IPC today announced it has joined the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM) as part of its continuing efforts to help IPC members navigate the complex challenge of responsible minerals sourcing.

The EPRM is a multi-stakeholder partnership aiming to break the links between minerals extraction, conflict, and human rights violations and to increase the proportion of responsibly produced minerals in war-torn regions such central Africa and Colombia. The organization builds partnerships and shares knowledge about due diligence regarding four minerals – tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold – which are used in many electronic components in key sectors such as automobiles, health care, ICT, aerospace and defense. The group is especially focused on assisting small- and medium-sized enterprises with their due diligence requirements. 

The EPRM is preparing to launch an initiative in November called “Due Diligence Ready,” through which companies will be able to access information, tools, and training materials to prepare for a new EU regulation that is coming into effect on January 1, 2021.

IPC has been involved in the conflict minerals dialogue for years, representing electronics manufacturers in meetings and negotiations with policymakers; developing standards and guidance to promote industry compliance; and participating in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as it developed international guidance. The IPC Conflict Minerals Data Exchange standard is currently undergoing revisions to incorporate the OECD’s guidance, with a revised version expected in early 2020.

“IPC and its members deplore the violence and human rights abuses that are related to minerals extraction in some parts of the world, and we want to be part of the solution,” said Chris Mitchell, IPC’s vice president of global government relations. “At the same time, we are opposed to heavy-handed regulations that impose undue burdens on our members with little or no results to show for their efforts. This is why we have put so much effort into IPC’s conflict minerals task group and our global industry standard, which are the best sources of guidance for electronics manufacturers. Our new membership in the EPRM will provide another helpful resource for our members, especially those who do a significant amount of business in Europe.”  

“EPRM warmly welcomes IPC as a new EPRM member,” said Boukje Theeuwes, Chair of EPRM. “We are excited about the potential of IPC and its members to contribute to EPRM’s objective of increasing both the demand and supply of responsibly produced minerals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas. We will join forces to increase knowledge and implementation of due diligence in international supply chains, and support companies in the journey of responsible mineral sourcing. We are looking forward to a fruitful cooperation with IPC and its member companies.”  

The 2019 IPC Hand Soldering Competition Japan concluded at NEPCON Japan in Nagoya September 20, celebrating the outstanding skills and professional achievements of talented manufacturing floor workers. Thirty-two competitors from renowned companies such as Panasonic, Mitsubishi Electronics, Advantest, NEC Space Technology and others participated in the event.

After eight rounds of intense competition, Shota Kawano, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, was named regional champion. Kawano will represent Japan at the IPC Hand Soldering World Championship at productronica in Munich, Germany in November. Second place went to Moe Nishiduma, Advantest Corporation, followed by Kazuya Ganeko, Mitsumine Denshi, who took third place.

“The IPC Hand Soldering Competition highlights the skills of the best hand soldering talent in the world,” said Dave Bergman, vice president, IPC standards and training. “The competition provides members of the electronics industry a chance to demonstrate their know-how to their customers as well as to champion and reward their skilled workers internally. Hand soldering competitions foster a successful work dynamic, fully compliant with stringent IPC requirements, on their manufacturing floor. We thank our sponsors, Japan Unix, JBC, Nihon Superior and SMIC for supporting this exciting event.”

For more information on upcoming IPC hand soldering competitions, visit www.ipc.org/events.

Third-quarter 2019 results from IPC’s Pulse of the Electronics Industry global data service show that the global electronics industry continues to thrive in a positive business environment and still predicts continued growth over the next year. The results are somewhat less optimistic than in earlier quarters this year and there are some sharp contrasts between regions.

The industry’s view of the current direction of the business environment worldwide remained positive this quarter but just barely. The composite score on the current state fell to its lowest level since the Pulse survey began in mid-2017.

