In recognition of their leadership and contributions to IPC and the electronics industry within the past five years, IPC presented IPC Rising Star awards to Milea Kammer, Ph.D., Honeywell Aerospace; Matt Kelly, IBM;  Hans-Peter Tranitz, Ph.D., Continental Automotive, GmbH; and MaryAlice Gill, Jabil Circuit at IPC APEX EXPO 2019

The IPC Rising Star award is given to individuals who have shown significant leadership ability in the past five years, making an impact on IPC and the electronics industry because of their support for IPC standards, education, advocacy and solutions to industry challenges.

Dr. Milea Kammer, a materials engineering technical manager at Honeywell Aerospace, is the co-chair for the IPC J-STD-001 committee, and a regular contributor on the Pb-Free Electronics Risk Management (PERM) Council. She is driving the industry toward incorporation of new technology requirements and provides technical input for document creation and research studies.

Matt Kelly is a senior technical staff member and senior inventor with IBM Systems, Canada. Kelly currently serves on seven technical committees at IPC. He is currently is vice chair of the 5-21H Bottom Termination Components Task Group and co-chair of the 2-17 Connected Factory Initiative Subcommittee.

Hans-Peter Tranitz is head of backend technologies at Continental Automotive, GmbH, in Germany. Dr. Tranitz co-created the IPC 5-21M Cold Joining Press-fit Task Group where he serves as co-chair.

MaryAlice Gill works in the Jabal Circuit’s Nypro Consumer Health division Clothing+ team. She is an active member of both the IPC D-70 E-Textiles Committee and IPC D-60 Printed Electronics Committee. She serves as vice-chair of the IPC Printed Electronics Terms and Definitions Task Group and co-chair of the D-71: E-Textiles Joining and Interconnection Techniques Subcommittee.

“IPC is fortunate to have MaryAlice, Milea, Hans-Peter and Matt sharing their skills and expertise with us,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “Their input, knowledge and innovative approach is a benefit to IPC and to the industry at large.”

For more information on the IPC Rising Star Award and this year's award recipients, contact Sandy Gentry, IPC communications director, at +1 847-597-2871.

During its annual STEM Outreach program event at IPC APEX EXPO, IPC introduced the new IPC Education Foundation, a 501©(3) organization that will help students and the emerging workforce acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the electronics industry. The IPC Education Foundation focuses on strengthening and shaping the next generation of workers by preparing the talent pipeline, engaging the emerging workforce, improving the perception of the industry, and offering scholarships to deserving students.

The IPC Education Foundation is one of many investments IPC is making in electronics and training programs to address the skills gap in manufacturing. Members of IPC employ millions of individuals worldwide and are highly dependent on workers with technical skills. The Foundation will sponsor STEM programs closely related to the industry and develop global electronics-focused curricula accompanying industry recognized credentials such as certification and badge programs to engage high school and post-secondary students. The Foundation is currently developing curriculum and credentialing pilot programs oriented to high school students and Career Technical Education instructors for release later in 2019.

As part of the IPC Education Foundation, IPC is working with industry leaders to establish and fund an internationally recognized academic scholarship program. Scholarships will go to students interested in careers offered by the electronics industry and professional development grants will be awarded to teachers who support STEM education.

One of the Foundation’s major initiatives is the formation and expansion of a network of IPC Student Chapters at Universities and Community Colleges. Foundation staff are engaged in talks with several universities and have received commitments from the following schools to establish IPC Student Chapters, including Auburn, North Carolina State, Sacramento State, Central Carolina Community College, Gwinnett Technical College, and Michigan Technical University. IPC-member companies are also getting involved -- Calumet Electronics is underwriting the student membership fees at Michigan Tech University and Weller Apex Tool Group is supporting students at North Carolina State and Central Carolina.

“These IPC Student Chapters create opportunities for IPC members to connect with prospective job candidates and get them interested in our industry. IPC members can share information with students on the latest processes and how they were developed. Member sites can host plant tours, offer internships, and give students an inside look at the industry,” said Colette Buscemi, senior director of IPC education programs. “IPC Student Chapter members get the opportunity to connect their coursework with real-world applications, expand their professional network, and apply for scholarships and internships.”

Adds John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO, “Our mission is to introduce students to careers in our industry, and to prepare them with skills that will give them a boost as they enter the job market. We have begun our fundraising efforts and are actively seeking IPC members to take a lead role. Our goal is to award thousands of dollars in scholarships in 2019 and provide students with an understanding of the sophistication of today’s smart manufacturing environments and opportunities available for an emerging workforce with the proper skills.”

