IPC announced today the June 2019 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Sales growth in June remained positive while bookings slipped and the book-to-bill ratio returned to parity at 1.00.

Total North American PCB shipments in June 2019 were up 5.5 percent compared to the same month last year. Year-to-date sales growth as of June was 11.0 percent. Compared to the preceding month, June shipments increased 10.7 percent.

PCB bookings in June decreased 5.9 percent year-over-year, bringing year-to-date order growth down to 2.4 percent. Bookings in June were up 3.2 percent from the previous month.

“The North American PCB industry continues to enjoy sales growth but at a slowing pace,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “Order growth has also slowed, with the year-over-year growth rate dipping into negative territory in June for the third time this year. Declining order growth has put downward pressure on the book-to-bill ratio. The fact that the ratios have been at or near parity in recent months indicates that sales growth is likely to slow in the second half of the year.”

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


Note: The November 2018 and January 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 second-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-August. 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.

The Trump administration is praising IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries® and several of its member companies for their efforts to expand the skilled workforce.  

On Thursday afternoon, an IPC group will take part in a White House event marking the first anniversary of President Trump’s Executive Order to develop a national strategy to expand the skilled workforce. The event will take stock of the progress made under that executive order and the related Pledge to America’s Workers, which called on private sector companies to step up their workforce upskilling efforts.

IPC responded to the President’s challenge by reviewing its education programs and seeking ways to grow and innovate. As a result, IPC last October joined in the pledge and made a commitment to create 1 million new skilled workforce opportunities over five years. Since then, IPC has made unprecedented, multi-million-dollar investments in its already-extensive educational programs, including trainings and valuable certifications for adult workers; new university chapters and electronics courses; new curricula and outreach aimed at students in middle and high school; and establishing the IPC Education Foundation, which prepares students for rewarding careers by supplying learning opportunities focused on electronics manufacturing and improving the perception of manufacturing as a stable and well-paid sector.

In recognition of the industry’s efforts, employees and executives from four IPC member companies were invited to attend Thursday’s White House event: Calumet Electronics of Calumet, Mich.; STI Electronics of Madison, Ala.; TTM Technologies of Santa Ana, Cal.; and Zentech Manufacturing  of Baltimore, Md.  

Audra Thurston, a 23-year-old employee of Calumet Electronics who will be at the White House event and is one of the youngest engineers in the industry, says, “The average age in the U.S. printed circuit board industry is 50 years old. So, I’m proud to work for a company that recognizes the need to recruit and retain younger engineers, including women, to help us stay on the cutting edge.” In the months since Calumet joined in the President’s pledge, Audra has attended a class on printed circuit board manufacturing at Michigan Technological University where IPC, with the help of Calumet, has formed a student chapter with more than 20 students. She also is working as part of a team that is developing an advanced microelectronics capability that would help it compete more aggressively in markets around the world.

Adds David Raby, president and CEO, STI Electronics, “As an IPC-member company, STI is proud to support IPC and the Trump Administration in the effort to expand training and career opportunities for American students and workers. We are determined to close the skills gap by providing technical training that will keep our industry competitive.”

On Tuesday, Chris Pilkerton, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), visited the Calumet factory in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula region, and he took part in a roundtable discussion at Michigan Tech on workforce issues that affect the U.S. electronics industrial base. Participants including Colette Buscemi, senior director of IPC education programs, and Chris Mitchell, vice president, IPC global government relations, discussed what must be done by business, government, and other organizations to provide the right kinds of educational opportunities at all levels, from K-12 through college and career.

“IPC applauds the Trump administration for bringing together the public and private sectors to help today's workers thrive in the modern workforce,” says IPC President and CEO John Mitchell. “The national dialogue between the White House and the business sector has accelerated workforce readiness efforts, with more and more employers, workers, universities, and others getting involved. For our part, IPC is taking a holistic approach to cultivating skilled workers at all levels, from K-12 through college and career. Our education and credentialing programs are already creating opportunities for approximately 100,000 adults every year, and we are continuing to expand our efforts.”

