Three IPC volunteers who have fostered a collaborative spirit, made significant contributions to standards development, and have consistently demonstrated a commitment to global standardization efforts, were presented with Dieter Bergman Fellowship awards at IPC APEX EXPO 2020. Mike Carano, Bhanu Sood and Udo Welzel were chosen as award recipients because they embody the work ethic and spirit of the late Dieter Bergman, a pioneer and industry icon. They will bestow Dieter Bergman Memorial Scholarship awards on the university or college of their choice.

Mike Carano, RBP Chemical Technology, Inc., has published more than 190 technical articles and is the holder of nine U.S. and 22 international patents. An active IPC volunteer for nearly 30 years, Carano is co-chair of the IPC Technology Roadmap Executive Committee, chair of the IPC Process Effects committee and IPC Technology Solutions Committee. A frequent lecturer at IPC events, Carano also served on IPC’s Board of Directors. Carano has chosen his alma mater, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio, as recipient of the scholarship.

Bhanu Sood, Ph.D., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, lends his expertise to nearly four dozen technical committees, including serving as chair of the D-55 Embedded Circuitry Guideline task group. He’s been an avid presenter at IPC Days in the U.K. France and the Netherlands, several consecutive high reliability forums and presented at IPC CEMAC in Shenzhen, China, last August. He has authored several hundred conference papers, presentations and technical reports, is a member of the editorial board of SMT Journal and is an active volunteer in committees and standards development not only for IPC, but SAE and IEEE as well. Dr. Sood selected the department of aerospace engineering at the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies in Dehradun, India, as the recipient of this year’s Dieter Bergman Memorial Scholarship award.

Udo Welzel, Ph.D., Robert Bosch GmbH, is deeply involved in global standardization activities for IPC and IEC. At IPC, he serves as co-chair of the 5-21 Cold Joining Press Fit Task Group and 7-31bv IPC A-610 Automotive Addendum Task Group, along with 18 additional IPC technical committees. Dr. Welzel has chosen the Technical University (TU) in Darmstadt, Germany as recipient of the scholarship. 

“The recipients of this year’s Dieter Bergman Fellowship award are leaders in the field and are making a global impact on our industry. We are indeed fortunate that they have chosen to volunteer their considerable talents and expertise with IPC and the electronics community,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO.

IPC bestowed its highest corporate honors on two IPC member companies, TTM Technologies, Inc. and Continental Automotive. During a luncheon at IPC APEX EXPO 2020, the Peter Sarmanian Corporate Recognition Award was presented to TTM Technologies, Inc. and the Stan Plzak Corporate Recognition Award was presented to Continental Automotive.

The Peter Samarian Corporate Recognition award, named for a former IPC Board Chairman, recognizes an IPC-member company in the printed board industry (PCB) that has supported IPC through participation in technical and management programs while providing leadership for the industry.

Members of IPC since 1976, TTM Technologies, Inc. is a leading global PCB manufacturer, focusing on quick-turn and volume production of technologically advanced PCBs, backplane assemblies and electro-mechanical solutions.

Nearly 70 of its staff members participate in approximately 120 technical committees ranging from flexible circuits and fabrication processes to conflict minerals and intellectual property standards. And nearly 1,200 staff members have earned CIT, CIS, CID, CID+, and EMS certifications across all TTM locations. Active in IPC’s “Meet the Policy Makers” program, TTM locations in the U.S. have played host to seven U.S. policymakers to discuss issues critical to the industry. In addition, TTM President and CEO Tom Edman is a vigorous contributor to IPC’s North American government relations committee and currently serves on IPC’s board of directors.

Named for former IPC Board Chairman and founding member of the IPC Electronics Manufacturing Services Industry Management Council, the IPC Stan Plzak Corporate Recognition Award honors an IPC-member company in the electronics assembly industry that actively contributes to the industry while supporting IPC technical and/or management programs.

A member company since 1995, more than two dozen Continental Automotive employees lend their time and talent on dozens of standards development committees, dedicated to topics ranging from automotive electronics to press-fit technology and lead-free. Staff also take their expertise outside of standards development and have presented at numerous IPC workshops and conferences. When they’re not helping educate the industry, they’re in IPC’s virtual classroom where they have amassed more than 400 staff certifications.

