IPC’s Hand Soldering World Championship was held November 14 at productronica 2019 in Munich, Germany. This global event included 17 competitors representing companies in France, Hungary, Indonesia, Poland, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Vietnam, United Kingdom, Japan, India, China and the Philippines.

Tasked with completing a very complex circuit board assembly with dozens of components, nearly 200 solder joints within a 60-minute time limit, and fully compliant with IPC Class 3 standards requirements, contestants faced a significant challenge.

Rising to the challenge, Indra Setiawan, PT SIIX EMS, Indonesia, completed the printed board assembly within 56 minutes, scored 321 points out of 340, and earned the title of IPC hand soldering world champion. In addition to his title, a cash prize of €1000, Setiawan received a soldering station from sponsors JBC Tools, HAKKO and Almit. Pauline Duval, Thalès DMS, France, took second place with a score of 318 points, and earned €500. Duval qualified for the championship just the day before by winning the regional competition. With a score of 316 points, third place and €300 went to Maricel Calabig Velasco, Integrated Micro-electronics Inc., Philippines.

“The competitors brought their best skills to meet the requirements of this year’s challenge,” said Philippe Léonard, director, IPC Europe. “It’s intricate work, especially as components keep getting smaller and smaller. This was a very challenging competition and we had a very talented field of competitors from around the world showcasing their skills.”

Assemblies were judged on soldering in accordance with IPC-A-610G Class 3 criteria, the speed at which the assembly was produced and overall electrical functionality of the assembly. International MIT judges from China, Estonia, France, Holland and the United States provided their expertise judging the competition, and IPC thanks Patrick Mellet, IFTEC, France; Marcin Sudomir, Renex, Poland; Thomas Ahrens, Ph.D., Trainanlytics, Germany; Stefan Walls, PIEK, The Netherlands; Jack Shi, IPC Asia/Pacific; and Johnson Stephen Muriel, IPC Asia/Pacific.

In addition, IPC thanks 2019 Hand Soldering World Championship Gold sponsors JBC Tools, HAKKO, Reeco and Thalès and Silver sponsors Optilia, The Daylight Company, Almit, NCAB and Zestron for their enthusiastic support this year.

For information on upcoming IPC Hand Soldering Competitions, visit www.ipc.org/events.

IPC APEX EXPO was recognized on November 16 by the Tradeshow News Network (TSNN) as the fastest-growing association show for attendance in the United States for years 2016-2018.

According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), there are approximately 13,000 tradeshows held annually in the United States each year. “For the past several years, IPC APEX EXPO has seen both attendance growth and overall net-square footage growth,” said Alicia Balonek, IPC senior director of trade shows and events. “Being ranked as the top association trade show is a tremendous accomplishment for IPC APEX EXPO and for IPC. Without the support of IPC’s dedicated staff, exhibitors, presenters and instructors and attendees, IPC APEX EXPO could not claim to be the largest event for electronics manufacturing in North America,” Balonek added.

From the industry’s leading technical conference and application-focused professional development courses, to the innovation-driven exhibit floor, year after year IPC APEX EXPO is packed with far-reaching ideas and insights. IPC APEX EXPO 2020 will take place February 1–6, 2020, at the San Diego Convention Center. For more information, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org or contact Balonek at AliciaBalonek@ipc.org.

IPC announces the addition of Alison James as senior director, Europe.

In this role, James will work closely with IPC’s European membership as well as European government officials, institutions and public policy stakeholders. Based in Brussels, she will represent IPC and the electronics manufacturing industry on issues including environment, health, and safety; workforce skills; and trade policy.

James comes to IPC following a more than 20-year career leading European public affairs for the Motion Picture Association and Eastman Kodak, in addition to senior roles with APCO Worldwide and the Association of Commercial Television. Prior to these roles, James served as a media and communications consultant to the European Commission.

“Alison brings strong policy, public affairs and communications skills and experience to her position at IPC,” said Chris Mitchell, IPC vice president of global government relations. “With decades of experience engaging with European government officials and institutions, Alison has successfully navigated and influenced and strengthened European policies that have impacted the manufacturing sector. We are thrilled to welcome Alison to the IPC team, and we look forward to the contributions she will make to the electronics industry.”   

James can be reached at AlisonJames@ipc.org.

IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries® today announced it will offer an association health plan to IPC/WHMA members, extending affordable health care to small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in approved states. In states where the association health plan is not available, IPC will connect manufacturers with available small-group options in their states.

The plan, called NAM Health Care (www.namhealthcare.com), was developed to meet the unique health care needs of manufacturers. It will offer a portfolio of health benefits options insured by UnitedHealthcare. In states where these plans are available, businesses with 2 to 99 employees will be able to choose from a variety of PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) and HAS (Health Savings Account) health plans.

Members will also have access to UnitedHealthcare’s Choice Plus care provider network of more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals, 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. Under NAM Health Care, eligible member companies also will have access to supplemental benefits including dental, vision and life. UnitedHealthcare will work with any licensed and appointed agents who want to sell NAM Health Care.

Mercer will provide IPC/WHMA employer groups that elect Mercer as their agent of record with consulting services regarding health benefit offerings and contribution strategies, marketing support to sign up and enroll their employees, plan administration and compliance consulting services.

The Mercer Affinity 365+SM platform will provide members technology for obtaining quotes for employee benefits, facilitating enrollment and providing ongoing benefit administration to help drive cost efficiencies and employee engagement. Member employer groups may continue to work with their current agents and consultants to obtain quotes through the NAM Health Care offering.

“IPC is committed to the success of our members and together, IPC, the National Association of Manufacturers and Mercer are offering an easy and convenient benefits and buying enrollment experience,” said David Bergman, IPC vice president of standards and training. “With this health care program, IPC and WHMA members will have access to medical, dental, vision and life insurance built specifically for them and offered through an easy-to-navigate web-based platform.”

IPC is quoting these plans for eligible member groups for a December 1, 2019 enrollment date. To request a quote for these plans, where available, interested businesses may visit www.IPC.NAMHealthcare.com.

IPC announces industry programs to support implementation and full utilization of IPC Connected Factory Exchange–IPC CFX. IPC CFX enables any manufacturing facility, large or small, to achieve Industry 4.0, IIoT and smart factory objectives. IPC CFX is a single-source, plug-and-play system supported by IPC-2591, Connected Factory Exchange (CFX), an open international standard developed by industry for industry. IPC CFX uses a secure license-free communication protocol that can reduce/eliminate reliance on middleware -- a constant source of headaches in smart factory implementation.

Unlike other standards which either establish the equipment messaging protocols or just the equipment messaging, IPC CFX builds all of these into one system. This enables direct communication between equipment and shop management systems, making it the first true IIoT standard.

To speed up implementation of IPC CFX in factories, industry asked for resources for successful utilization of IPC CFX. IPC is providing several industry solutions through education, equipment validation and technical support to meet these needs.

• Education – IPC is providing a comprehensive range of on-demand education webinars and training videos that enable any manufacturing facility, IT team and equipment supplier to quickly, easily and successfully understand, implement and utilize CFX.
• Equipment Validation – Manufacturing facilities will need assurances that the equipment they are buying is CFX-ready. IPC is addressing this by providing a portal for the electronics industry to verify if equipment has been validated to CFX message sets. Equipment will be third-party verified.
• Self-Evaluation – IPC is providing a cloud-based application for equipment vendors and manufacturing facilities to self-evaluate their equipment to CFX. The self-evaluation service will confirm network identification, subscription and relevant CFX messages are supported; ensure CFX messages are sent and responded to and confirm CFX message content data format integrity.
• Technical Support – IPC technical support services will assist manufacturing operations looking to implement CFX-based solutions. The consultation services will cover project management, engineering-level guidance for the shop floor, application coding when getting started and support for machine vendor implementation.

IPC plans to roll out these programs in Q1 2020. Companies interested in getting information when programs are launched should send their contact information to IPCCFX@ipc.org.

David Bergman, IPC’s vice president of standards and technology states, “The goal of CFX is to bring technology-based optimization for all aspects of manufacturing operations, making the adoption of automation easier and more effective, as well as bringing enhancement of flexibility. IPC would like to recognize the strong contribution of the hundreds of volunteers from industry equipment and technology vendors who have been instrumental in this revolutionary step towards digital factory standards.”

Live demos of IPC CFX in action can be seen at productronica 2019 (Hall A1, Booth 305) and at IPC APEX EXPO 2020. Participants can follow the thousands of messages being sent from equipment live on their laptops or mobile device sat www.connectedfactoryexchange.com. For more information on IPC CFX, CFX supporters and other CFX resources, visit www.ipc-cfx.org.

