IPC’s PCB Technology Trends Study Underway, PCB Fabricator Survey Open Until July 13

IPC launched a global survey of printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturers in the electronics industry this week. This confidential survey is part of a global data collection effort for the development of IPC’s 2018 PCB Technology Trends study. The deadline for PCB fabricator survey responses is July 13.

The goal of the survey is to measure current technical capabilities of the PCB industry and the potential for expanded capabilities over the next five years. The survey covers technical capabilities, including board types, layer counts, thickness, line width and spacing, aspect ratios, I/O pitch, thermal properties, frequency, reliability, materials and finishes. Respondents may answer the questions that relate to their type of product, focusing on one specific end-use application: automotive, communications, computers and business equipment, consumer, defense and aerospace, industrial, or medical and instrumentation.

PCB fabricator participation is crucial to the success of this project, which will provide valuable guidance to the electronics supply chain to meet the current and future needs of PCB fabricators and electronics OEMs.

A global survey of OEMs was launched earlier this month to collect data on their current technical requirements, product planning involving emerging technologies, and forecasts of PCB specifications over the next five years. Together the data on PCB capabilities and OEM specifications will produce detailed aggregate data on the current and future state of circuit board technology and technical requirements, and the outlook for future PCB technology developments through 2023.

Survey participants will receive a complimentary copy of the 2018 PCB Technology Trends report. PCB engineers, designers or technologists interested in participating are invited to contact IPC’s market research staff at marketresearch@ipc.org or +1 847-597-2868 for access to the surveys. Both surveys are also available in Mandarin Chinese.