More resources are available: The White House event will be live-streamed on the White House website. IPC can offer interviews, photos, and more background on these events and topics. Information is available on the websites of IPC (for adult education programs) and the IPC Educational Foundation (for programs aimed at grades K-12).

The Trump administration today is recognizing IPC member Calumet Electronics in Calumet, Michigan, for its efforts to expand its skilled workforce.  

This morning, Chris Pilkerton, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), is visiting Calumet Electronics in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to walk the factory floor and learn about the manufacturing process for printed circuit boards (PCBs) used in aerospace, defense, power grid, medical, industrial controls and other commercial products. Later he will take part in a roundtable discussion at Michigan Technological University, focusing on workforce issues that affect the U.S. electronics industrial base. Participants including Colette Buscemi, senior director of IPC education programs and Chris Mitchell, vice president, IPC global government relations, will focus on what must be done by businesses, governments, and other organizations to provide the technical education opportunities at all levels, from K-12 through college and career.

Calumet Electronics is a 100% “Made in America” PCB manufacturer that is actively engaged in reskilling its workforce for advanced manufacturing technologies. The company was an early participant in the President’s “Pledge to America’s Workers,” which calls on companies and trade groups to expand skilled workforce programs. In its local area, Calumet supports impactful workforce-development programs including the Calumet High School CopperBots robotics team; the Copper Country Intermediate School District Career and Technical Education (CTE) program; and the Michigan Technological University’s Electrical Engineering Department, where Calumet recently helped create the first PCB fabrication course in 20 years.

Calumet is also working to adopt advanced microelectronics manufacturing techniques that could allow the company and other domestic PCB shops to leapfrog offshore competition.

Audra Thurston, a 23-year-old process engineer who joined the company one year ago, says, “The average age in the U.S. printed circuit board industry is 50 years old. So, I’m proud to work for a company that recognizes the need to recruit and retain younger engineers, including women, to help us stay on the cutting edge.” In the months since Calumet joined in the President’s pledge, Audra has attended the PCB class at Michigan Tech and worked as part of the team developing the advanced microelectronics capability.

Todd Brassard, vice president and chief operating officer of Calumet Electronics, says, “We are proud to support President Trump’s Pledge to the American Worker. In our community, we are fulfilling this pledge by working with high schools, youth programs, CTE programs, and hands-on university courses. Inside the company, we are focusing on careers rather than jobs, getting young people excited about electronics manufacturing, and solving problems within our industry.”

“IPC applauds the Trump administration for bringing together the public and private sectors to help today's workers thrive in the modern workforce,” says IPC President and CEO John Mitchell. “The national dialogue between the White House and the business sector has accelerated workforce readiness efforts, with more and more employers, workers, universities, and others getting involved. For our part, we know the difference we're making in workers lives through our education and credentialing programs, and we’re continuing to expand our efforts.”

On Thursday, the White House is convening an event on the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s Executive Order to develop a national strategy to expand the skilled workforce in key industries. IPC strongly supports such efforts and, since joining in the President’s pledge, has made unprecedented, multi-million-dollar investments in its already-extensive educational programs, including trainings and valuable certifications for adult workers; new university chapters and electronics courses; and new curricula and outreach efforts aimed at students in middle and high school. The White House event will be attended by employees and executives from five IPC member companies: Calumet Electronics (including Audra Thurston, noted above); Summit Interconnect of Anaheim, California; STI Electronics of Madison, Alabama; TTM Technologies of Santa Anna, California; and Zentech Manufacturing of Baltimore, Maryland.  

More resources available: IPC can offer interviews, photos, and more background on these events and topics. Online information is available on the websites of IPC (for adult education programs) and the IPC Educational Foundation (for programs aimed at grades K-12).  