Numerous staff have been honored with awards for their standards contributions, two have earned an IPC Rising Star Award, and Dr. Robert Feuerstein, director and head of manufacturing technology at the Regensberg, Germany facility, serves on IPC’s board.

“We are privileged to have TTM Technologies, Inc. and Continental Automotive as members of IPC,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “We benefit tremendously from their leadership, knowledge and expertise. Their involvement in IPC has directly contributed to IPC’s global growth in the electronics industry.”

In recognition and acknowledgement of his extraordinary contributions to IPC and the electronics industry, Steve Pudles, president and CEO, Zentech Manufacturing, was presented with the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Award at IPC APEX EXPO on Tuesday, February 4 at the San Diego Convention Center. IPC’s most prestigious award, the Hall of Fame award is given to individuals who have provided exceptional service and advancement to IPC and the electronics industry.

An active IPC volunteer and leader for more than three decades, Pudles has championed the need for PCBA standards and education, always on the forefront of generating innovative ideas for the industry. As a member of the IPC EMS Council, the IPC Board of Directors and former Chairman of the Board, Pudles has been a strong voice for EMS executives’ needs and an even stronger advocate for IPC to continue to invest in programs that help the entire value chain in the electronics manufacturing industry.

An original working group member, developer and co-creator of EMS programs including the EMS Program Management Certification program, Pudles has also been heavily involved in shaping IPC’s Certification, Validation and QML Programs that exist today

“A staunch advocate for IPC, Steve testified before Congress in 2012 urging common-sense changes to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rule on conflict minerals,” said IPC President and CEO John Mitchell. “His contributions to the EMS Council and EMS Steering Committee are wide and diverse and have made IPC and industry stronger and more successful,” Michell added. “We are thrilled to present him with our highest honor to thank him for sharing his talents and expertise with IPC and the electronics industry.”

The Nominating and Governance Committee of the IPC Board of Directors presented officer and member candidates for election at the 63rd IPC Annual Meeting on February 4, held in conjunction with IPC APEX EXPO 2020 at the San Diego Convention Center. Officers serve a two-year term, while members serve a four-year term.

The newly elected Board officers are:

• Board Chair – Shane Whiteside, president and CEO Summit Interconnect
• Board Vice Chair – Bob Neves, chairman and chief technology officer, Microtek Laboratories China
• Secretary/Treasurer – Tom Edman, president and CEO, TTM Technologies

The newly elected Board members are:

• Marc Peo, president, Heller Industries
• Hiroyuki Watanabe, executive vice president, NEC Platforms, Ltd.
• Robert Feuerstein, director, head of manufacturing technology, Continental Automotive GmbH
• Steve Pudles, president and CEO, Zentech Manufacturing
• Jeanie Wade, sector vice president, operations and sector quality executive, Northrop Grumman Corporation

"IPC is privileged to have these officer and directors added to our current slate of Board members. All are active contributors to IPC initiatives and we look forward to their continued contributions to advancing IPC and the electronics industry," said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO.

In addition to holding Board elections, IPC honored outgoing Board chair, Mikel Williams, Targus; and outgoing members, Mike Carano, RBP Chemical Technology and Joe O’Neil, Green Circuits. All three were honored for many years of service on the IPC Board of Directors.

For additional information on IPC's Board of Directors including bios on newly elected Board members, contact Sandy Gentry, IPC communications director, at SandyGentry@ipc.org.

IPC announced today the December 2019 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.09.

Total North American PCB shipments in December 2019 were up 8.7 percent compared to the same month last year. Shipment growth ended the year at 7.8 percent. Compared to the preceding month, December shipments increased 5.2 percent.

PCB bookings in December increased 8.8 percent year-over-year. Year-to-date bookings growth ended the year at 4.8 percent. Bookings in December increased 11.5 percent from the previous month.

"While trade tensions created a volatile environment, the North American PCB industry closed 2019 on solid footing,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist. “PCB shipments were strong through the final five months of the year. Moreover, orders at the end of the year suggest shipment strength should carry into the first quarter of 2020."

Note: The January 2019 ratio has been revised since its original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants.


Note: The January, June, and October 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.

IPC announces the addition of Matt Kelly as the association’s chief technologist.

