IPC has partnered with German-based in4ma to better support standards, education and advocacy needs for the growing EMS industry in Europe. Formed by Dieter G. Weiss in 2015, in4ma has been a leading market research and industry analysis consulting company supporting the 45 billion Euro EMS industry.       

Philippe Leonard, senior director of European Operations for IPC stated, “We have been closely following Dieter’s work for some time – he is a true champion for the industry. We are looking forward to working with him to develop programs to help our members become more financially successful.”

“We are very fortunate to be working with Dieter,” said Sanjay Huprikar, vice president of solutions for IPC. “His incredible work in fostering meaningful and timely statistical analysis, market surveys and networking for the industry will be instrumental in helping us define new product offerings to help the EMS industry build electronics better.”

For more on in4ma and their work, including Weiss’s new reports on the impact of COVID-19 on EMS companies in Europe, visit www.in4ma.de.

IPC announced today the May 2020 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.10.

Total North American PCB shipments in May 2020 were up 1.0 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, May shipments fell 3.0 percent.

PCB bookings in May increased 0.4 percent year-over-year but fell 20.2 percent from the previous month.

“Orders continue to outpace shipments as supply chains adjust to disruptions and demand shocks caused by COVID-19. Strong orders for North American PCBs in recent months have led to longer lead times,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC chief economist. “Orders in May suggest global supply chains might now be recalibrating to adjusted levels of demand.”

Note: The December 2019 ratios have been revised since their original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants


Note: The June, October, and December 2019 growth rates have been revised since their original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants

View Chart in PDF

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.

Editors:  See attached graphs in PDF.

View all Book-to-Bill Ratios

IPC and High Density Package Users Group (HDP), a trade organization representing companies involved in the supply chain of manufacturing products that utilize high-density electronic packages and printed circuit boards, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), enabling a  strengthened partnership, increased technical collaboration between groups, and  providing a mutual path toward emerging and disruptive high density interconnect (HDI) technologies.

“Both IPC and HDP are member-driven organizations,” said Matt Kelly, IPC chief technologist. “Working together, both organizations will focus on next generation HDI technology projects to benefit the electronics manufacturing industry. HDP is very well established with more than 25 years of experience in R&D technology development.  Resultant, new HDI learning and solutions will help drive IPC standards development activities as well as training and education programs.”

IPC and HDP have successfully worked together for many years on such electronics industry issues as electrochemical migration, high density ball grid arrays, board thickness on solder joint reliability and members of HDP have presented papers at IPC APEX EXPO on high frequency loss test methods for laminate materials and smooth copper signal integrity.

“A closer working relationship between IPC and HDP will bring significant advantages to both organizations, and as a result, to the industry,” noted Marshall Andrews, executive director of HDP. “Electronics manufacturing technology is moving faster than ever with the introduction of 5G and automotive applications. Close cooperation at all levels of the supply chain will be necessary to address issues and implement the new materials and processes required to keep moving forward. IPC and HDP will help make those changes smooth and reliable.”

Registration is now open for IPC E-Textiles 2020 Virtual Summit, to be held Thursday, October 1 and Friday, October 2. IPC E-Textiles 2020 Virtual Summit will consist of two 90-minute interactive educational workshops each day, as well as a live tour of the University of Minnesota Wearable Technology Lab.

IPC E-Textiles 2020 Program Committee has selected the following workshop topics for the Virtual Summit:

• E-Textiles for Medical Needs
• The Digital Layer – Software and Programming
• To Wear or Not to Wear
• How Do We Do This? 101

Each workshop will provide educational presentations followed by interactive panel discussions with attendees. Session leaders and speakers will use web cameras during the presentations and panel discussions, and attendees will be encouraged to do the same.        

Unique to this event is the opportunity for sponsors to record a video to be included on the event agenda. Using these videos, sponsors will be able to bring Virtual Summit attendees into their facilities, demonstrate their recent technologies and even introduce them to key personnel. Working with the University of Minnesota Wearable Technology Lab, IPC will also bring this lab tour and spotlights of students direct to all attendees. The tour will include live Q&A with students and faculty.

“Networking that is so valuable at in-person events will exist in a virtual setting, with many opportunities for attendees, sponsors and speakers to learn from one another and to build on current relationships,” said Stephanie Rodgers, IPC D70 E-Textiles Committee, co-chair and program committee member. “If you have been to previous IPC e-textile events, then you know how dynamic the information exchange is. This year, our Virtual Summit will continue to deliver knowledge of standards development, manufacturing equipment, user experience developments and product commercializations that shape the future of e-textile adoptions. We are looking forward to seeing the natural creativity of this group showcased in a virtual setting.”

Registration for the two-day IPC E-Textiles Virtual Summit is $120 for members, $150 for nonmembers. Sponsorships start at $500 and include access to all workshops.

For further information about the event or how to take advantage of the unique sponsorship opportunities, contact Chris Jorgensen, IPC director of technology transfer, at ChrisJorgensen@ipc.org. Register for event at www.ipc.org/E-Textiles-NA.