Each year, IPC APEX EXPO features industry’s most dynamic, innovative minds to deliver keynote presentations that are both educational and entertaining. IPC APEX EXPO 2020 will feature aerospace entrepreneur and Virgin Galactic spacecraft designer Burt Rutan. During the opening keynote on February 4, Rutan will present, “SpaceShipOne: A New Era in Commercial Space Travel and Inspiration for Innovation and the New Race for Space.”

Described by Newsweek as “the man responsible for more innovations in modern aviation than any living engineer,” Rutan is a bold visionary with a passion for the advancement of technology. He founded the aerospace research firm Scaled Composites and was named one of “the world’s 100 most influential people” by TIME in 2005. Rutan designed the legendary Voyager, the first aircraft to circle the world nonstop without refueling. He also created SpaceShipOne, the world’s first privately funded spacecraft, which won the $10 million Ansari X Prize, offered in an effort to spur the development of affordable space tourism.

Rutan is currently working on two projects: the Stratolaunch — part airplane, part spaceship, and the SkiGull, an amphibious aircraft that runs on the same gas we use for cars and boats. In business, Rutan believes that the best ideas come from the collaborative efforts of small, closely-knit project teams and an environment not limited by adversity to risk. He’ll inspire IPC APEX EXPO keynote attendees with his vision on creativity, innovation and managers’ tasks to motivate a creative team.

Rutan’s opening keynote is free to all registered IPC APEX EXPO attendees. The conference and exhibition will run February 4–6, 2020. For more information, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org.

In recognition of his ongoing leadership in developing and promoting IPC standards on a global basis, IPC bestowed a Dieter Bergman IPC Fellowship Award upon David Adams, Collins Aerospace, at IPC SummerCom on June 17.

This recognition is given to individuals who have fostered a collaborative spirit, made significant contributions to standards development, and have consistently demonstrated a commitment to global standardization efforts and the electronics industry and embody the work ethic and spirit of the late Dieter Bergman, an industry pioneer and icon. Award recipients are eligible to bestow the Dieter Bergman Memorial Scholarship upon the university or college of his/her choice. Adams’s selection was the Pennsylvania State University College of Engineering.

Adams has supported IPC’s standardization efforts for more than 20 years and has served on nearly three dozen IPC committees, including serving as vice chair of the 5-24C Solder Alloy Task Group.

“For more than two decades, Dave has generously shared his knowledge and experience, guiding many task groups and new IPC members on the standards development and revision process. If you have a question, he will spend all the time you need to explain it to you, and he takes a sincere interest in the people around him,” said David Bergman, IPC vice president of standards and technology. “He has always been one to go the extra mile – volunteering to be on A-teams, filling in for absent chairs or co-chairs, and helping countless newcomers learn the ropes. IPC and the entire electronics industry are fortunate to have Dave volunteer his time and expertise to IPC standards and program development. His work has enriched both the industry and IPC and we are thankful for his dedication,” Bergman added.

For more information on the Dieter Bergman IPC Fellowship Award, contact Sandy Gentry, IPC communications director, at +1 847-597-2871 or SandyGentry@ipc.org.

IPC announced today the May 2019 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Sales and order growth in May remained positive, but the book-to-bill ratio dipped below parity to 0.99.

Total North American PCB shipments in May 2019 were up 5.6 percent compared to the same month last year. Year-to-date sales growth as of May was 12.3 percent. Compared to the preceding month, May shipments increased 2.5 percent.
PCB bookings in May increased 5.6 percent year-over-year, bringing year-to-date order growth to 4.3 percent. Bookings in May were up 0.5 percent from the previous month.

“Although sales and order growth continued in May for the North American PCB industry, slowing order growth rates pushed the book-to-bill ratio below parity,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research.” This was the first time since January 2017 that the industry registered a book-to-bill ratio below parity (1.00). “Recent ratios hovering around parity indicate continued but slower growth in the coming months.” she added.