In this new leadership role, Kelly will help IPC’s members to engage in latest technology trends and supply chain transformation that continues to evolve across the electronics industry. He will work to define the scope of what future products and services the association should develop in the areas of standards, education and advocacy. Kelly’s primary areas of focus will be leading the following initiatives: “factory of the future” standards and technical research; industry intelligence funding; and creation and launch of an Industry CTO Council.

Kelly comes to IPC following a 14-year career at IBM Corporation, holding several senior technology and engineering leadership positions within IBM Systems Division. His technical contributions include 25 patents, 80 publications, and numerous industry awards from NAM, ASM, SMTA, IPC, and IBM.

Very familiar with IPC’s standards development process, Kelly has served on seven technical committees and currently serves as vice chair of the 5-21H Bottom Termination Components Task Group and co-chair of the 2-17 Connected Factory Initiative Subcommittee.

“Matt is widely recognized in the global electronics industry as a premier thought leader and an innovator, and his work will play a pivotal role in helping us know our members and the industry – with greater depth and breadth,” said Sanjay Huprikar, vice president, Solutions. “We are thrilled to welcome Matt to the IPC team, and we look forward to the new contributions he will make to the electronics industry.”

Based in Toronto, Kelly can be reached at MattKelly@ipc.org.

IPC announces the winners of the IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Innovation Awards, a celebration of the innovators who are changing the technological landscape of the electronics industry.

A panel of industry experts reviewed each product’s submission and chose winners in each category based on the following criteria: How is this product innovative?  How is this product changing the manufacturing industry?  What value will customers experience with this new product?

The Innovation Awards will be presented to the following companies on site at IPC APEX EXPO:

• ASM, for ASM DEK TQ (category: assembly equipment) -- a new printing platform for the electronics industry that increases speed and accuracy while decreasing factory footprint. DEK TQ platform offers future-proof integration into the ASM Integrated Smart Factory concept via open interfaces (IPC-HERMES-9852, close-loop-to-SPI, ASM OIB, IPC CFX).
• GreenSource Fabrication, LLC, for InduBond X-Press (category: PCB fabrication) -– a  concept in multilayer press technology utilizing electromagnetic energy to heat stainless steel separator plates using induction heating that yields minimal delay in heat transfer, high heat up rates, extremely high temperatures with high temperature balance on any direction of the press stack X,Y and Z axis.
• Nihon Superior Co., Ltd., for TipSave N Flux-Cored Solder Wire (category: assembly materials) -- wire which slows the reaction and erosion of the iron from a soldering tip, especially when using lead-free solders rich in tin, increasing tip life by three times.
• Rogers Corporation, for TC350™ Plus Laminate (category: PCB materials) -- a thermally enhanced laminate, suited for higher power microwave and industrial heating applications requiring higher maximum operating temperatures, low circuit losses, and excellent thermal dissipation within the circuit board.
• Test Research Inc., for TR7700Q SII (category: test and inspection) -- an Industry 4.0-ready solution that performs high-speed inspection of large PCB boards up to 510 mm x 460 mm, fit for multiple applications, ranging from the telecommunications industry to the automotive industry and supporting the upcoming and innovative protocols such as IPC CFX and IPC- HERMES-9852.
• ViTrox Technologies Sdn.Bhd., for V9i Advanced Robotic Vision System (ARV), or Collaborative Robotic Arm (Cobot) (category: test and inspection) -- specializing in conformal coating inspection and thickness measurement, designed for safety and quality ensured inspection that involves co-work between a human and a robot.

“The IPC Innovation Awards recognize outstanding products and services in the electronics industry,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO, “and we had a tough time choosing among the many excellent submissions we received this year. It’s exciting to see the creativity and innovation in our industry, along with the enthusiastic response to our yearly challenge.”

For more information on all IPC APEX EXPO activities, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org.

The IPC APEX EXPO 2020 best technical conference papers in the domestic and international categories have been selected; the paper authors will receive their awards during the opening keynote session on Tuesday, February 4, 2020.
          
Taking top honors in the domestic paper category, the winning paper is, “Reliable Nickel-Free Surface Finish Solution for High-Frequency-HDI PCB Applications” by Kunal Shah, Ph.D., LiloTree. Dr. Shah will present his paper at Technical Conference Session 15 (Surface Finishes 1) on Wednesday, February 5.