Robert Cooke, NASA aerospace engineer and electronics industry subject matter expert, will deliver a technical education workshop, “The Evolution of IPC’s Cable & Wire Harness Documents: IPC-D-620, IPC/WHMA-A-620 and IPC-HDBK-620 at the WHMA 27th Annual Wire Harness Conference, February 18, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

During the workshop, Cooke will cover how IPC’s cable and harness assembly documents were created – from the submission of comments and technical content covering acceptance requirements for cable and wire harness assemblies in IPC-A-610, IPC/WHMA-A-620 and IPC/WHMA-A-620x-S, to the evolution of companion documents IPC-D-620, IPC-HDBK-620, and separate design and acceptance documents for optical fiber, optical cable, and hybrid wiring harness assemblies.

In addition, Cooke will address how the documents can be used and what the acceptance code means; how the design and acceptance documents and handbooks work together; what a handbook does and doesn’t do; and hot topics included in each of the documents.

“High-quality cables and wiring harnesses are often the most overlooked or ignored component in a design,” said Cooke, “and this workshop provides important information on why design is critical in the development of standards such as IPC/WHMA A-620 and IPC-A-610.”

The technical education workshop is $150.00 for IPC/WHMA members and $185.00 for nonmembers. For more information on the conference including schedule, speaker profiles or to register for the workshop or other conference activities, visit http://annualconference.whma.org.

The third annual M-EXPO Wire Processing Technology event held in Ciudad Juárez, México at the Cuatro Siglos Convention Center on October 9-11, 2019, exceeded expectations. This event was co-located with the ninth annual EXPO-MRO. These two events hosted more than 6,500 attendees.

M-EXPO 2019 sold out of event space a month before the event with more than 45 exhibitors which doubled its event space from 2018. This event showcases the latest equipment, tools, materials and technologies within the wire and cable industry from leading industry suppliers such as Komax, Schleuniger, Cirris, HellermannTyton, HST, Identco, Immsa, Lakes Precision, Lone Star, Schaefer Megomat, IPC/WHMA, Wiring Harness News, BiTech, Cami, Curti, ETCO, Schunk, Ricardo & Barbosa, and many more.

“This show is fantastic, haven’t seen anything like this in over a decade – you can smell business here!” said Edgar Bonilla, key account manager at Henkel Corporation/Adhesives Technologies.

In addition to the sold-out exhibit floor, the show sponsored by IPC/WHMA, included an exciting lineup of conferences and training sessions. These free sessions held throughout the three-day event covered many relevant industry topics and generated numerous insights into the wire and cable industry. M-EXPO held a hands-on workshop, “IPC/WHMA-A-620 Emerging Needs for Criteria – Repair/Rework, Design for Manufacturing (DFM) Issues, High Voltage Electric Mobility,” presented by IPC/WHMA. In this workshop, the attendees actively participated and interacted with industry expert, Constantino Gonzalez, on real-life repair/rework examples and discussed procedures involving discrepancies in different areas such as labeling, crimping and moisture and corrosion.

M-EXPO 2019 Presentations

• What is IPC/WHMA? What Can IPC/WHMA Do for You? -- Presented by IPC/WHMA
• Managing the Risks of your Supply Chain -- Presented by APICS
• Crimping Beyond the Basics -- Presented by Crimping & Stamping Technologies
• IPC/WHMA-A-620 Emerging Needs for Criteria – Repair/Rework, Design for
• Manufacturing (DFM) Issues, High Voltage Electric Mobility -- Presented by IPC/WHMA
• Arcadia Wire Harness Software -- Presented by Cadonix
• Ultrasonic Welding -- Presented by Schunk Sonosystems

“M-EXPO brings a focused and exclusive show for the wire and cable processing industries to the El Paso/ Juárez region and introduces large CMs and OEMs with the top industry suppliers of wire processing technology, equipment and tooling in all market segments,” said David Bergman, WHMA executive director. “We would like to thank all our exhibitors and presenters for making this year’s event so successful.”

M-EXPO 2020 will take place October 14–16 with plans to increase the number of booths/exhibitors to 75. For companies interested in exhibiting at M-EXPO 2020, contact Ricardo Aguirre at 915-304-4291 or contact.us@mexpowire.com.

