Members and exhibitors at the upcoming IPC APEX EXPO 2019 will have the opportunity to promote their new ideas in electronics by competing for the IPC APEX EXPO 2019 Innovation Awards, awards that recognize outstanding products and services for the electronics industry.

“The IPC Innovation Awards allow us to celebrate the top innovators and thought leaders who are changing the technological landscape of the electronics industry,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “IPC APEX EXPO provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity for exhibitors to showcase the best-of-the-best of their products and services. We look forward to a rousing competition at APEX EXPO 2019.”

The IPC APEX EXPO Innovation Awards program recognizes honorees among the following categories:

• Assembly
• Assembly Materials
• Environmental
• Industry 4.0
• PCB Design
• PCB Fabrication
• PCB Materials
• Test & Inspection
• Services
• Software

Products and services will be reviewed, rated and scored by a panel of industry experts who will provide a numerical value 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?

Each product will receive a cumulative score with a baseline value derived from the cumulative scores in each category.  All scores above the baseline are designated as Honorees.

The Best of Innovation Award will be awarded to the highest-rated product or technology in each category, as long as that product surpasses a previously determined minimum score.

If the highest-rated product in a category does not surpass the minimum score, there will be no Best of Innovation Award for that category. All award designations by our panel are final.

To be eligible to apply for a product or service to be considered for the Innovation Awards, companies must be an exhibitor at IPC APEX EXPO 2019 and a member of IPC. 

There is a $150 non-refundable application fee to apply for the Innovation Awards.  Applications must be submitted by December 7, 2018. Winners will be notified by early-January and awards will be presented during the keynote presentation at IPC APEX EXPO on Tuesday, January 29, 2019.

For more information or to view the application, visit: http://www.ipcapexexpo.org/html/exhibit/already/innovation-awards.htm.

Senior-level executives from across the global electronics industry supply chain will gather to discuss challenges and opportunities of the burgeoning and rapidly changing automotive electronics industry during the IPC Executive Forum on Advancing Automotive Electronics at IPC APEX EXPO 2019. Presented by IPC’s Hall of Fame Council on January 28, the forum will focus on automotive electronics costs, reliability and programs from concept to production.

The Forum will include speakers from the United States, Asia and Europe to join the discussion on the challenges and opportunities for IPC and the electronics industry. Speakers include representatives from MacDermid-Enthone, Microtek Labs China, Elga Europe, Robert Bosch GmbH Germany, Nexteer Automotive, APTIV, Optimal+ and Ventec International Group.

“As the automotive industry increasingly incorporates electronics into its manufacturing, this provides a unique opportunity for IPC and our members to participate in this continually evolving field,” said Gene Weiner, Executive Forum program chair. “This Forum provides us with a chance to hear from subject matter experts about the many ways for involvement of our industry in automotive electronics.”

Topics will include materials in automotive electronic packaging, PCB reliability testing for automotive electronics, developing film photoresist to meet automotive fine line circuit needs, cost models with suppliers and understanding costs of new technology, developing and getting approval of new material for automotive electronics.

“We are thrilled that the Hall of Fame Council has put together such an important event for our members’ executives,” said Sanjay Huprikar, vice president of Solutions at IPC. “Following our June Automotive Electronics Forum in Nuremberg and the September launch of our new Reliability Council in Frankfurt, this upcoming event in January at IPC APEX EXPO directly supports IPC’s efforts to engage heavily with the transportation vertical.” 

Information and registration for the Executive Forum on Advancing Automotive Electronics is available online at www.ipcapexexpo.org.

Leaders of the U.S. electronics industry today unveiled the IPC Workforce Champions program and pledged to create at least 1 million new skilled workforce opportunities over the next five years.

The IPC pledge came during a White House meeting with President Trump and other senior U.S. Officials. In addition to IPC President and CEO Dr. John Mitchell, the event was also attended by representatives of four IPC-member companies who spoke with the president about their companies’ experiences with workforce efforts:

• Darryl Graves of Zentech in Baltimore, Maryland; 
• Meredith LaBeau of Calumet Electronics in Calumet, Michigan;
• Joe O’Neil of Green Circuits in San Jose, California; and
• Shane Whiteside of Summit Interconnect in Anaheim, California. 

L to R: Joe O’Neil of Green Circuits; Meredith LeBeau of Calumet Electronics; John Mitchell of IPC;
Ivanka Trump; Shane Whiteside of Summit Interconnect; Darryl Graves of Zentech.

