KIRKLAND, QUEBEC -- Flexible printed circuit board sales are projected to exceed $16 billion by 2015, a new research study predicts.

Rapid technological changes, increasing miniaturization, complexity and portability in various sectors such as telecommunications, industrial packaging, medical, and automotive sectors are expected to drive demand for flexible circuits, Electronics.ca Publications says.

Flexible printed circuits serve a wide range of demanding applications. The physical characteristics of flexible circuits such as lesser thickness, lesser weight and the ability to take any forms, besides reliability and functionality, are driving their use in various innovative end-use applications.

Asia-Pacific represents the largest as well as the fastest growing market worldwide for flexible printed circuit boards, as stated by the new market research report on flexible printed circuit boards. Japan is the second largest market for flexible printed circuit boards.

Communications continues to be the largest end-use market for flexible printed circuit boards worldwide. Demand from the segment is being spurred by growing demand for mobile phones. Increasing global demand for mobile phones in recent years led to substantial demand for flex circuits. Demand also spawned from increasing number of flexible circuits per mobile phone unit. However, consumer electronics is expected to emerge as the fastest growing end-use market for flex PCBs worldwide.

Major players include 3M, Career Technology (MFG.), Flexible Circuit Technologies, Fujikura, Innovex, MFS Technology, Molex Inc., Multi-Fineline Electronix (M-Flex), Multek, Nippon Mektron, Nitto Denko, Northpoint Technologies, Sony, Si Flex, Shindo Electric, and Sumitomo Bakelite.

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