For more information on the IPC Education Foundation, contact Buscemi at ColetteBuscemi@ipc.org or visit www.ipcef.org.

IPC bestowed its highest corporate honors on two IPC member companies, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Naval Service Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane. During a luncheon at IPC APEX EXPO 2019, the Peter Sarmanian Corporate Recognition Award was presented to NSWC Crane and the Stan Plzak Corporate Recognition Award was presented to the NASA.

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

Members of IPC since 1985, NWSC Crane is one of Indiana’s largest high-tech employers with over 2,000 scientists, engineers and technicians. Located in Crane, Indiana, NSWC Crane is a shore command of the U.S. Navy. They provide the majority of the DoD's technical expertise supporting IPC standard development and maintenance related to printed boards and electronics assembly as well as serving as the oversight facility for the U.S. Navy's role as executive agent for printed circuit board technology.

IPC recognizes NSWC Crane’s legacy of engagement in technical standards as well as the value that NSWC Crane and the Department of Defense place on industry collaborations and the essential value of technical standards in supporting defense acquisition requirements,

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

NASA and its research, space and flight centers have been members of IPC since 1995. NASA is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Currently, more than three dozen NASA employees provide leadership and technical expertise on nearly 50 standards development committees on topics ranging from assembly and joining and wire harness design to space electronic assemblies and intellectual properties. Nearly 500 NASA staff members have earned CIT, CIS, CID, CID+, and EMS certifications across all NASA entities.

“We are privileged to have NWSC Crane and NASA Flight Centers as members of IPC,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “We benefit tremendously from their leadership, knowledge and expertise. Their involvement in IPC has directly contributed to IPC’s global growth in the electronics industry.”

The Nominating and Governance Committee of the IPC Board of Directors presented five candidates for election at the IPC Annual Meeting on January 29, held in conjunction with IPC APEX EXPO 2019 at the San Diego Convention Center. The five candidates were elected as Board members and will serve a four-year term.
The newly elected Board members are:

• Peter Cleveland, Vice President, Law and Policy Group & Director, Global Public Policy, Intel Corporation (second-term director)
• Foo-Ming Fu, Chairman and CEO, HaiNa Cognitive Connections the PCBA subsidiary of Foxconn (first-term director)
• Nilesh Naik, CEO, Eagle Circuits (second-term director)
• Carsten Salewski, Member of the Executive Board, Sales, Marketing and International Business, Viscom AG (first-term director)
• Jeff Timms, CEO, ASM Assembly Solutions Americas (second-term director)

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

In addition to holding Board elections, IPC honored outgoing Board members, Ray Sharpe; Mark Wolfe, John Deere Electronic Solutions; and Bhawnesh Mathur. Sharpe. Wolfe and Mathur were all honored for their nearly 10 years of service on the IPC Board of Directors.

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

In recognition and acknowledgement of his extraordinary contributions to IPC and the electronics industry, Leo Lambert, EPTAC Corporation, was presented with the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Award at IPC APEX EXPO on Tuesday, January 29 at the San Diego Convention Center. IPC’s most prestigious award, the Hall of Fame is given to individuals who have provided exceptional service and advancement to IPC and the electronics industry.

An active IPC volunteer and leader for IPC and the electronics manufacturing industry for more than 30 years, Lambert is the vice president and technical director at EPTAC Corporation. A graduate of BSME Lowell Technological Institute, now University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Lambert is an international expert on soldering and author of the text, “Soldering for Electronics Assemblies.”

An active participant in the Technical Activities Executive Committee (TAEC) and active contributor to the IPC J-STD-001 and Handbook, IPC-A-610 and IPC-AJ-820 Handbooks, IPC-A-600, IPC-6012 and IPC/WHMA-A-620, Lambert developed and wrote the first IPC-A-600 training program.

A former member of the Editorial Review board for Circuits Assembly magazine, Lambert also developed, published and conducted seminars on “Deadline to Lead Free” and “Thriving in a RoHS/WEEE Environment.” He published and presented numerous papers on soldering and cleaning at various technical seminars and exhibitions worldwide. In addition to being a past IPC chairman of many committees for soldering and cleaning, Lambert is a charter member on UNEP – the United Nations Environmental Program, a member of ICOLP – Industry Cooperative for Ozone Layer Protection, and a member of the mechanical engineering advisory board at the University of Massachusetts. He is also a recipient of the IPC President’s Award in 1989, a charter member of the IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 committees, and recipient of many distinguished committee service, leadership and special recognition awards for the development of IPC training programs.