Most participating companies reported the current direction for sales, orders and order backlogs as moving in a positive direction but with less strength than in previous quarters. Meanwhile, while rising labor and material costs and recruiting challenges continued to affect the business environment negatively. Yet, some regional results deviated from that pattern this quarter. Ease of recruiting, which has typically had a negative impact on the current business environment, is now having a net positive impact according to participating companies in Asia. The direction of profit margins has been positive for most segments this year, but it shifted to a mildly negative factor this quarter for companies in the Americas, indicating that margins are shrinking. 

The companies’ average outlook for the next six months remains solidly positive on a global level but has weakened since the beginning of 2019. Europe is the only region reporting a net negative composite score on the industry’s six-month outlook. In the six-month outlook for Asia, only exports were rated as a negative driver this quarter, due to the trade war between China and the U.S.

The 12-month business outlook as of third quarter 2019 remains strong globally, with 87 percent of responding companies indicating a positive outlook. Only Europe reported a mixed outlook, reflecting the current uncertainty about the impact of Brexit and the region’s slowing economic growth.

Respondents comment every quarter on the trends or conditions that are driving or limiting their business growth and where they are seeing significant cost increases. Based on this quarter’s comments, economic and market demand growth is the main driver of their sales growth. Of the conditions limiting growth, the number-one driver is workforce issues, followed closely by tariffs and regulatory issues. The component shortage still gets a few mentions, but it appears to have eased. The industry’s biggest concern about rising costs is in recruiting, training and labor costs, followed closely by tariffs and trade-related costs.

The fourth-quarter 2019 survey will be online October 1 with a deadline of October 18. The confidential survey is brief and easy to answer for company executives with broad knowledge of their companies’ performance. All eligible participants who complete the survey by the deadline will receive the report on the findings. More information is at www.ipc.org/IndustryData.

IPC announced today the August 2019 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Sales and order growth rebounded in August and the book-to-bill ratio strengthened to 1.02.

Total North American PCB shipments in August 2019 were up 0.6 percent compared to the same month last year. Year-to-date sales growth as of August remained positive at 7.4 percent. Compared to the preceding month, August shipments increased 11.4 percent.

PCB bookings in August increased 7.6 percent year-over-year, pulling year-to-date order growth up to 1.9 percent. Bookings in August were up 19.8 percent from the previous month.

“After a lack-luster summer for the North American PCB industry, the August results brought welcome news,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “Sales and order growth have both returned to positive territory and orders outpaced sales, which brought the book-to-bill ratio back to the positive range after a three-month slump. Recent book-to-bill ratios indicate the probability of flattening sales growth but with some hope for positive growth rates 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.

IPC, in conjunction with What’s New in Electronics Live and ART-- Advanced Rework Technology Ltd., conducted the IPC Hand Soldering Competition in Warwickshire, United Kingdom, on September 18-19, 2019. Twenty competitors demonstrated their soldering skills with the hope of winning the coveted hand soldering competition crown.

Participants were tasked with building a functional electronics assembly with more than 400 components, within a 60-minute time limit. The completed assembly was judged not only on speed of completion, but on workmanship, overall functionality and compliance with IPC-A-610G Class 3 criteria. Taking first place with a cash prize of £300 and new soldering stations from JBC and Hakko was Justyna Mikolajczyk, Zettlex. Mikolajczyk, who completed a functional board in 52 minutes and 42 seconds, and earned 440 points out of a possible 445, is eligible to compete at the IPC Hand Soldering World Championship at productronica in Munich this November.

Second place went to Phillip Smith, CIL, who completed his board in 60 minutes, earning 421 points. Smith, a former UK champion in hand soldering, received a cash prize of £200.

Third place went to Przemyslaw Marzalek, MSF Technologies, who completed his board in 56 minutes, 30 seconds, earning him 405 points and a cash prize of £100. Przemyslaw was the UK Champion last year and competed for the world championship title at the World Championship held at IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego, Calif earlier this year.

“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: JBC, Hakko, Thalès, Optilia, The Daylight Company, NCAB, Almit, Electrolube, Zestron, and ART-Advance Rework Technology Ltd. For their support.”