With electronic systems expected to reach 50 percent of the total car cost by 2030, electronics companies are of critical importance in the automotive supply chain as a driver of quality and supporting OEM development goals.                                  

To reinforce the importance of quality in process and manufacturing, standardization for supply chain effectiveness, and industry advancement, IPC and the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) renewed their cooperative agreement. As part of the agreement, IPC and AIAG agreed to work closely in the areas of thought leadership, quality and supply chain best practices, and community awareness building. Together, the industry associations will educate the automotive supply chain on compliance requirements, evaluate how IPC standards and AIAG guidelines align and impact both industries, and work together to identify training that builds on professional standards.

“Today’s automobiles contain multiple electronics systems that control or monitor all aspects of the vehicle, and the quality and security of vehicle software and electronics are key requirements to guarantee safety,” said Tracy Riggan, senior director, Solutions, IPC. “The partnership of IPC and AIAG will enable both organizations to share, support and develop standards and education, and participate in industry research.”

“We maintain very close working relationships with industry associations that serve the needs of the automotive industry, and believe IPC will be a key partner in representing the electronics supplier segment,” explained AIAG vice president of member services, Dave Lalain. “We’ve already invited IPC to support our Electronics Advisory Board and are looking forward to their involvement in bringing electronics supplier issues to the forefront.”

Part of the IPC AIAG partnership includes an opportunity for complimentary AIAG membership for direct suppliers to the automotive industry. To complement the supplier tools shared by IPC and AIAG and to help the supply base improve, any direct suppliers with under $20 million in global annual sales are eligible.

To apply for AIAG membership and find out if you qualify for the IPC-sponsored membership, go to http://go.aiag.org/joinipc. Additionally, AIAG members are invited to join IPC and all new members receive 50 percent off the first year’s membership. To apply or learn more, www.ipc.org/membership.

Obtaining data from the supply chain to support chemical (“substance”) content reporting for article (hardware) products remains extremely challenging and resource-intensive for industries such as Aerospace and Defense (AD). However, the increasing use of materials and substances declaration standards promotes efficiency in obtaining such data. IPC and IAEG® (International Aerospace Environmental Group) encourage the use of IPC-1754, Materials and Substances Declaration for Aerospace and Defense and Other Industries in the AD industry and its global supply chain.  

This voluntary standard supports data acquisition for various substance reporting requirements for article products, including data required by the European Union’s Waste Framework Directive (WFD; 2008/98/EC, as amended) for reporting to the “SCIP”¹ database. Under the WFD, European article suppliers subject to Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) reporting under REACH² Article 33 (“Communication”) requirement will also be required to report SVHC data to the SCIP database. However, SCIP reporting will also require additional data elements such as material and product identifiers.  

IPC-1754 fully supports all data elements needed for reporting to SCIP. In support of SCIP reporting, IPC is developing guidance on using IPC declaration standards in acquiring the necessary data. IAEG is also developing supporting general information for the use of IPC-1754 and related IAEG-developed tools in the AD industry supply chain, available on the IAEG website (www.iaeg.com).

For more information:

• On IPC-1754, please visit: http://www.ipc.org/ContentPage.aspx?pageid=Materials-Declaration
• About IAEG materials and substances declaration support activities, please visit: http://www.iaeg.com/chemicalrpt/
• On reporting to the SCIP database, please visit: https://echa.europa.eu/scip-database

¹ SCIP – Substances of Concern In articles as such or in complex objects (Products)

² REACH - Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (Regulation (EC) 1907/2006).  Article 33 of REACH requires that suppliers of article products provide the identity and safe use information to article recipients for any SVHCs concentrations exceeding 0.1% in any component.

IPC announces that IPC APEX EXPO has been recognized by the Trade Show News Network (TSNN) as one of the top 250 trade shows in the United States coming in at number 112 for 2019. This marks a jump from 2018’s ranking of 121. In addition, IPC APEX EXPO was recognized last November as the fastest-growing association show for attendance in the United States for years 2016-2018.

“Being ranked a top trade show by TSNN is a tremendous accomplishment for IPC,” said Alicia Balonek, IPC senior director of trade shows and events. “This marks our twentieth year on the list of top trade shows, and we are extremely proud of this recognition. In the past several years, IPC APEX EXPO has seen both attendance growth and overall net-square footage growth, and we work to increase that each year.”

The tradeshows on the 2019 TSNN Top Trade Shows list are based in the United States and are ranked by overall net square footage.  IPC APEX EXPO 2019 welcomed 440 exhibitors encompassing 150,400 net square feet of exhibit space.

IPC APEX EXPO 2021 is currently scheduled to take place as an in-person event January 23-28, 2021 at the San Diego Convention Center. IPC is working to ensure our plans follow the recommendations of public health experts and standards set by the federal, state, and local governments.

Companies interested in exhibiting should visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org or contact Balonek at +1 847-597-2898 or AliciaBalonek@ipc.org. More information on TSNN’s tradeshow rankings is available at www.TSNN.com.