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


Note: The November 2018 and January 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 second-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-August. 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.

The electronics industry supports many of the U.S. EPA’s proposed changes to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) requirements and will continue to work with the agency to protect human health and the environment while streamlining reporting requirements.  

In comments filed at the agency, IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries says the proposed TSCA CDR rule offers regulatory relief for printed circuit board fabricators whose manufacturing byproducts are subsequently recycled offsite, a longtime goal of the association. Given IPC’s longstanding record of engaging with the EPA on CDR, “we would have liked to see the scope of our concerns better addressed,” IPC says. “However, the prospect of improvements to CDR … provides an outline for future relief that can address the scope of our concerns.”

For example, IPC supports efforts to better align reporting requirements under both TSCA and the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program. IPC also supports the proposed use of NAICS codes to enable industry-specific analyses that will improve uniformity and comparability.

IPC also is requesting clarification from the EPA about how the data are used, given that the byproducts, all of which are directed to recycling at facilities within the U.S., are typically managed in pipes, tanks, and containers with little or no chance of exposure to workers or the general public; and that none of the chemicals in the byproducts are listed on the EPA’s 2014 update to the TSCA Work Plan for Chemical Assessments.

“We appreciate EPA’s decision to address the electronics industry’s concerns in the proposed CDR rule, as well as the agency’s willingness to continue a dialogue with us to better align the reporting burden with other EPA programs and with the minimal environmental and human health risks resulting from our members’ activities,” said Kelly Scanlon, IPC director of EHS policy and research.

IPC presented Committee Leadership, Special Recognition and Distinguished Committee Service Awards on Monday, June 17 at IPC’s SummerCom Standards Development Committee Meetings in Raleigh, N.C. The awards were presented to individuals who made significant contributions to IPC and the industry by lending their time and expertise in the development of electronics manufacturing standards.

For their leadership of the IPC-TR-587, Conformal Coating Material and Application “State of the Industry” Assessment Report, Dave Hillman, Collins Aerospace; Jason Keeping, Celestica; Doug Pauls, Collins Aerospace; and Linda Woody, LWC Consulting, earned a Committee Leadership Award. For his contributions to IPC-TR-587, a Special Recognition Award was given to Ross Wilcoxon, Collins Aerospace. A Distinguished Committee Service Award was presented to Jim Blanche, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center; Ben Gumpert, Lockheed Martin Missile & Fire Control; Eric Harenburg, Boeing Company; Gary Latta, SAIC; Stephen Meschler, BAE Systems; Paul Zutter, U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command; and Dave Pinsky, Raytheon Company, for their contributions to IPC-TR-587. Eddie Hofer, Collins Aerospace, accepted a Distinguished Committee Service Award on the behalf of Collins Aerospace Engineering Co-op Students who were instrumental in helping complete the report.

