Hughes Circuits, Inc. Earns IPC-1791, Trusted Electronic Designer, Fabricator and Assembler Requirements Qualified Manufacturers Listing

IPC's Validation Services Program has awarded an IPC-1791, trusted electronic designer, fabricator, assembler, and cable and wire harness assembler Qualified Manufacturers Listing (QML), to Hughes Circuits Inc., located in San Marcos, Calif.

Hughes Circuits Inc. is the only electronics manufacturing services (EMS), company located in the San Diego area, which houses a complete PCB layout service bureau, a complete PCB fabrication facility, a full-service PCB assembly facility, and a precision metal fabrication facility. The IPC-1791 QML demonstrates Hughes Circuits Inc.’s commitment to securing a position as a trusted supply in the U.S electronics manufacturing industry.

“I am proud of the work done by our team to ensure the security of our clients and end user data and intellectual property,” said Russ Collins, corporate director of quality for Hughes Circuits Inc. “We are excited to have added the IPC-1791 QML to our extensive list of qualifications, i.e. AS9100D for the aerospace industry, ISO 13485 for the medical industry and the full suite of IPC certifications for all persons involved in PCB layout, fabrication, assembly and metal fabrication.”

IPC's Validation Services QPL/QML Programs were developed to promote supply chain verification and recognition. It also provides auditing and qualification of electronics companies' products and identifies processes that conform to IPC standards. The IPC-1791 QML verifies security systems and recognizes companies for either trusted electronics design, fabrication, or assembly, ensuring a high level of integrity.

"IPC's Validation Services Audit Programs uniquely provide technical and in-depth assessments of products and processes in accordance with IPC standards," said Randy Cherry, IPC director of Validation Services. "We are pleased to especially recognize Hughes Circuits Inc. on becoming a member of IPC's network of trusted QML suppliers for IPC-1971, design, fabrication and assembly requirements."         

For more information on IPC's Validation Services QPL/QML Program, visit www.ipcvalidation.org  or call +1 847-597-2892.

James Webb Telescope Engineer Dr. Kenneth Harris II to Deliver Keynote at EWPTE 2023

Kenneth Harris II, Eng.D. will deliver the opening keynote at Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo (EWPTE). Acknowledged by Forbes Magazine as one of the world’s youngest and most influential individuals in the field of science, he will present “Building the Future,” on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wis.

From starting with NASA at the age of 16 to successfully leading integration of a $10 billion space telescope, Dr. Harris will deliver a captivating 15-year story that explores the engineering complexity behind some of our most ambitious missions to date. He will share his experience as a wire harness engineer on the James Webb Space Telescope and a champion of early STEM exposure.

As a senior project engineer for The Aerospace Corporation, Dr. Harris has what many consider to be a dream job in the STEM field: he contributes to both DoD and NASA payload missions. In this role, Dr. Harris is responsible for developing procedures and implementing processes to defend on orbit satellites from physical and cyber threats -- the attainment of which leads to the successful data collection and orbital life of the mission. The satellite asset protection procedures and analysis allow spacecrafts to be monitored for hackers and anomalous threats from the designated Operations Control Center.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming Dr. Harris to EWPTE 2023,” said Dave Bergman, Wiring Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA) executive director. “We’re eager for him to share his journey to becoming an engineer at NASA and to find out what exciting projects follow his work on the well-known James Webb Space Telescope.”

Produced by WHMA and IPC, EWPTE provides training and education and connects buyers with local, national and international manufacturers and distributors, thus providing new business opportunities. EWPTE will also feature IPC SummerCom, IPC’s standards development committee meetings, to be held May 13-18. For more information on EWPTE, including full descriptions of educational content, pricing on a special technical conference session or the wire harness standards meetings package, or to register, visit www.electricalwireshow.com. To learn more about IPC SummerCom, visit www.ipc.org/event/ipc-summercom.

WHMA Announces 2023 Hall of Fame and Volunteer Excellence Awards

In recognition and acknowledgment of their extraordinary contributions to the Wiring Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA) and the cable and wire harness industry, two long-time WHMA members were presented with coveted WHMA awards. A WHMA Hall of Fame and a WHMA Volunteer Excellence Award were presented at WHMA’s 30th Annual Wire Harness Conference on February 16.

This WHMA Hall of Fame Award recognizes extraordinary contributions with broad significance to the cable and wire harness industry and distinguished service to WHMA. Award recipients support the advancement of industry, consistent with the goals and mission of WHMA. This is the highest level of recognition WHMA can give to a member and is based on exceptional merit over the long term.