IPC announces the release of a new standard, IPC-9797, Press-fit Standard for Automotive Requirements and Other High-Reliability Applications. The comprehensive document covers the qualifications and acceptance requirements for press fit technology, including the high-reliability needs for automotive and other industries such as aerospace.

Press-fit technology is relatively new to the automotive industry and high-reliability needs, but not to electronics. Used primarily in the telecommunications industry, the dependability and efficiency of press-fit makes it stable for use in high-relability electronics. The technology has been found to be critical to the manufacturing of electronic and electro-mechanical components.

Hans-Peter Tranitz, Ph. D., Continental Automotive, and co-chair of 5-12m Cold Joining Press-fit Task Group commented, “Press-fit connections are extremely robust against all kinds of environmental conditions, rather simple to assemble and -- amongst many other advantages -- without additional temperature load to the electronics. Those advantages lead to an exponential growth of press-fit components in the automotive industry as well as in other high reliability applications.”

Andres Ojalill, IPC European standard development manager, commented, “IPC would like to thank the many committee members from Europe, Asia and the Americas for their participation in the 5-21m task group. Their diligent and hard work over these past three years has produced the new IPC-9797, Press-fit Standard for Automotive Requirements and Other High-Reliability Applications.”  He continued to say, “the same task group will now turn their sites to a standard handbook to support the IPC-9797 standard.”

You can purchase the IPC-9797 standard at https://shop.ipc.org/IPC-9797-English-D

To help add new benefits, attract more attendees, increase exhibitor participation and cultivate a higher level of training, education and engagement seminars for guests and participants, IPC has been selected to manage the Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo (EWPTE) in Milwaukee for the years 2021 to 2025.

EWPTE, held annually at the Wisconsin Center, is one of the leading shows for the electrical wire and cable processing industries. The past few years have drawn an expanded roster of exhibitors and visitors and the 2019 event saw close to 3,000 attendees from 40 states and 25 countries and nearly 200 exhibiting companies. Major automotive manufacturers such as Ford, Fiat Chrysler, and General Motors, plus notable international companies including Boeing, General Electric, Briggs & Stratton, and Harley-Davidson sent representatives to the two-day show to see the latest trends, technologies, and products shaping the future.

In addition to IPC providing logistical and marketing support, including exhibit and sponsorship sales, event promotion, exhibitor and attendee registration, hotel room contracting and additional general event administration, IPC will also develop a technical conference component to the event as well as host our summer committee meetings, IPC SummerCom in conjunction with the event.

“IPC’s affiliation with the Wiring Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA), the only trade association exclusively representing the cable and wire harness manufacturing industry, will help grow EWPTE as a globally recognized tradeshow. IPC and WHMA look forward to working with Wisconsin Center staff and the EWPTE Advisory Committee to produce a world-class event for the wire processing industry,” said David Bergman, WHMA executive director and IPC vice president of standards and technology.

“IPC has a proven track record in tradeshow management. IPC’s annual flagship event, IPC APEX EXPO, is the largest event in North America for electronics manufacturing and draws attendees and exhibitors from around the world.  We believe their expertise will help grow EWPTE as a globally recognized tradeshow,” said Marty Brooks, president and CEO of Wisconsin Center District.

The next Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo will be held May 12-13, 2021 at the Wisconsin Center in downtown Milwaukee. For more information on the Expo, contact Alicia Balonek, IPC senior director, tradeshows and events, at AliciaBalonek@ipc.org.

A new video from IPC, the global electronics manufacturing association, shows viewers the many ways “our lives and our communities depend on electronics” and invites them to learn more about “the crucial industry that’s at the heart of the modern world.”    

The 90-second video features a series of evocative vignettes in which electronics-based devices and systems are making people’s lives safer, healthier, more connected, secure, and fun. The video also demystifies electronics technology by comparing it to the workings of a lightbulb and showing animations of the hard wiring inside consumer devices. The video is free of technical jargon and aims to help tech-centric IPC connect on a gut level with non-industry audiences such as policymakers and educators.

“We want people to take notice of things they’ve always taken for granted and be more curious about this critically important industrial sector,” said Chris Mitchell, IPC vice president of global government relations. “Part of our job in representing the industry is helping people understand what we do and why it matters, and this video is an effort to do that in language and pictures that will resonate with everyone.”   

IPC will promote the video to targeted audiences in a campaign spanning YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, e-mail newsletters, online presentations, and in-person meetings. IPC members are being encouraged to share it with their coworkers, friends, families, elected officials, and local educators and community leaders. 

IPC’s embrace of a more people-centered message began last year with its award-winning “Start with the Standards” campaign, which linked IPC’s industry standards program with images of “those who mean the world to us,” including a baby in an incubator; a child in car seat; and a man in an MRI machine.

Most recently, IPC published new data showing that the electronics manufacturing sector supports more than 5.3 million American jobs, pays above-average compensation, and provides critical equipment and inputs to other key sectors including healthcare, transportation, and aerospace.