For their leadership of the 2-17 Connected Factory Initiative Subcommittee that developed IPC-2591, Connected factory Exchange (CFX), Marc Peo, Heller Industries Inc.; Jason Spera, Aegis Software; and Matt Kelly, IBM Corporation, earned a Committee Leadership Award. For their contributions to IPC-2591, Michael Ford, Aegis Software; Michael Kimpton, Fuji America Corporation; Anh Ngyuen, Creative Electron, Inc.; John Walls, Aegis Software; and Alexis Fouquet, Europlacer, earned a Special Recognition Award. A Distinguished Committee Service Award was presented to Marybeth Allen, KIC; Dan Bailey, Mentor Graphics (Ireland) Ltd; Tom Blaszczyk, Celestica International L.P.; Ranjan Chatterjee, Cimetrix Inc.; Michael Collier, Teledyne Leeman Labs; Michelle Gray, Aegis Software; JeongUk Jo, Hanwha Precision Machinery; Terry Liu, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.; Thomas Marktscheffel, ASM (Assembly Systems) GmbH & Co. KG; Mark Ogden, ASM Assembly Systems; Matt Orlowski, TE Connectivity; Hoon Park, Parmi USA, Inc.; John Pendlebury, Keysight Technologies; John Perotta, Europlacer North America; Cameron Shearon, Shearon-Consulting; Peter Wang, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.; Johnny Zhu, Vayo (Shanghai) Technology Co., Ltd.; Ian Barnes, TE Connectivity; Mark Bartholomew, Europlacer Ltd.; Tom Bergeron, KIC; Bill Cardoso, Creative Electron, Inc.; Gary Carter, ThingWeaver Solutions, LLC; Marie Cole, IBM Corporation; Rob DiMatteo, BTU International; David Fenton, Europlacer Ltd.; Brent Fischthal, Koh Young Technology; Nicholas Francheteau, Europlacer; Eric Huang, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.; Yusaku Kono, Japan Unix Co., Ltd.; Positive Lee, Hanwha Precision Machinery; Chee Young (Gary), ViTrox Technologies Sdn. Bhd.; Michael Lo, Foxconn; Kristen Mattson, BTU International; Markus Moeller, Viscom AG; Miles Moreau, KIC; Hoa Nguyen, OK International; Petko Petkov, Tempo Automation; Tony Picciola, Fuji America Corporation; Florian Ritter, ASYS Group; Carsten Salewski, Viscom Inc.; Neaven Seo, Keysight Technologies; Simon Smith, Pillarhouse International, Ltd.; Bill Thomas, FlexLink Systems, Inc.; Dror Trifon, Heller Industries Inc.; Marco van Oosterhout, Kulicke & Soffa Netherlands B.V.; Christopher Wimmer, Microscan Systems Inc.; and Roberto Yerba, Test Research Inc., for their contributions to IPC-2591.

Leaders of the Committee 2-19b, Trusted Supplier Task Group that developed IPC-1791-Am1, Trusted Electronic Designer, Fabricator and Assembler Requirements, William May, NSWC Crane and Richard Snogren, Bristlecone LLC, received a Committee Leadership Award. For their extraordinary contributions to IPC-1791-Am1, Peter Bigelow, IMI Inc.; Scott Bowles, L3 Fuzing and Ordnance Systems, Cincinnati; Don DuPriest, Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control; Dennis Fritz, Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control; Douglas Jeffery, Electrotek Corp.; Mark Kirkman, SAIC; Meredith LaBeau, Calumet Electronics Corp.; Thi Nguyen, Lockheed Martin Missile & Fire Control; Stephanie Richards, Labinal Salisbury; Marc Carter, SAIC; Chad Eckard, Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control; Aman Gahoonia, Defense Microelectronics Activity; Suriyakan Kleitz, Schlumberger Well Services; Kevin Kusiak, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company; Catherine Ortiz, Analytic Services Inc; Ethan Plotkin, GDCA, Inc.; David Reichert, DuPont; Douglas Schueller, AbelConn, LLC; Roger Smith, NSWC Crane; John Timler, SAIC; Stephen Tisdale, Tisdale Environmental Consulting LLC; and Steve Vetter, NSWC Crane, received a Distinguished Committee Service Award.

For their leadership of the 2-18K, Materials and Substances Declaration for the Aerospace, Defense, HE and Other Industries Task Group that developed IPC-1754 WAM 1, Materials and Substances Declaration for Aerospace and Defense and Other Industries, Walter Jager, ECD Compliance and Rick Shanks, Pratt & Whitney, earned a Committee Leadership Award.

For more information on these awards or the award recipients, contact Sandy Gentry, IPC communications director, at +1 847-597-2871.

IPC’s Emerging Engineer program provides professionals early in their careers an opportunity to learn from industry mentors about IPC Standards development, and to obtain education and training for professional development. IPC is now actively seeking applications for engineers and mentors for the 2023 Emerging Engineer program.