In July, President Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the National Council for the American Worker, which was charged with developing a national strategy for training and retaining workers for jobs in high-demand industries. The administration also invited companies and trade groups to sign a new Pledge to America’s Workers, committing themselves to expand programs to educate and train American workers. With the new pledges received today from IPC and others, the total number of such opportunities to be created is rising from 3.8 million to more than 6 million. 

“As a leader in education, training and certification, IPC is proud to join with the Trump administration and our private sector colleagues in this effort to expand training and career opportunities for American students and workers,” said IPC’s Mitchell. “The chronic shortage of adequately skilled workers is one of the most difficult challenges facing the electronics industry in the United States. We are totally committed to expanding and improving our industry’s efforts to engage young people and train American workers with the technical skills they need to be successful in this industry.”

In support of its pledge, IPC is making unprecedented, multi-million-dollar investments in its education, training and workforce programs. The multifaceted effort will include investments in training and credentialing programs, STEM programming in secondary and post-secondary schools, “Earn & Learn” programs, and new job opportunities.

To learn more about IPC’s Workforce Champions Pledge, visit http://go.ipc.org/gr-pledge/.

IPC’s World PCB Production Report for the Year 2017, published last week, shows how the global PCB industry achieved an estimated 13.9 percent real growth in 2017 – the fastest growth since the recovery year of 2010 – and what the industry’s global footprint looks like today. The report provides current estimates of PCB production value by country, region and product category, with commentary about industry trends and historical data.

According to the report, China’s share of world PCB production continued to grow in 2017, accounting for more than half of world production value. Production in Taiwan and Japan declined as percentages of world production in 2017 due to continued off-shore investment. The greatest growth in the proportion of world PCB production in 2017 was seen in Vietnam and Thailand. Growth in Thailand’s industry, coupled with the continuing decline in the U.S. industry share, caused Thailand to move ahead of the United States and become the fifth-largest PCB-producing country in 2017.

Despite its declining share, the value of U.S. PCB production grew an estimated 5.9 percent in real terms in 2017. Although just 3.9 percent of world PCB production is done in the United States, U.S.-based companies own 6.5 percent of global production. Despite evidence of a small on-shoring trend, most large U.S. companies still produce a substantial share of their PCBs outside the United States.

The World PCB Production Report is IPC's longest-running annual study, now in its 40th year. It is a definitive source of data on global PCB production, developed by a team of leading PCB industry analysts.

The new report is available for download in IPC's online store. Single-user prices are $475 for IPC members and $950 for nonmembers. Multi-user licenses are also available.

IPC announced today the September 2018 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Year-over-year growth continued for industry sales and orders. The book-to-bill ratio for September retreated slightly to 1.04.

Total North American PCB shipments in September 2018 were up 9.6 percent compared to the same month last year. This year to date, shipments are 10.2 percent above the same period last year. Compared to the preceding month, September shipments increased 11.1 percent.

PCB bookings in September were down 3.9 percent year-over-year. Year-to-date order growth was 9.2 percent above the same period last year. Bookings in September were down 4.4 percent from the previous month.

“The North American PCB industry sales growth trend continued for the 13th consecutive month, and the book-to-bill ratio remained above parity for the 20th straight month” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “A negative year-over-year growth rate for PCB orders in September after 15 months of continuous order growth, however, might be the first sign of a slow-down. The book-to-bill ratio is still in positive territory, indicating continued sales growth for the rest of this year, but it has decreased steadily since hitting a 12-year high early in 2018.”

Note: The January 2018-March 2018 ratios have been revised since their original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants.


Note: The January 2018-March 2018 growth rates have been revised since their original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants.

View Chart in PDF

Detailed Data Available

The next edition of IPC’s North American PCB Market Report,containing detailed third-quarter 2018 data from IPC’s PCB Statistical Program, will be available in November. The quarterly report presents 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. This report is available free to current participants in IPC’s PCB Statistical Program and by subscription to others. PCB companies that are IPC members doing business in North America are invited to contact marketresearch@ipc.org for information about participating. More information about this report can be found at www.ipc.org/market-research-reports.

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 at the end of each month. Statistics for the current month are normally available in the last week of the following month.

Changing technologies that are driving the electronics industry will take center stage throughout the IPC APEX EXPO 2019 technical conference and professional development sessions, which will take place January 26-31 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Registration is now open at www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org.

In keeping with the event’s theme, “Technology's Future Comes Together,” the technical conference will feature more than 30 technical sessions detailing original research and innovations from industry experts around the world. Subject-matter experts will cover topics in the areas of board fabrication and design, electronics assembly, reliability and test. In 2019, Design Forum courses will be incorporated into the technical conference program allowing all engineering and design staff to benefit from the wide selection of design-focused sessions.

