both fell in February, however, the EMS book-to-bill remains elevated, suggesting supply chains are tight and backlogs remain high,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist. “The coming months will give us greater clarity into the impact the Russia-Ukraine conflict is having on the North American EMS market.”

February 2022 EMS book to bill chart

Detailed Data Available

Companies that participate in IPC’s North American EMS Statistical Program have access to detailed findings on EMS sales growth by type of production and company size tier, order growth and backlogs by company size tier, vertical market growth, the EMS book-to-bill ratio, 3-month and 12-month sales outlooks, and other timely data.

Interpreting the Data

The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to twelve months. A ratio of less than 1.00 indicates the reverse.

Year-on-year and year-to-date growth rates provide the most meaningful view of industry growth. Month-to-month comparisons should be made with caution as they reflect seasonal effects and short-term volatility. Because bookings tend to be more volatile than shipments, changes in the book-to-bill ratios from month to month might not be significant unless a trend of more than three consecutive months is apparent. It is also important to consider changes in both bookings and shipments to understand what is driving changes in the book-to-bill ratio.

IPC’s monthly EMS industry statistics are based on data provided by a representative sample of assembly equipment manufacturers selling in the USA and Canada. IPC publishes the EMS book-to-bill ratio by the end of each month.

North American PCB Industry Sales Up 12.8 Percent in February

IPC Releases PCB Industry Results for February 2022

IPC announced today the February 2022 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.16.

Total North American PCB shipments in February 2022 were up 12.8 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, February shipments rose 8.9 percent.

PCB year-to-date bookings in February were down 12.6 percent compared to last year. Bookings in February fell 5.9 percent from the previous month.

“Russia's invasion of Ukraine exacerbates already strained electronics supply chains,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist. “February showed strong PCB shipment growth, a hopeful sign that supply chain dynamics will steadily improve.”

February 2022 PCB book to bill chart 1
February2022 PCB book to bill chart 2

View charts in pdf format

Detailed Data Available

Companies that participate in IPC’s North American PCB Statistical Program have access to detailed findings on rigid PCB and flexible circuit sales and orders, including separate rigid and flex book-to-bill ratios, growth trends by product types and company size tiers, demand for prototypes, sales growth to military and medical markets, and other timely data.

Interpreting the Data

The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to twelve months. A ratio of less than 1.00 indicates the reverse.

Year-on-year and year-to-date growth rates provide the most meaningful view of industry growth. Month-to-month comparisons should be made with caution as they reflect seasonal effects and short-term volatility. Because bookings tend to be more volatile than shipments, changes in the book-to-bill ratios from month to month might not be significant unless a trend of more than three consecutive months is apparent. It is also important to consider changes in both bookings and shipments to understand what is driving changes in the book-to-bill ratio.

IPC’s monthly PCB industry statistics are based on data provided by a representative sample of both rigid PCB and flexible circuit manufacturers selling in the USA and Canada. IPC publishes the PCB book-to-bill ratio by the end of each month.

 

Helping the World Build Electronics Better

Industry professionals to meet at IPC SummerCom to develop global electronics manufacturing standards

Hundreds of experts from around the world will discuss electronics manufacturing standards in more than 80 standards meetings May 7–12, at IPC SummerCom in Milwaukee.

Facilitated by representatives from OEMs, PCB manufacturers, EMS providers, design firms, and other organizations, IPC standards development committees establish benchmarks for excellence in electronics manufacturing.

According to David Bergman, IPC vice president of standards and technology, industry standards enable companies to negotiate commerce and they contribute directly to the success of the industry as a whole.

“IPC’s internationally recognized standards cover nearly every stage of the electronics product development cycle,” Bergman said. “Through standards committee meetings, everyone in the industry can engage in an exchange of ideas about current industry trends as well as the identification of new standards and updating of current ones. IPC standards help our member companies ensure superior quality, reliability and consistency in electronics manufacturing.”

Standards development committee meetings will cover industry benchmarks in assembly and joining; assembly equipment, base materials; cleaning and coating; electronic documentation technology; electronic product data description; embedded devices; environment, health and safety; fabrication processes; flexible and rigid-flex printed boards; high speed/high frequency interconnection; management; packaged electronics components; printed board design, printed electronics; process control; product assurance; product reliability; rigid printed boards; terms and definitions; testing; and wearable electronics/e-textiles.

This year, IPC SummerCom will be co-located with the Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo (EWPTE) at the Wisconsin Center. IPC SummerCom registration gives participants free access to EWPTE. For more information on standards development activities at IPC SummerCom or to register, visit www.ipc.org/event/ipc-summercom. For more information on all IPC standards development activities, visit www.ipc.org/standards.

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