“Leo’s contributions to IPC are immense and far-reaching,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “We are thrilled to present him with our highest honor to thank him for sharing his talents and expertise with IPC and the electronics industry.”

IPC announced today the December 2018 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Sales growth bounced back in December and remained solid for the year. The book-to-bill ratio also strengthened in December and stands at 1.05.

Total North American PCB shipments in December 2018 were up 7.7 percent compared to the same month last year. Shipment growth ended the year at 8.7 percent. Compared to the preceding month, December shipments increased 17.1 percent.

PCB bookings in December were down 3.1 percent year-over-year but bookings ended 2018 at 5.7 percent above the previous year. Bookings in December were up 26.3 percent from the previous month.

“Despite slowing PCB sales growth in North America in recent months, the industry ended the year well ahead of 2017,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “Although year-on-year PCB order growth was negative in December, order growth also remained positive for 2018. Despite declining orders and a related decline in the book-to-bill ratio,” Starr added, “the ratio bounced back in December. It has now been in positive territory for almost two years, which indicates a positive outlook for continued sales growth in the first half of 2019.”

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 fourth-quarter 2018 data from IPC’s PCB Statistical Program, will be available in February 2019. 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 announces unanimous ballot approval of IPC-2591, Connected Factory Exchange (CFX) by the 2-17 Connected Factory Initiative Subcommittee. The electronics industry now has an industry standard it can use to quickly and easily implement Industry 4.0 in its manufacturing operations. IPC plans to release the standard which includes open-source software in the weeks ahead.

IPC CFX offers tremendous value to electronics manufacturers. EMS companies can set up seamless data communication between all equipment on their lines and track production on all the equipment from any part of the world in real time. Machine vendors have one plug-and-play data communication solution for customers, reducing time and travel spent on customized programming for customers. OEMs can also utilize the standard to enhance real-time control of product quality, from board assembly to box build.

Because it is an industry standard, IPC CFX creates a level playing field for any company large or small to prepare for Industry 4.0 or to simply benefit from the machine-to-business data communication. The standard also was developed with simplicity in mind. Rather than days or even weeks required to implement new equipment into a line, IPC CFX can be loaded and fully workable in a matter of hours.

IPC CFX defines all three critical elements required for a true plug and play industrial IoT standard: a message protocol, an encoding mechanism and a specific content creation element. Its benefits are made possible without the need for middleware, delivering significant cost savings to the manufacturer as well as improved solution reliability.

David Bergman, vice president, IPC standards and training states, “The effect of IPC CFX on the industry 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 recognizes the strong contribution from all those involved in the creation of the standard from the beginning, drawn from a committee of many hundreds of industry equipment and technology vendors, who have been instrumental in this revolutionary step towards digital factory standards.”

For more information on IPC CFX, visit www.ipc-cfx.org.

IPC invites innovators, technologists, materials suppliers, electrical engineers and academicians to submit technical conference abstracts and educational course proposals for IPC E-TEXTILES 2019 to be held on Wednesday, September 11 in Philadelphia, Pa.

The second IPC conference for the e-textiles industry, IPC E-TEXTILES 2019 will provide a platform for presenters and their companies to promote their expertise in e-textiles to key electrical engineers, consumer product developers and fashion designers, health and medical suppliers, and managers from automotive and military/aerospace. 

Expert technical papers and presentations are being sought in the following areas:

• Reliability
• Test Methods
• Connectors
• Design
• Innovations in Materials
• Mass Production
• Washability
• Market-specific E-Textiles Technologies (Automotive, Military, Consumer Wearables, etc.)

An approximate 300-word technical conference abstract summarizing original and previously unpublished work covering case histories, research and discoveries must be submitted. The submission should describe significant results from experiments and case studies, emphasize new techniques, discuss trends of interest and contain appropriate technical test results.

In addition, course proposals are solicited from individuals interested in presenting half-day (three-hour) professional development courses on e-textiles design, manufacturing processes and materials.

Technical conference paper abstracts and course proposals are due April 10, 2019. To submit an abstract or course proposal, e-mail Chris Jorgensen, IPC’s director of technology transfer, at ChrisJorgensen@ipc.org.