“As the importance of automation and data exchange in manufacturing grows at an exponential rate with increasing miniaturization of assemblies and the assembly of new components, the complexity of design increases, so designers and engineers need to keep current. Which is why the industry needs the education that IPC APEX EXPO 2019 will offer,” said Jasbir Bath, IPC APEX technical conference director. “Our programs are not theoretical—they’re grounded in, and driven by, real-world application that’s happening right now. IPC APEX EXPO 2019 attendees will access new research on materials and processes, learn more about trending materials, applications and processes such as smart manufacturing/ Industry 4.0, printed electronics and additive manufacturing and address real-world problems from a design, manufacturing, reliability and test perspective. Industry experts teach the practical to help attendees succeed at their job,” Bath added.

IPC APEX EXPO’s full- and half-day professional development courses will blend traditional electronics industry topics with hot-new developments, delivered by corporate technologists, consultants, training center staff and university faculty. Attendees can choose an array of leading topics such as: PCB fabrication troubleshooting; dispensing/jetting; printing; manufacturing yield, defect analysis, failure analysis; reliability, test and design for excellence (DFX).

In addition, IPC APEX EXPO features many free activities, including technical BUZZ sessions, poster presentations and an opening keynote, “Accelerating and Disrupting Innovation: The Tesla Story” presented by JB Straubel, chief technical officer (CTO) and co-founder of electric vehicle maker Tesla, Inc. The highly popular New Products Corridor and networking events on the show floor will be featured along with more than 500 of the industry’s top suppliers. Access to the exhibit hall is free to those who register in advance, a savings of $40 on-site.

More information about IPC APEX EXPO 2019, including details on education and technology, networking opportunities, show floor activities, schedule, travel and more is available at www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org.

Because IPC APEX EXPO will be held in January for the next five years, IPC will move its standards development committee meetings normally scheduled in Fall to June in 2019. This decision follows a survey of the standards committees where respondents indicated they would prefer to hold in-person standards development meetings in the summer months to have ample time to work on documents. IPC previously hosted its Fall Committee Standards Development meetings in conjunction with SMTA International (SMTAI).

“IPC’s standards committee leaders and members said they would appreciate having in-person standards development meetings spread over the course of six months, allowing them ample time to work on standards activities via e-mail and teleconference in between the in-person events,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO.

“SMTA has been a gracious host and provided a perfect setting for IPC’s Fall Committee Meetings in the Chicago area for many years. We thank them for this partnership and look forward to working with the association on other events, such as the upcoming High-Reliability Cleaning and Conformal Coating Conference next month,” added Mitchell.           

IPC’s Summer Standards Development Committee Meetings will take place June 15-20, 2019 in Raleigh, N.C. IPC’s next in-person committee meetings will take place January 26-31, 2019 at IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego. For more information on IPC standards and standards development activities, visit www.ipc.org/CommitteePage.aspx.  

IPC's Validation Services Program has awarded an IPC/WHMA-A-620 Qualified Manufacturers Listing (QML) Class 3, to AirBorn Inc. For its two locations, one in Georgetown, Texas and the other, in Lake City, Pa. Following an initial audit by IPC, AirBorn Inc. becomes one of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) trusted sources and suppliers meeting the stringent requirements of the Qualified Manufacturing Listing (QML) based on one of IPC's foremost standards: IPC/WHMA-A-620, Requirements and Acceptance for Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies.

AirBorn Inc. initially contacted IPC to review its manufacturing processes using the IPC Standard Gap Analysis (SGA). Through the SGA program, the wire assembly manufacturer, looked to improve its production methods before moving to the IPC Validation Services QML recognition program.

During the IPC Validation Services QML audit, AirBorn Inc. met or exceeded the requirements for the electronics industry’s most rigorous classification, Class 3, which is intended for high-performance electronics assemblies. The company is now listed and recognized as an IPC trusted source capable of manufacturing in accordance with industry best practices. “AirBorn Inc. is very proud to have their Georgetown, Texas and Lake City, Pennsylvania facilities placed on the IPC/WHMA-A-620 Qualified Manufacturers Listing,” said Jennifer Nelson, AirBorn Inc. vice president of operations.

“The manufacturing processes at these facilities have been proven to be in accordance with the requirements of IPC/WHMA-A-620 (Classes 1, 2 and 3). Both locations diligently continue to improve assembly operators’ skills and capabilities in support of the growing demand for complex and highly-reliable wire and cable assemblies. The IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 site Qualified Manufacturers Listings exemplify AirBorn’s commitment to constant improvement and the production of high-quality, rugged and reliable assemblies.”

