You must be registered to access the full content of this site. To register, click here.
Part Search
IPC Releases March Book-to-Bill Ratios
Written by Tracy Heffner
Thursday, 03 May 2007
BANNOCKBURN, IL – IPC, Association Connecting Electronics Industries, announced the North American rigid PCB industry book-to-bill ratio for March 2007 moved up to 0.99 and the North American flexible circuit book-to-bill ratio jumped up to 1.18. The combined (rigid and flex) industry book-to-bill ratio in March 2007 reflected these gains, increasing to 1.00.
The ratios are based on monthly data collected from PCB producers that participate in IPC’s monthly PCB Statistical Program. They 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 the companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which indicates probable near-term growth.
Rigid PCB shipments are down 12.6% and bookings are down 23.7% in March 2007 from March 2006. Year to date, rigid PCB shipments are down 9% and bookings are down 20.8%. Compared to the previous month, rigid PCB shipments increased 9.3% and rigid bookings increased 6.4%.
Flexible circuit shipments in March 2007 were down 1.6% and bookings were up 41.7% compared to March 2006. Year to date, flexible circuit shipments are up 4.2% and bookings are up 21.4%. Compared to the previous month, flexible circuit shipments increased 25.8% and flex bookings were up 111.4%.
For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry shipments in March 2007 decreased 11.9% from March 2006, and orders booked decreased 19.9% from March 2006. Year to date, combined industry shipments are down 8.2% and bookings are down 18.7%. Compared to the previous month, combined industry shipments for March 2007 are up 10.3% and bookings are up 12.3%.
“Rigid PCB sales continued to grow in March, despite lower sales compared to last year,” said IPC President Denny McGuirk. “In flexible circuits, the continued decline in sales reflects a normal seasonal pattern. The book-to-bill ratio for all PCBs has once again reached parity after declining in late 2006. This reflects overall stability despite slower growth in the first quarter of 2007.”
The book-to-bill ratios and growth rates for rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined are heavily affected by the rigid PCB segment. Rigid PCBs represent an estimated 85% of the current PCB market in North America, according to IPC’s World PCB Production and Laminate Market Report for the Year 2005.
Need PCB prototypes fast?
Sunstone Circuits takes the pain out of prototyping! We are dedicated to making the online ordering of PCB prototypes simple, fast, and easy from quote to delivery. Quick access to our 24/7/365 customer service team and easy online order tracking takes the pain out of sourcing prototypes online.
Put us to the test - order Sunstone Circuits today!
PCB systems design teams face challenges with IP management and collaboration across multiple groups. This free Webinar highlights best practices that optimize these efforts across the design flow. Learn more!
CSP/BallNest Socket Provides Consistant Test and Burn-In
Aries Electronics introduces the CSP/BallNest Hybrid Socket for test or burn-in of chip scale package, ball grid array, microBGA, land grid array and prototyping. It can be used on any device having a pitch of 0.30 mm or larger. Features include a lid that nests each ball termination into the socket for a reliable connection and a four-point crown providing scrub on solder oxides. It has a signal path of 0.0777 inches and provides minimal signal loss for higher bandwidth capability. Estimated contact life is 500,000 cycles, and the socket is available in custom materials, sizes, configurations and platings. www.arieselec.com
News 