All 2019 regional winners will take their hand soldering skills to the IPC Hand Soldering World Championship which will be held at productronica in Munich on November 14-15. For more information on upcoming IPC hand soldering competitions, visit www.ipc.org/events.

IPC’s 2019 Annual Report on the North American PCB Industry, published last week, shows that the PCB industry in North America has turned a corner. For the first time in five years, domestic PCB production grew in 2018. North America’s PCB market also grew last year by nearly eight percent, solidifying the turnaround that began in 2017.

Other key findings include the breakdown of vertical markets for PCBs, showing that PCBs for military and aerospace, and medical devices and instrumentation markets make up the lion’s share of both rigid PCB and flexible circuit markets in North America.

The report contains current estimates of PCB domestic production value from Prismark Partners and shows historical trends in the size and growth of PCB markets. Data from IPC’s North American PCB Statistical Program cover 2018 sales and order growth by board type and company size tier, vertical market sizes, prototype sales growth and percentages of PCBs with special technologies including RF, metal core and embedded components. Other industry data include revenue per employee, capacity utilization, production capacity expansion and planned 2019 expansion, inventory turns and lead times.

PCB fabricators use this annual report to see what product types are gaining or declining in the marketplace, update estimates of their market share and compare their business performance to industry averages. For PCB industry suppliers and customers, the PCB market is a useful gauge of trends and growth in electronics manufacturing.

The 2019 Annual Report on the North American PCB Industry, priced at $450 for IPC members and $900 for nonmembers, is available for download in IPC’s online store. Information about IPC market research reports and services is at www.ipc.org/market-research-reports.

Exhibitor booth space at the third annual M-EXPO Wire Processing Technology 2019 in Ciudad Juárez, México, is sold out and wait-list applications are being accepted.

M-EXPO 2019 has more than doubled its event space from 2018 and has exceeded expectations by selling out the exhibit space a month before the event. This year’s event is being held on October 9-11, 2019 at the Cuatro Siglos Convention Center, co-locating with the ninth annual EXPO-MRO.

Featuring  nearly 50 exhibitors showcasing the latest equipment, tools, materials and technologies within the wire and cable industry, exhibitors include Komax, Schleuniger, Cirris, HellermannTyton, HST, Identco, Immsa, Lakes Precision, Lone Star, Schaefer Megomat, IPC/WHMA, Wiring Harness News, BiTech, Cami, Curti, Schunck, Ricardo & Barbosa, and many more. Check the M-EXPO website for the full exhibitor list.

In addition to the sold-out exhibit space, the show sponsored by IPC/WHMA, includes an exciting lineup of conferences and training sessions:

Presentations are open to everyone at no additional cost. Since seating is limited, advance registration is advised. For more information on M-EXPO or to register, visit www.mexpowire.com.

For companies interested in being added to M-EXPO exhibitor wait list , contact Ricardo Aguirre at 915-304-4291 or contact.us@mexpowire.com.

IPC offers a day-long technical education seminar, Design for Excellence (DFX): DFM (Design for Manufacturing) DFR (Design for Reliability) DFA (Design for Assembly), in conjunction with PCB Carolina November 12, Raleigh, N.C., at the McKimmon Conference and Training Center.

Providing a comprehensive review of pitfalls that can occur in assembly and how they often have a direct link to design, the seminar will be led by instructor Dale Lee, senior staff DFX strategy engineer, Plexus Corporation.

Geared toward designers, manufacturing/process engineers, quality and reliability engineers, and managers or technicians involved in the design, fabrication, assembly or testing of printed board assemblies, attendees will learn:

• The effect of bare board choices on function and reliability of assembly
• How PCB design complexity impacts on fabrication costs and reliability
• Limitations of industry standards
• PCB design effects on assembly: thermal balance, trace routing, via interconnection, Z-axis TCE
• Impacts of component and PCB warpage/flatness on yields and reliability
• Impacts of design on process control issues; paste volume, SMT and PTH thermal shock, reflow warpage

 “There is a direct connection between the design of a device and complications that may occur in the assembly process,” said Brook Sandy-Smith, IPC technical conference program manager. “This course will shine a light on those opportunities for improvement, taught by a distinguished expert in the field.”