This year’s inductee was Donnie Hill, Precision Mfg. Co. Hill was recognized for his long-term service and strategic and passionate leadership to WHMA as a Board Member, six years as WHMA Board Vice Chair, key architect in the IPC/WHMA affiliation; and many years of support promoting WHMA and the programs of WHMA and contributions to WHMA’s mission to lead, educate and connect members globally.“WHMA Hall of Fame winners represent the best of the best—strategic, visionary and committed—Donnie has demonstrated passion, dedication and a continued commitment to propel the harness, cable and interconnect industry forward,” said Joe DeMan, WHMA Board Chair. “WHMA is honored to acknowledge Donnie’s hard work. He is truly a champion of our industry.”

The WHMA Volunteer Excellence Award honors individuals from WHMA-member companies who have demonstrated ongoing leadership in WHMA activities and have contributed significant time and talent to the association and the cable and wire harness industry.                                

This year’s recipient was Micah Durham, Schleuniger. Durham was recognized for his contributions to the wiring harness industry through service on the WHMA Board of Directors, significant contributions to the WHMA annual meeting and Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo (EWPTE) program planning.           

"The leadership shown by Micah has made a significant impact on WHMA and will do so for years to come," said DeMan. "We are privileged that Micah has chosen to share his knowledge and expertise with WHMA and with the entire global wire harness manufacturing industry." 

For additional information on WHMA’s annual wire harness conference, visit https://annualconference.whma.org/.

Economic Data Provides a Mixed View of the Economy

IPC issues February Economic Outlook report

Economic data over the last month is providing a mixed view of the economy per IPC’s February Economic Outlook report.

“On one hand, economic fundamentals continue to slow,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC chief economist. “However, despite aggregate softness, certain segments continue to do well. For example, the defense and space equipment sector hit another new high in January, aerospace is up significantly from pre-pandemic levels and other sectors key to the electronics industry are holding up well.”

The report also shows that manufacturing sectors in Europe, the U.S., and China are all signaling contraction according to their respective PMI indexes, but in China and Europe at least, things are looking less bad this month. Despite signs of slowing demand, manufacturers continue to hire. “The broader economy added more than 500,000 new jobs, a shocking number in the midst of what many believe is the start of a recession,” added DuBravac.

Additional data in report show:

  • U.S. manufacturing sentiment contracted for a third consecutive month, falling from 48.4 to 47.4 in January.
  • U.S. industrial production was unchanged in January but was noticeably weaker than the expected 0.5 percent increase. The manufacturing sector improved 1 percent in January, but prior months were revised downward leaving the headline index lower than previously believed. Industrial production has likely peaked, despite January’s rise.
  • The S&P Global Eurozone Manufacturing PMI moved higher in January, rising from 47.8 to 48.8. The index hit a five-month high but remains in contractionary territory.
  • EU electronics manufacturing output fell in December after a one month increase in November. Output declined 1.4 percent (month-on-month) and is down 0.9 percent over the last year.
  • Despite indications that the global economy continues to slow, economists have marginally raised forecasts for economic growth in the U.S., Europe, and China for 2023.

View full report. For more information on IPC’s industry intelligence program including new reports, visit: www.ipc.org/advocacy/industry-intelligence.

 

Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo 2023

Date
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Why Attend the Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo (EWPTE)?

Produced by WHMA/IPC, the ONLY trade association exclusively representing the cable and wire harness manufacturing industry including manufacturers, their suppliers and customers, EWPTE is where the industry comes together with more than 3,000 attendees and nearly 200 exhibitors to find solutions to challenging wire problems through training and education and for the opportunity to network with industry leaders and subject matter experts. Attendees at all career stages can expect to Come Wired and Leave Inspired through:

Education & Training
Professional Development Courses with content designed to deliver new information, skills, and techniques related to the cable and wire harness industry. 

Technical Conference Sessions presented by engineers, researchers, academics, technical experts, and industry leaders who will share new technical data, significant results from experiments and case studies, emphasizing new techniques and discussing trends of interest with appropriate technical test results.

Networking Opportunities by connecting with industry leaders and subject matter experts.

Accessing New Technologies and finding new suppliers to find solutions to your challenging wire problems on the show floor from nearly 200 exhibitors.

Who Should Attend?

Anyone who designs, specifies, purchases, installs, sells, maintains or manufactures electronic cable assemblies, cord sets, wiring harnesses and other related products for the following industries:

  • Aerospace
  • Automotive/Transportation (Automobiles, Rail, Buses. Trucks)
  • Consumer Technology (Business Equipment and Appliances)
  • Defense/Military
  • Medical Instruments
  • Off Highway (Constructions, Agriculture and Mining)
  • Recreational (RV, Marine OPE & RTV)
Wisconsin Center

400 W Wisconsin Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53203
United States

Wisconsin Center

Wisconsin Center
400 W Wisconsin Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53203
United States

U.S. Commerce Department Releases First CHIPS Act Funding Opportunity

Feb 28, 2023

by Chris Mitchell, IPC vice president, global government relations

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce released its first CHIPS for America funding opportunity to bolster U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. This first funding opportunity seeks applications for projects involving construction, expansion, or modernization of commercial facilities for the fabrication of leading-edge, current-generation, and mature-node semiconductors. The notice makes clear that eligible projects include both front-end wafer fabrication and back-end assembly, testing, and packaging.

