IPC’s Highest Honor, the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Award, Presented to Steve Pudles, Zentech Manufacturing

In recognition and acknowledgement of his extraordinary contributions to IPC and the electronics industry, Steve Pudles, president and CEO, Zentech Manufacturing, was presented with the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Award at IPC APEX EXPO on Tuesday, February 4 at the San Diego Convention Center. IPC’s most prestigious award, the Hall of Fame award is given to individuals who have provided exceptional service and advancement to IPC and the electronics industry.

An active IPC volunteer and leader for more than three decades, Pudles has championed the need for PCBA standards and education, always on the forefront of generating innovative ideas for the industry. As a member of the IPC EMS Council, the IPC Board of Directors and former Chairman of the Board, Pudles has been a strong voice for EMS executives’ needs and an even stronger advocate for IPC to continue to invest in programs that help the entire value chain in the electronics manufacturing industry.

An original working group member, developer and co-creator of EMS programs including the EMS Program Management Certification program, Pudles has also been heavily involved in shaping IPC’s Certification, Validation and QML Programs that exist today

“A staunch advocate for IPC, Steve testified before Congress in 2012 urging common-sense changes to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rule on conflict minerals,” said IPC President and CEO John Mitchell. “His contributions to the EMS Council and EMS Steering Committee are wide and diverse and have made IPC and industry stronger and more successful,” Michell added. “We are thrilled to present him with our highest honor to thank him for sharing his talents and expertise with IPC and the electronics industry.”

IPC Elects New Officers and Members to IPC Board

The Nominating and Governance Committee of the IPC Board of Directors presented officer and member candidates for election at the 63rd IPC Annual Meeting on February 4, held in conjunction with IPC APEX EXPO 2020 at the San Diego Convention Center. Officers serve a two-year term, while members serve a four-year term.

The newly elected Board officers are:

  • Board Chair – Shane Whiteside, president and CEO Summit Interconnect
  • Board Vice Chair – Bob Neves, chairman and chief technology officer, Microtek Laboratories China
  • Secretary/Treasurer – Tom Edman, president and CEO, TTM Technologies

The newly elected Board members are:

  • Marc Peo, president, Heller Industries
  • Hiroyuki Watanabe, executive vice president, NEC Platforms, Ltd.
  • Robert Feuerstein, director, head of manufacturing technology, Continental Automotive GmbH
  • Steve Pudles, president and CEO, Zentech Manufacturing
  • Jeanie Wade, sector vice president, operations and sector quality executive, Northrop Grumman Corporation

"IPC is privileged to have these officer and directors added to our current slate of Board members. All are active contributors to IPC initiatives and we look forward to their continued contributions to advancing IPC and the electronics industry," said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO.

In addition to holding Board elections, IPC honored outgoing Board chair, Mikel Williams, Targus; and outgoing members, Mike Carano, RBP Chemical Technology and Joe O’Neil, Green Circuits. All three were honored for many years of service on the IPC Board of Directors.

For additional information on IPC's Board of Directors including bios on newly elected Board members, contact Sandy Gentry, IPC communications director, at SandyGentry@ipc.org.

North American PCB Industry Sales Growth Ends 2019 Up 7.8 Percent

IPC Releases PCB Industry Results for December 2019

IPC announced today the December 2019 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.09.

Total North American PCB shipments in December 2019 were up 8.7 percent compared to the same month last year. Shipment growth ended the year at 7.8 percent. Compared to the preceding month, December shipments increased 5.2 percent.

PCB bookings in December increased 8.8 percent year-over-year. Year-to-date bookings growth ended the year at 4.8 percent. Bookings in December increased 11.5 percent from the previous month.

"While trade tensions created a volatile environment, the North American PCB industry closed 2019 on solid footing,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist. “PCB shipments were strong through the final five months of the year. Moreover, orders at the end of the year suggest shipment strength should carry into the first quarter of 2020."


Note: The January 2019 ratio has been revised since its original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants.


Note: The January, June, and October 2019 growth rates have been revised since their original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants.

View Chart in PDF

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.

Matt Kelly Joins IPC as Chief Technologist

IPC announces the addition of Matt Kelly as the association’s chief technologist.