IPC's Validation Services QPL/QML Program was developed to promote supply chain verification and recognition. It also provides auditing and certification of electronics companies' products, and identifies processes which conform to IPC standards.

"Different from other audit programs, IPC's Validation Services Programs uniquely provides technical and in-depth assessments of products and processes in accordance with IPC standards," said Randy Cherry, IPC director of Validation Services. "We are pleased to especially recognize AirBorn Inc. for becoming a member of IPC's network of trusted QML suppliers."                                                                      

For more information about IPC's Validation Services QPL/QML Program, visit www.ipcvalidation.org or contact Randy Cherry at RandyCherry@ipc.org or +1 847-597-2806.   

IPC, in conjunction with What’s New in Electronics Live and ART-- Advanced Rework Technology Ltd., conducted the IPC Hand Soldering Competition in Birmingham, United Kingdom, on 25-26 September 2018. Seventeen competitors went soldering iron to soldering iron, with the hope of winning the coveted hand soldering competition crown.

Participants were tasked with building a functional electronics assembly, within a 75-minute time limit. Of the 17 participants competing, only seven were able to complete a functional assembly.

Taking first place with a cash prize of £300 was Przemyslaw Marswalek from MSF Technologies Ltd (UK), who completed a functional new board in only 65 minutes, earning 435 points out of a possible 445. Marswalek is eligible to compete at the IPC Hand Soldering World Championship at IPC APEX EXPO 2019, in San Diego, Calif. In January.

Second place and a cash prize of £200 went to James Dean, Custom Interconnect Ltd. (UK), who also earned 435 points, but completed his board in 75 minutes. With a score of 427 points and completing her functional board in 71 minutes, Justina Mkolajczyk, Zettlex UK Ltd., took third place and a cash prize of £100.

Master Instructor Trainers from ART- Advanced Rework Technology Ltd. Served as independent judges and evaluated each assembly based on workmanship, overall functionality, compliance with IPC-A-610G Class 3 criteria and speed to complete the printed circuit board.

“It was evident that the best hand soldering talent in the United Kingdom came to compete at What’s New in Electronics Live,” said David Bergman, IPC vice president of standards and training. “The competition was tough, but each competitor rose to the challenge. We look forward to hosting more hand soldering competitions across the globe.”

Bergman added, “IPC would like to thank hand soldering competition sponsors: PM Tech, Pace Worldwide, Bofa, Menkel, Somerset Solders and ART- Advanced Rework Technology Ltd. for their support.”

All 2018 regional winners will take their hand soldering skills to the IPC Hand Soldering World Championship which will be held at IPC APEX EXPO 2019 in San Diego, Calif. In January. For more information on IPC events visit, www.ipc.org/events.

On September 25, representatives from prominent automotive and rail original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 suppliers met in Frankfurt, Germany to launch the IPC Transportation Electronics Reliability Council (ITERC). The inaugural group included key technologists with core expertise in electronic hardware development, manufacturing technology, PCB design, quality, and environmental reliability. The council was partly developed in response to positive encouragement from IPC members and automotive industry leaders, who had attended IPC’s debut Automotive Electronics Reliability Forum in Nuremberg earlier this year in June.

“Global need for advanced safety features, newer e-mobility services, and greater energy efficiency has fueled the rapid growth of electronics content in automobiles, trucking and rail,” said Sanjay Huprikar, IPC’s vice president of solutions and convener of the new council. “But as product quality and field reliability requirements become more stringent for these applications, it’s vitally important that the leading organizations in this vertical work together to better align all the stakeholders in the supply chain.”  

Market data indicates that by 2030, electronics systems made up of printed circuit board assemblies, cables and wire harnesses could reach 50 percent of the total cost of a traditional, internal combustion engine vehicle. And that percentage could be significantly higher in new innovations such as electric and autonomous vehicles.

“The overall mission of the council is to identify the challenges and drive the implementation of standards for electrical and electronic systems in new mobility concepts including electrified, automated, connected and autonomous,” said Philippe Leonard, IPC’s director of operations in Europe. “We are very excited to work with ITERC as they assess the gaps in existing standards, define the requirements for new standards, and generally promote the application of standards throughout the supply chain.” 

The following companies are inaugural members of ITERC:

• Volkswagen
• Toyota
• Renault
• Alstom
• Bosch
• Continental
• ZF Group
• Yazaki
• Magna
• Lear
• Aptiv

The council will meet quarterly, with its next meeting scheduled for December 3, 2018. For more information on how to participate, contact Sanjay Huprikar at SanjayHuprikar@ipc.org.