To be eligible to participate as an Emerging Engineer, professionals must have worked in the industry for less than 5 years or be a university student. Mentors must have worked in the industry for a minimum of 7 years and on an IPC committee for at least five years.

Emerging Engineers Receive:

• Education and mentoring for professional development
• Recognition for the program participant and his/her company – industry awareness
• Complimentary All-Access Package registration to IPC APEX EXPO, for three years (attendance required)
• Complimentary registration to IPC SummerCom featuring Panelpalooza (attendance not required)
• Limited number of University Student Emerging Engineers are eligible to receive reimbursement for travel, room, and incidentals.

Mentors Receive:

• Experiences and connections for career enrichment
• Opportunity to demonstrate leadership skills and technical expertise
• Recognition for program participant and his/her company – industry awareness
• Registration to recognition luncheons

“The IPC Emerging Engineer program gives new engineers a leg up early in their careers,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “And it enables industry experts a chance to share their knowledge and expertise with the next generation of engineers. We’re all working together to make our industry stronger.”

IPC is now accepting applications for the 2023 Emerging Engineer program and a limited number of university student positions are available. For more information, visit IPC Emerging Engineers - Plan for the Future | IPC International, Inc. To submit an application, send an e-mail to careerdevelopment@ipc.org. Deadline for applications is November 15, 2023.

IPC, the global trade association for the electronics industry, is applauding the U.S. House of Representatives for approving a measure that would promote research and development into the performance of lead-free electronics in high-reliability sectors such as aerospace, defense, automotive, and medical equipment. 

The House this week voted 327-101 to approve an amendment to the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Defense, State, Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 2740), offered by Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH) and Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), to “increase and decrease the defense-wide Research, Development, Test and Evaluation account by $5 million in order to support funding to develop lead-free defense electronics to ensure the defense industry can integrate cutting-edge civilian technology to meet military requirements.” The “increase-decrease” language is how Congress asks government agencies to find funds for specific requests within existing budget limits.

IPC is leading the advocacy effort to secure these funds because the aerospace, defense, and high performance (ADHP) electronics sectors remain reliant on lead-based solders and components even as the commercial sector has largely phased out the use of lead (Pb) due to human health and environmental concerns. ADHP products have more demanding performance requirements than consumer electronics because they need to perform flawlessly in harsh environments and in safety-related applications. However, to date, there has not been enough R&D on the performance and interoperability of Pb-free products in the ADHP sectors, which would be necessary to inform such a transition. DoD budget cuts within the last decade blocked a “Lead-Free Manhattan Project” from being completed, although some companies and universities continued to work on portions of the overall effort.  

IPC praised Reps. Kuster and Schneider for their leadership, as well as Reps. Pete Visclosky (D-IN), chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and Ken Calvert (R-CA), ranking minority member of the subcommittee, for facilitating the amendment’s passage.

“The Department of Defense’s reliance on lead-based electronics presents serious challenges for the Armed Forces’ ability to continue to integrate cutting-edge civilian technology into the systems that help keep Americans safe,” said Rep. Kuster. “I’m proud the House adopted my amendment, which will help the DoD partner with civilian groups to develop lead-free electronics that will help our Armed Forces accomplish their important missions.”

“Without research and investment, our defense industrial base will continue to face challenges incorporating newly developed technologies, which ultimately will adversely affect our military readiness,” said Rep. Schneider.

“Leaded electronics are vital to the reliability of aerospace, defense, and other high-performance sectors,” said IPC President and CEO John Mitchell. “However, the migration of the commercial industry to lead-free electronics has introduced technical and supply-chain concerns that can only be addressed through new R&D. The R&D that the House backed this week will ensure that DoD strengthens its access to cutting-edge electronics.”

IPC and a consortium from industry and academia are also working with leaders in the U.S. Senate to secure as much as $15 million for the R&D program in 2020, with legislative action expected there in July.

For more information, see this IPC Blog article or visit the website of the Pb-Free Electronics Risk Management (PERM) Council, which is housed at IPC.