In this new leadership role, Kelly will help IPC’s members to engage in latest technology trends and supply chain transformation that continues to evolve across the electronics industry. He will work to define the scope of what future products and services the association should develop in the areas of standards, education and advocacy. Kelly’s primary areas of focus will be leading the following initiatives: “factory of the future” standards and technical research; industry intelligence funding; and creation and launch of an Industry CTO Council.

Kelly comes to IPC following a 14-year career at IBM Corporation, holding several senior technology and engineering leadership positions within IBM Systems Division. His technical contributions include 25 patents, 80 publications, and numerous industry awards from NAM, ASM, SMTA, IPC, and IBM.

Very familiar with IPC’s standards development process, Kelly has served on seven technical committees and currently serves as vice chair of the 5-21H Bottom Termination Components Task Group and co-chair of the 2-17 Connected Factory Initiative Subcommittee.

“Matt is widely recognized in the global electronics industry as a premier thought leader and an innovator, and his work will play a pivotal role in helping us know our members and the industry – with greater depth and breadth,” said Sanjay Huprikar, vice president, Solutions. “We are thrilled to welcome Matt to the IPC team, and we look forward to the new contributions he will make to the electronics industry.”

Based in Toronto, Kelly can be reached at MattKelly@ipc.org.

Six IPC APEX EXPO Exhibiting Companies Earn 2020 Innovation Awards

Winners push boundaries of technology with innovative product submissions

IPC announces the winners of the IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Innovation Awards, a celebration of the innovators who are changing the technological landscape of the electronics industry.

A panel of industry experts reviewed each product’s submission and chose winners in each category based on the following criteria: How is this product innovative?  How is this product changing the manufacturing industry?  What value will customers experience with this new product?

The Innovation Awards will be presented to the following companies on site at IPC APEX EXPO:

  • ASM, for ASM DEK TQ (category: assembly equipment) -- a new printing platform for the electronics industry that increases speed and accuracy while decreasing factory footprint. DEK TQ platform offers future-proof integration into the ASM Integrated Smart Factory concept via open interfaces (IPC-HERMES-9852, close-loop-to-SPI, ASM OIB, IPC CFX).
  • GreenSource Fabrication, LLC, for InduBond X-Press (category: PCB fabrication) -– a  concept in multilayer press technology utilizing electromagnetic energy to heat stainless steel separator plates using induction heating that yields minimal delay in heat transfer, high heat up rates, extremely high temperatures with high temperature balance on any direction of the press stack X,Y and Z axis.
  • Nihon Superior Co., Ltd., for TipSave N Flux-Cored Solder Wire (category: assembly materials) -- wire which slows the reaction and erosion of the iron from a soldering tip, especially when using lead-free solders rich in tin, increasing tip life by three times.
  • Rogers Corporation, for TC350™ Plus Laminate (category: PCB materials) -- a thermally enhanced laminate, suited for higher power microwave and industrial heating applications requiring higher maximum operating temperatures, low circuit losses, and excellent thermal dissipation within the circuit board.
  • Test Research Inc., for TR7700Q SII (category: test and inspection) -- an Industry 4.0-ready solution that performs high-speed inspection of large PCB boards up to 510 mm x 460 mm, fit for multiple applications, ranging from the telecommunications industry to the automotive industry and supporting the upcoming and innovative protocols such as IPC CFX and IPC- HERMES-9852.
  • ViTrox Technologies Sdn.Bhd., for V9i Advanced Robotic Vision System (ARV), or Collaborative Robotic Arm (Cobot) (category: test and inspection) -- specializing in conformal coating inspection and thickness measurement, designed for safety and quality ensured inspection that involves co-work between a human and a robot.

“The IPC Innovation Awards recognize outstanding products and services in the electronics industry,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO, “and we had a tough time choosing among the many excellent submissions we received this year. It’s exciting to see the creativity and innovation in our industry, along with the enthusiastic response to our yearly challenge.”

For more information on all IPC APEX EXPO activities, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org.

Best Technical Papers at IPC APEX EXPO 2020 Selected

The IPC APEX EXPO 2020 best technical conference papers in the domestic and international categories have been selected; the paper authors will receive their awards during the opening keynote session on Tuesday, February 4, 2020.
          