IPC's biennial wage rate and salary survey for the North American electronics assembly industry is open with a response deadline of November 1. The confidential survey covers compensation for 40 hourly and salaried technical, manufacturing and sales positions at original equipment manufacturers (OEMS) and contract electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies in North America. It also covers salary budget growth, planned increases for 2020, and employee benefits and policies.

Companies can use this study to assess their competitiveness in today’s labor market. The data will be segmented by company type, size and region, enabling companies to assess their competitive position as employers within their region and company-size tier. The study also enables companies to benchmark their compensation, benefits and policies against industry norms, and update their human resource management strategies. It is unique in in its focus on the North American electronics assembly industry.

The survey is intended for HR professionals and executives who can provide data on a range of positions and policies. Survey participants will receive the report on the findings at no cost. The survey can be accessed at www.ipc.org/WageSurvey2019.

Participants are asked for their IPC company code to start the survey. They can obtain their codes by contacting IPC’s market research team at marketresearch@ipc.org or calling +1 847-597-2868. The company code is used to protect the confidentiality of participants’ data. IPC publishes only aggregate numbers and maintains strict confidentiality. The report will not identify participating companies.

For additional information on IPC’s market research services, visit www.ipc.org/industrydata or  www.ipc.org/market-research-reports.

IPC announced today the September 2019 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Sales and orders continued to outpace last year and the preceding month in September. The book-to-bill ratio strengthened to 1.04.

Total North American PCB shipments in September 2019 were up 3.8 percent compared to the same month last year. Year-to-date sales growth as of September remained positive at 7.0 percent. Compared to the preceding month, September shipments increased 10.2 percent.

PCB bookings in September increased 12.2 percent year-over-year, pushing year-to-date order growth up to 3.0 percent. Bookings in September were up 2.5 percent from the previous month.

“Business growth is continuing in the North American PCB industry, based on uniformly positive September results in both sales and orders, as well as an increase in the book-to-bill ratio,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “The growth cycle that began in mid-2017 has continued for over two years, although year-on-year growth rates have been modest in recent months. The strengthening book-to-bill ratios in the last two months are good news, but they were preceded by three months at or below parity. This indicates the likelihood of slow but mostly positive sales growth in the next two quarters.”

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


Note: The November 2018, January 2019 and June 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

The third-quarter 2019 edition of IPC’s North American PCB Market Report, containing detailed data from IPC’s PCB Statistical Program, will be published by mid-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.

Almost 90 percent of U.S. electronics manufacturers are troubled by the higher tariffs imposed by the United States and China on each other’s imports, and some are investing less in the United States and hiring fewer workers as a result.

These are among the results of a survey conducted by IPC, a global association representing the electronics manufacturing industry, which queried its U.S. members between September 25 and October 2, 2019. Among the survey results:

• On average, companies report they have seen tariff increases on 31 percent of the total dollar value of the products they import. Twenty-five percent of companies report over half of the dollar value of the products they import are facing higher tariffs.
• Some 69 percent of companies report lower profit margins as a result of increased tariffs, with a ripple effect of negative consequences: 21 percent report they are reducing investment in the United States, and 13 percent say they are cutting back on hiring and/or reducing headcount.
• More than a third of companies report they cannot increase their prices to cover the cost of higher import tariffs, due to various factors.  
• Fifty-one percent of responding companies report they are now sourcing from countries other than China as a result of increased tariffs on Chinese imports.

“As the IPC research documents, rising tariffs are putting a painful squeeze on many U.S. electronics manufacturers,” said IPC Chief Economist Shawn DuBravac. “Many are facing supply-chain disruptions and steeper costs from the tariffs that have been imposed to date, and the impacts will grow as the trade war drags on.”

“Our industry has longstanding concerns about some of China’s industrial policies, including government subsidies and intellectual property violations,” said IPC President and CEO John Mitchell. “But addressing unfair trade practices by ratcheting up tariffs is like using a sledgehammer to make orange juice. In both cases, it’s the wrong tool and makes a mess of the job.”

“We call on the governments of the United States and China to de-escalate the tariffs, focus on results at the negotiating table, and conclude agreements that address long-standing issues of concern to both sides,” Mitchell added. “We also call on all members of the World Trade Organization to restore that body’s ability to play its role as arbiter of international trade disputes, so that nations won’t feel a need to resort to tariffs to resolve trade disputes,” Mitchell said.