For more information on Design for Excellence (DFX): DFM (Design for Manufacturing) DFR (Design for Reliability) DFA (Design for Assembly) or to register, visit www.ipc.org/DfX-workshop.

The IPC Electronics Materials Forum is a new technical conference focused on developments in materials and processes associated with advanced electronics assembly and manufacturing for board fabrication, assembly and post-assembly protection. The three-day forum, to be held November 5-7 in Bloomington, Minn. Will be co-located with a Pb-free Electronics Risk Management (PERM) Council meeting.

Geared toward engineers and managers that procure materials or seek an understanding of advancements in materials for the board, assembly, components and protective layers, the IPC Electronics Materials Forum will emphasize the emerging technologies that challenge the existing materials set. Interactive panels and networking opportunities will provide attendees an open forum to discuss solutions to challenges.

The Forum will feature a keynote by Lenora Clark, director, autonomous driving and safety technology for MacDermid Alpha Automotive, who will present insights into all aspects of electronics, uniting circuitry, semiconductor and assembly solutions to support future automotive market needs.

“You can envision many future technologies, but you cannot create them without materials and processes to manufacture them,” said Brook Sandy-Smith, technical conference program manager. “Emerging technologies that challenge our existing materials set will inform the developments needed for the future, and we have an impressive lineup of speakers, including Lenora Clark as our keynote, at IPC Electronics Materials Forum to lead the way.”

More than 20 companies will be represented at the Forum, including Continental Automotive Systems, Averatak, Calumet Electronics, Indium, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, among others.

Topics to be presented include:

• Semi-additive processes for high density interconnect
• Additive textile manufacturing for electrical connections
• SIR test method for underfill reliability in automotive electronics
• Digitization of organic electronics information: Materials, manufacturing and devices
• Reliable and cost-effective nickel-free solutions for high-frequency/high-density applications
• Evaluation of PCB through hole plating, drill, and desmear quality for new laminate materials
• Trends and developments in electronic protection materials

For more information about the IPC Electronics Materials Forum or to register, visit www.ipc.org/Materials-Forum-2019.

B. Gentry Lee, chief engineer for the Solar System Exploration Directorate at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and successful science fiction writer, will present his keynote address, “A Passion for Space Exploration,” at the WHMA 27th Annual Wire Harness Conference, February 19, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nevada. During his keynote presentation, Lee will talk about the highlights of his exploration career and touch on the role of wires and harnesses on the most memorable spacecraft.

Responsible for the engineering integrity of all robotic planetary missions managed by JPL for NASA, Lee provided engineering oversight for the Curiosity rover mission to Mars in 2012, the Dawn mission to the asteroids Vesta and Ceres, the Juno mission to Jupiter and the GRAIL missions to the Moon. Previously, Lee provided oversight and guidance for the engineering aspects of the Phoenix and twin rover missions to Mars, as well as NASA’s successful Deep Impact and Stardust missions.

Recipient of the Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement and their Distinguished Service Medal from NASA, Lee received the Harold Masursky Award from the American Astronomical Society, the Al Seiff Memorial Award from the International Planetary Probe Workshop, and the Simon Ramo Medal by the IEEE for “career excellence in engineering.”

“Not only has Mr. Lee’s made outstanding contributions to solar system exploration, but his work as a science fiction novelist, futurist, computer product designer and lecturer have significantly enhanced science literacy,” said David Bergman, WHMA executive director. “We are thrilled to welcome him to WHMA and we look forward to his keynote speech. With the recent discovery of thousands of planets orbiting around other stars, it allows keynote participants to truly question, are we alone in the universe?”   

For more information on conference including schedule, speaker profiles or to register for event, visit http://annualconference.whma.org.