Honorable mention went to “Comparative Corrosion: Engineered Aqueous Cleaner vs. pH Neutral — Round 1” by David Lober, Kyzen Corporation. His co-author was Mike Bixenman, DBA, Kyzen Corporation. This paper will be presented at Technical Conference Session 25 on Thursday, February 6.

The winning paper in the international paper category is “High-Density PCB Technology Assessment for Space Applications” by Maarten Cauwe, Ph.D., IMEC-Cmst. Dr. Cauwe’s co-authors were Erwin Bosman, ACB NV; Alexia Coulon, Thales Alenia Space; Stan Heltzel, European Space Agency; Chinmay Nawghane, IMEC; Marnix Van De Slyeke, ACB NV; Bart Vandevelde, IMEC; and Joachim Verhegge, ACB. This paper will be presented at Technical Conference Session 7 (High I/O Designs) on Tuesday, February 4.

Honorable mention went to “Optimization of PCB SI Coupon Design that Minimizes Discontinuity through Via-In-Pad Plated Over (VIPPO) Technique” by Juhee Lee, ISU Petasys. His co-authors were Kyeongsoo Kim, Kyungsoo Lee, and Namdong Lee, ISU Petasys. This paper will be presented at Technical Conference Session 27 (PCB Fabrication and Materials) on Thursday, February 6.  

The papers were evaluated by the IPC APEX EXPO Technical Program Committee and judged on their technical content, originality, test procedures and data used to deduce conclusions, quality of illustrations and the clarity and professionalism of writing as well as value to the industry.

To register for the IPC APEX EXPO technical conference or for more information on all the activities taking place including standards development committee meetings, professional development courses, the exhibition and more, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org.

Exhibitor booth space at the 2020 WHMA 27th Annual Wire Harness Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada is sold out.

The Wiring Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA) and IPC exceeded expectations by selling out the exhibit space a month before the event. This year’s annual conference broke a 26-year record with 40 booths sold, making it the largest exhibit floor in WHMA’s history. The WHMA Annual Wire Harness Conference is the wire harness manufacturing industry’s opportunity to interact with and devote valuable time with the leading suppliers who bring countless valuable resources, best practices and cutting-edge, innovative solutions to the exhibit floor.

This year’s conference is being held February 18-20, 2020 at the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa. In addition to the exhibit floor, this conference will provide attendees opportunities to learn, grow, share, and discover new approaches to many aspects of the wire harness industry.

The 2020 conference schedule features timely presentations on important industry topics:

• Wire and cable harness documents, IPC/WHMA-A-620 and IPC-D-620
• Space exploration and the role of wire and cable harnesses on spacecraft
• Wire harness industry economics
• Megatrends of CASE (connected, autonomous, shared and electrification) in automotive technology
• And more

With the event only a month away, staff urges anyone still interested in attending to go online to learn more and register at https://annualconference.whma.org.

The following statement can be attributed to John Mitchell, President and CEO of IPC, the global association representing the electronics manufacturing industry:

“The electronics manufacturing industry applauds the U.S. Senate for approving the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) with broad bipartisan support. As soon as President Trump signs the legislation, which is expected within days, it will enter into force.

“This is a very positive step for our industry and for the millions of people who work in it in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“With electronics exports making up over 30 percent of U.S. exports of manufactured goods, natural resources and energy exports to Mexico and nearly 20 percent of such exports to Canada, USMCA will pave the way to continued prosperity for electronics manufacturers, U.S. workers and consumers.

“The pact will bolster the industry’s confidence in making investments in human resources and equipment in all three nations.”

IPC was an active advocate for the USMCA. In December, IPC sent a letter to all members of the U.S. Congress, urging them to vote promptly and affirmatively on the USMCA implementing legislation. IPC members contacted their elected officials in meetings, correspondence and phone calls.

Last May, IPC released a study that found the total value of U.S. electronics trade with Canada and Mexico was $155.5 billion in 2017, with trade in electronic systems and components being especially important to the North American automobile industry. Mexico imports 34 percent of U.S. printed circuit board production—larger than the next four largest markets combined.