Entities considering funding should submit a statement of interest soon. Pre-applications (optional) and full applications for leading-edge facilities will be accepted on a rolling basis beginning March 31, 2023. Pre-applications (recommended) for current-generation, mature-node, and back-end production facilities will be accepted on a rolling basis beginning May 1, 2023, and full applications for these categories will be accepted on a rolling basis beginning June 26, 2023.

The CHIPS Program Office hosted a webinar this afternoon. That webinar, as well as more information about this funding opportunity and other developments, can be accessed at www.chips.gov. Also, be sure to review the Commerce Department’s “Vision for Success” which lays out strategic objectives for U.S. semiconductor innovation and manufacturing.  

The IPC Perspective

IPC commends the Commerce Department for its expeditious implementation of the Chips and Science Act. Today’s funding announcement reflects the Department’s commitment to get the funding out to those technology leaders who can help realize the ambitious goals laid out by Congress.

On another positive note, the funding announcement clearly makes eligible projects related to advanced packaging. In fact, it identifies advanced packaging as critical to U.S. semiconductor leadership. This affirmation reflects significant progress on the part of the industry in helping federal policymakers better appreciate the role of advanced packaging in driving semiconductor innovation. 

However, the funding announcement refers only broadly to semiconductor “assembly, testing, and packaging.” Is IC substrate fabrication included? It should and we would expect it does, but the fact that the funding announcement does not specifically reference IC substrates is quizzical and unfortunate. It’s likely to contribute to a sense of uncertainty about the U.S. Government’s commitment to address a glaring vulnerability in the U.S. semiconductor supply chain.  

We, at IPC, are also concerned about the eligibility of projects related to printed circuit board fabrication and electronic assembly. Earlier this month, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in an interview with NPR that “circuit board” companies would have opportunities for CHIPS funding. This funding announcement, however, does not appear to make such project eligible, and it’s not clear that the planned funding announcements later this year do either.  In late spring 2023, the CHIPS Program Office intends to release a funding opportunity focused on the construction, expansion, or modernization of facilities for semiconductor materials and manufacturing equipment. In early fall 2023, the CHIPS Program Office intends to release a funding opportunity for the construction, expansion, or modernization of facilities for research and development.

IPC continues to call the U.S. Government to move beyond a silicon-only mindset and toward a silicon-to-systems innovation strategy. Bolstering chip production without commensurate growth in advanced packaging, PCB fabrication, and electronic assembly is likely to lengthen the supply chain and exacerbate glaring vulnerabilities in U.S. electronics manufacturing capacities and capabilities.    

 

 

 

 

Electronics Industry Continues to Show Solid Performance Though Materials, Labor and Freight Costs Expected to Rise in 2023

IPC issues February Global Sentiment of the Electronics Supply Chain report

Per IPC’s February 2023 Global Sentiment of the Electronics Supply Chain Report, over the next six months, manufacturers expect to see continued increase in both labor and material costs, although to a lesser extent than previously anticipated. On a positive note, backlogs are expected to decline.

Among other data, survey results show:

  • On average, electronics manufacturers expect labor costs to increase 9.2 percent over 2022 levels; materials costs to rise 9.9 percent during the year and most surprisingly, they expect freight costs to rise 7.2 percent in 2023. “Though manufacturers anticipate freight costs to rise, depressed demand and improving supply chain dynamics are currently pulling freight costs down, a trend that should continue during the year,” said IPC Chief Economist Shawn DuBravac. “Downward cyclical pressures will curtail volume which should keep prices in check. For some companies, declining freight costs are likely to be their most significant cost savings in 2023.” 
  • Regarding digital project initiation, roughly 14 percent reported ERP system implementation and enhancements were their number one project for 2023. Other top projects include equipment/tools/resources/technology investment and upgrades and pursuit of CMMC certification.
  • Profit margins are expected to decline at a significantly higher rate in APAC vs. North America. 42 percent of manufacturers in APEC anticipate profit margins to decline, while on 15 percent of North American manufacturers are expecting the same.

For the report, IPC surveyed hundreds of companies from around the world, including a wide range of company sizes representing the full electronics manufacturing value chain. View full report.

North American PCB Industry Sales Down 1.2 Percent in January

IPC releases PCB industry results for January 2023

IPC announced today the January 2023 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 0.94.

Total North American PCB shipments in January 2023 were up down 1.2 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, January shipments dropped 21.7 percent.

