SHANGHAI -- The PCB industry in China grew 9.6% in 2017 and a gradual shift of production capacity to China has increased demand for flex circuits, resulting in 39% growth in revenue on equipment and materials and 94% growth in profit.

That's according to CPCA Chairman You Lei, who made the remarks during the opening ceremony of CPCA Show 2018 last month.

China’s industrial reform has turned to focus on manufacturing, and funding is no longer a limiting factor, CPCA said. The diversification of financing methods will help enterprises reduce operating costs and expand capacity, the trade group added, noting 11 PCB companies went public in 2017, a record high for the domestic industry.

In recent years, China's PCB industry has shifted investment toward the central Jiangxi and Hubei areas. CPCA is actively promoting the landing plan for smart manufacturing to take root in all the industries. CPCA is drafting a PCB equipment communication protocol specification and collecting industry feedback on it.

This is an era of smart manufacturing, Chairman You Lei stated, and construction of a complete smart factory network will release tremendous value for the enterprises. Following the development of enterprises in unmanned and automation fields, software design companies are paying more and more attention to cooperation with the industry.

Looking ahead this year, the industry still faces the challenges of upstream raw material pressure, worker shortages, and severe environmental protection issues. However, it is optimistic that in the coexistence era of opportunities and challenges, the presence of IoT, high capital operation, and smart manufacturing will render the Chinese PCB industry a good chance to be stronger, better and bigger.

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