BANNOCKBURN, IL – The IPC has released March findings from its monthly North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The IPC reports states that rigid PCB shipments were up 9.5% and bookings were up 16.2% in March 2008 as compared to March 2007. Year to date, rigid PCB shipments are up 4.9% and bookings are up 15.3%. Compared to the previous month, rigid PCB shipments increased 20.6% and rigid bookings increased 11.9%. The book-to-bill ratio for the North American rigid PCB industry in March 2008 returned to parity at 1.00.
Flexible circuit shipments in March 2008 were up 9.7% and bookings were down 29.5% compared to March 2007. Year to date, flexible circuit shipments are down 0.2% and bookings are down 17.2%. Compared to the previous month, flexible circuit shipments are up 26.0% and flex bookings rose 30.0%. The North American flexible circuit book-to-bill ratio increased to 0.99.
For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry shipments in March 2008 increased 9.5% from March 2007, and orders booked increased 11.2% from March 2007. Year to date, combined industry shipments are up 4.6% and bookings are up 12.5%. Compared to the previous month, combined industry shipments for March 2008 are up 21.0% and bookings are up 13.0%. The combined (rigid and flex) industry book-to-bill ratio in March 2008 moved up to 1.00.
“The book-to-bill ratio has returned to parity and March sales of PCBs in North America are up nearly 10% over last year,” said Denny McGuirk, IPC president . “Despite the current economic worries, these numbers look very encouraging.”
The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked by the value of sales billed during the same period. A ratio of greater than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next two to three months.
Book-to-bill ratios and growth rates are heavily affected by the rigid PCB segment, as rigid PCBs represent an estimated 88% of the current PCB market in North America, according to IPC.
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