PCB year-to-date bookings in January were down 11.4 percent compared to last year. January bookings were down 13.4 percent compared to the same month last year.

“Improvements in the book-to-bill this month were driven in part by weak shipments. PCB order flow continues to deteriorate, though the three-month moving average did improve for the first time in four months,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist.

January 2023 PCB book to bill ratio chart 1
January 2023 PCB book to bill ratio chart 2

Detailed Data Available

Companies that participate in IPC’s North American PCB Statistical Program have access to detailed findings on rigid PCB and flexible circuit sales and orders, including separate rigid and flex book-to-bill ratios, growth trends by product types and company size tiers, demand for prototypes, sales growth to military and medical markets, and other timely data.

Interpreting the Data

The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to twelve months. A ratio of less than 1.00 indicates the reverse.

Year-on-year and year-to-date growth rates provide the most meaningful view of industry growth. Month-to-month comparisons should be made with caution as they reflect seasonal effects and short-term volatility. Because bookings tend to be more volatile than shipments, changes in the book-to-bill ratios from month to month might not be significant unless a trend of more than three consecutive months is apparent. It is also important to consider changes in both bookings and shipments to understand what is driving changes in the book-to-bill ratio.

IPC’s monthly PCB industry statistics are based on data provided by a representative sample of both rigid PCB and flexible circuit manufacturers selling in the USA and Canada. IPC publishes the PCB book-to-bill ratio by the end of each month.

EMS North America Industry Report, January 2023

IPC releases EMS industry results for January 2023

IPC announced today the January 2023 findings from its North American Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.35.

Total North American EMS shipments in January 2023 were up 10.1 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, January shipments decreased 3.7 percent.

EMS bookings in January decreased 4.8 percent year-over-year and increased 1.0 percent from the previous month.

“EMS sector throughput remains on solid footing, but both orders and shipments are showing some downward pressure likely related to weaking macroeconomic fundamentals,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist.

January 2023 EMS book to bill ratio chart

Detailed Data Available

Companies that participate in IPC’s North American EMS Statistical Program have access to detailed findings on EMS sales growth by type of production and company size tier, order growth and backlogs by company size tier, vertical market growth, the EMS book-to-bill ratio, 3-month and 12-month sales outlooks, and other timely data.

Interpreting the Data

The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to twelve months. A ratio of less than 1.00 indicates the reverse.

Year-on-year and year-to-date growth rates provide the most meaningful view of industry growth. Month-to-month comparisons should be made with caution as they reflect seasonal effects and short-term volatility. Because bookings tend to be more volatile than shipments, changes in the book-to-bill ratios from month to month might not be significant unless a trend of more than three consecutive months is apparent. It is also important to consider changes in both bookings and shipments to understand what is driving changes in the book-to-bill ratio.

IPC’s monthly EMS industry statistics are based on data provided by a representative sample of assembly equipment manufacturers selling in the USA and Canada. IPC publishes the EMS book-to-bill ratio by the end of each month.

Registration Now Open for Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo 2023

Registration is now open for Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo (EWPTE) an exclusive, free-of-charge* event for the electrical wire harness, wire, coil winding and cable processing industries, to be held at the Wisconsin Center May 16-18, 2023, in Milwaukee, Wis.

Produced by the Wiring Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA) and IPC, EWPTE connects buyers with local, national, and international manufacturers and distributors, thus proving new business opportunities.

Not just an exhibition, EWPTE is a full-scale event featuring a slate of educational and career enhancement opportunities, including professional development courses and technical conference sessions. Subject matter experts will offer learning opportunities on calibration, cleanliness, rework, quality, failure analysis, troubleshooting, wire harness workforce training, and much more.

“Attendees at all career stages can come to EWPTE and leave inspired through PD courses, technical conference sessions, peer-to-peer networking opportunities on the show floor and during refreshment breaks, breakfast events with exhibitors, and an exciting keynote,” said Joe DeMan, WHMA Board Chair. “Our ultimate goal is for attendees take their ideas and innovations developed on-site and turn them into real-world solutions and business opportunities.”

EWPTE will also feature IPCSummerCom, IPC’s standards development committee meetings, to be held May 13-18. Three standards development task groups will meet to discuss wire harness related standards: 7-31f: IPC/WHMA-A-620 Task Group; 7-31fhv: IPC/WHMA-A-620 High-Voltage Cable Task Group and 7-31k/7-31h: Joint meeting of Wire Harness Design Task Group and IPC-HDBK-620 Handbook Task Group.

For more information on EWPTE, including full descriptions of educational content and *pricing on a special technical conference session or to register, visit www.electricalwireshow.com. To learn more about IPCSummerCom and the Wire Harness Standards Meetings package for $25, visit www.ipc.org/event/ipc-summercom.

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