WECC Global PCB Production Report

Member Download (docx)

WECC Global PCB Production Report is an annual report published by the World Electronic Circuits Council (WECC), including IPC. The members of WECC include the printed circuit associations of the major PCB-producing countries and regions. The annual report is a compendium of data on the value of PCB production in each of those countries and regions by product type. Other data includes the vertical market percentages for which each country’s or region’s PCBs are produced. The report is available free to the contributing associations’ members.

Author(s)
World Electronics Circuits Council (WECC)
Resource Type
Technical Paper
Event
WECC

IPC is Crowdsourcing for Artwork and Illustrations of Electronics Manufacturing

Aug 23, 2021

IPC members, you can help IPC help you by letting us know of any existing or potential sources of original artwork related to electronics manufacturing. The purpose of this effort is to improve IPC’s ability to explain electronics manufacturing to non-technical audiences such as government officials, reporters, teachers, and students. We would welcome any input from our community; let’s leverage the power of the IPC network to meet this need! Please let us know if you have any questions. IPC Contact: Sandy Gentry, IPC Brand Communications Director.

IPC E-Textiles 2021 Virtual World Tour Starts September 2 in Taiwan

Prospective attendees encouraged to get free “boarding pass”

The first stop on IPC’s E-Textiles 2021 Virtual World Tour will be the bustling electronics manufacturing hub of Taipei City, Taiwan on September 2, 2021.

Subject matter experts from the renowned Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI) will provide an interactive view into the many leading studies they are doing for the wearables market. TTRI, one of the world’s leading textile research institutes, focuses on the development of key textile materials, functional apparel, and environmentally friendly and energy-saving textile technologies.

Presentation topics include mechanical and sensory-based textiles research in sports and movement science, evaluating smart sportswear on sensor function and durability to wash, and laundering reliability of electrically conductive fabrics for e-textile applications. Demonstrations will include testing from TTRI’s Sports Experience and Comfort Evaluation Labs.

“The IPC E-Textiles 2021 Virtual World Tour is the ideal educational experience for the entire e-textiles industry. Whether you are a product developer, brand or OEM, materials supplier or academia, this series of free events will have something of value to you,” said Chris Jorgensen, IPC director of technology transfer and staff liaison to the IPC D-70 E-Textiles Committee.

Additional destinations and dates on the 2021 Virtual World Tour include: United States on October 27, Germany on November 17, and Japan on December 1. Registration includes free access to all live events and on-demand recordings post event.

For more information or to register, visit: www.ipc.org/ipc-e-textiles-2021-virtual-world-tour.

Manage the Exciting Legislative Changes That are Putting Millions Back into IPC Members’ Pockets

Register
Date
- (2:00 - 3:00pm CDT)

As the U.S. economy begins to reopen, business owners are looking for ways to accelerate recovery. There are government incentives available to you because of the services you provide here in the U.S.

Join IPC President and CEO John Mitchell and alliantgroup’s Jenn Groff for an informative session and discussion on the latest updates to powerful tax credits and incentives for IPC members, manufacturers, and suppliers. Hear about the latest changes to the Employee Retention Credit from the IRS, why it applies to you, how you can qualify for these critical credits, and why business owners who previously looked at this, need to take a second look!

Questions that will be addressed:

• What is the Employee Retention Credit?
• What is a refundable credit?
• What are some common misconceptions about the ERC?
• What’s the difference between ERC and PPP?
• What have been recent changes to this incentive?
• What if my business wasn’t shut down?
• What if my business didn’t have a decrease in revenue?
• How much can you qualify for / what’s the benefit?
• Can’t my CPA do this for me?
• What are the next steps to take advantage of ERC?

Online Event

3000 Lakeside Dr.
Suite 105N
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States

Online Event

Online Event
3000 Lakeside Dr.
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States

Register

IPC Commends U.S. Senate on Passage of Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill

IPC issued the following statement from President and CEO John Mitchell on today’s expected passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill in the U.S. Senate:

“Electronics manufacturers welcome the prospect of historic infrastructure investments in America’s roads, ports, electric grids, and digital networks. Our members’ supply chains depend on modern, resilient infrastructure; and in today’s high-tech world, America’s infrastructure depends on cutting-edge, reliable electronics. We also appreciate the inclusion of smart manufacturing investments. This bipartisan infrastructure bill will help drive growth in the overall economic recovery, including the electronics industry.    

“We commend the tireless efforts of Senators Rob Portman and Kyrsten Sinema, along with the bipartisan Group of 22, who labored arduously to produce this compromise.” 

