BANNOCKBURN, IL – Data on OEMs’ use of emerging technologies showed more than half of those surveyed are currently making products that communicate with the Internet of Things, and 75% make products that depend on sensor inputs, according to IPC’s new global study, PCB Technology Trends 2018.

By 2023, more than half of the reporting OEMs expect at least some of their products to incorporate artificial intelligence, and more than a third expect to make products that interface with humans via neural networks.

IPC’s survey-based study shows how PCB manufacturers are meeting today’s technology demands and looks at the changes expected by 2023 that will affect the industry.

Based on data from 74 companies worldwide, the 213-page report presents data on PCB technology and OEMs’ PCB requirements as of 2018, as well as OEMs’ use of emerging technologies. Predictions from both industry segments indicate what these measurements are expected to be five years into the future.

Regional differences emerged on the use of blind vias, which are more commonly specified by OEMs in North America and Europe than in Asia. The use of stacked vias by PCB fabricators is also more prevalent in Asia today, but fabricators in all regions expect the use of stacked vias to grow, displacing staggered vias. Asian PCB fabricators are also leading the way in the use of printed electronics, which is expected to grow in all regions by 2023.

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