IPC Welcomes U.S. Senate Vote on Infrastructure Bill but Questions Superfund Tax

IPC today issued the following statement from President and CEO, John Mitchell, on the bipartisan infrastructure bill approaching a vote this week in the U.S. Senate:

“Electronics manufacturers welcome the prospect of historic infrastructure investments in America’s roads, ports, electric grids, and digital networks. Our members’ supply chains depend on modern, resilient infrastructure; and in today’s high-tech world, America’s infrastructure depends on reliable electronics. We also appreciate the inclusion of smart manufacturing investments. This bipartisan infrastructure bill will help drive growth in the overall economic recovery, as well as in our specific industry.    

“We commend the tireless efforts of Senators Rob Portman and Kyrsten Sinema, along with the bipartisan Group of 22, which labored arduously to produce this compromise.

“Although this critical legislation addresses the nation’s much-needed infrastructure modernization, IPC is concerned that reinstating Superfund excise taxes on 42 chemicals and raw materials – some of which are building blocks of electronics manufacturing – will increase costs for U.S. electronics manufacturers and raise prices for many consumer goods, including many of the materials that will be utilized in America’s infrastructure investment. IPC calls on Congress to find other, more appropriate methods to pay for this necessary investment in America’s aging infrastructure.”

IPC Launches Electronics Assembly for Engineers Course

Online training for new, recently hired, and transitioning engineers

Electronics manufacturing is growing at record levels across the globe. Many companies are hiring new engineers and technical staff into DFM, Product, Manufacturing, Process, and Quality Engineering roles to support the ramp up in printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) production for both current and new products.  In anticipation of this growing market demand for high reliability electronics, OEMs and EMS companies identified a need for a “fundamentals” training course that could give their new engineering and technical hires a practical understanding of PCBA processes and electronics manufacturing. To provide that market solution, IPC is announcing the launch of “Electronics Assembly for Engineers” (EAE) as its newest workforce development training course.                                         

EAE starts with an introduction on PCB fabrication and assembly, then covers the basics of through-hole, surface mount, and wire harness technologies, and concludes with a detailed review of key fundamental topics including component identification, drawings and specifications, hand soldering, conformal coating, and quality assurance. Students earn an IPC Certificate of Completion after they complete the 24 hours of course content.                                        

“Quality products start with a well-trained workforce. This simple idea drove IPC to develop this critical program in collaboration with the electronics industry,” said David Hernandez, vice president of IPC’s Education team. “The combination of industry expertise with our innovative educational approach provides meaningful learning opportunities for engineers to actively engage with the content and master the critical knowledge needed to succeed quickly. This fully online, self-paced program removes barriers to efficient, effective, and engaging training.”

Sanjay Huprikar, president of Europe and South Asia operations for IPC, commented, “The early traction we have seen for this solution across all regions speaks volumes to the urgency of the need. Based on conversations with numerous directors of engineering who assessed the solution, they are positioning EAE as a critical aspect of the overall onboarding process for their new hires and transitioning staff – with companies providing the vital ‘on the job’ training component paired with IPC’s online content providing important knowledge ‘off the job’ to help them succeed quickly.”       

To learn more about EAE, visit www.ipc.org/education/electronics-assembly-engineers. To receive a brochure or price quote, or to hear about the special limited time offers, please contact Huprikar at SanjayHuprikar@ipc.org. 

Supply Chain Disruptions Continue

IPC’s July 2021 Economic Report

Five key themes are combining to define the current economic environment. These include supply chain constraints, manufacturing optimism, inflationary pressures, a tight labor market and the rising risk of a COVID resurgence.  Many industries continue to be plagued by supply chain disruptions, and the electronics industry is no exception. While pressure from these disruptions will improve in the coming months, we believe supply chain disruptions will continue to reverberate through the economy, and the electronics industry, well into next year.

In this month’s economic outlook report from IPC, you will find U.S. and European data on economic growth, employment, consumer sentiment, manufacturers’ sentiment (PMI), manufacturing capacity utilization and end markets for electronics.

READ JULY REPORT

Better By Design – Bringing PCB Design Professionals Together

Jul 27, 2021

IPC Design brings printed board design professionals together to connect with other designers, enjoy education and training opportunities, mentor and encourage the next generation of designer engineers, and above all, help advance the art and science of printed board design. IPC President and CEO John Mitchell provides details. 

EMS North America Industry Report, June 2021

IPC Releases EMS Industry Results for June 2021

IPC announced today the June 2021 findings from its North American Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.48.

Total North American EMS shipments in June 2021 were up 14.3 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, June shipments grew 31.3 percent.

EMS bookings in June rose 61.3 percent year-over-year and 43.8 percent from the previous month.

“Demand for domestic electronics production remain at historic levels. Despite record orders in recent months, monthly shipments have been declining because of supply constraints and parts availability,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist. “For the first month in several months, shipments rose in June, suggesting some shortages are starting to abate. But the market remains in disequilibrium -- EMS orders are roughly 15 percent above 2019 levels but shipments are 13 percent lower compared with the same time period.”

EMS book to bill ratio chart June 2021

View chart in pdf format

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.

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