Taking top honors in the domestic paper category, the winning paper is, “Reliable Nickel-Free Surface Finish Solution for High-Frequency-HDI PCB Applications” by Kunal Shah, Ph.D., LiloTree. Dr. Shah will present his paper at Technical Conference Session 15 (Surface Finishes 1) on Wednesday, February 5.

Honorable mention went to “Comparative Corrosion: Engineered Aqueous Cleaner vs. pH Neutral — Round 1” by David Lober, Kyzen Corporation. His co-author was Mike Bixenman, DBA, Kyzen Corporation. This paper will be presented at Technical Conference Session 25 on Thursday, February 6.

The winning paper in the international paper category is “High-Density PCB Technology Assessment for Space Applications” by Maarten Cauwe, Ph.D., IMEC-Cmst. Dr. Cauwe’s co-authors were Erwin Bosman, ACB NV; Alexia Coulon, Thales Alenia Space; Stan Heltzel, European Space Agency; Chinmay Nawghane, IMEC; Marnix Van De Slyeke, ACB NV; Bart Vandevelde, IMEC; and Joachim Verhegge, ACB. This paper will be presented at Technical Conference Session 7 (High I/O Designs) on Tuesday, February 4.

Honorable mention went to “Optimization of PCB SI Coupon Design that Minimizes Discontinuity through Via-In-Pad Plated Over (VIPPO) Technique” by Juhee Lee, ISU Petasys. His co-authors were Kyeongsoo Kim, Kyungsoo Lee, and Namdong Lee, ISU Petasys. This paper will be presented at Technical Conference Session 27 (PCB Fabrication and Materials) on Thursday, February 6.  

The papers were evaluated by the IPC APEX EXPO Technical Program Committee and judged on their technical content, originality, test procedures and data used to deduce conclusions, quality of illustrations and the clarity and professionalism of writing as well as value to the industry.

To register for the IPC APEX EXPO technical conference or for more information on all the activities taking place including standards development committee meetings, professional development courses, the exhibition and more, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org.

2020 WHMA 27th Annual Wire Harness Conference Exhibit Space is Sold Out

Exhibitor booth space at the 2020 WHMA 27th Annual Wire Harness Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada is sold out.

The Wiring Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA) and IPC exceeded expectations by selling out the exhibit space a month before the event. This year’s annual conference broke a 26-year record with 40 booths sold, making it the largest exhibit floor in WHMA’s history. The WHMA Annual Wire Harness Conference is the wire harness manufacturing industry’s opportunity to interact with and devote valuable time with the leading suppliers who bring countless valuable resources, best practices and cutting-edge, innovative solutions to the exhibit floor.

This year’s conference is being held February 18-20, 2020 at the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa. In addition to the exhibit floor, this conference will provide attendees opportunities to learn, grow, share, and discover new approaches to many aspects of the wire harness industry.

The 2020 conference schedule features timely presentations on important industry topics:

  • Wire and cable harness documents, IPC/WHMA-A-620 and IPC-D-620
  • Space exploration and the role of wire and cable harnesses on spacecraft
  • Wire harness industry economics
  • Megatrends of CASE (connected, autonomous, shared and electrification) in automotive technology
  • And more

With the event only a month away, staff urges anyone still interested in attending to go online to learn more and register at https://annualconference.whma.org.

Electronics Manufacturers Applaud U.S. Senate for Passing USMCA with Bipartisan Support

The following statement can be attributed to John Mitchell, President and CEO of IPC, the global association representing the electronics manufacturing industry:

“The electronics manufacturing industry applauds the U.S. Senate for approving the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) with broad bipartisan support. As soon as President Trump signs the legislation, which is expected within days, it will enter into force.

“This is a very positive step for our industry and for the millions of people who work in it in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“With electronics exports making up over 30 percent of U.S. exports of manufactured goods, natural resources and energy exports to Mexico and nearly 20 percent of such exports to Canada, USMCA will pave the way to continued prosperity for electronics manufacturers, U.S. workers and consumers.

“The pact will bolster the industry’s confidence in making investments in human resources and equipment in all three nations.”

IPC was an active advocate for the USMCA. In December, IPC sent a letter to all members of the U.S. Congress, urging them to vote promptly and affirmatively on the USMCA implementing legislation. IPC members contacted their elected officials in meetings, correspondence and phone calls.

Last May, IPC released a study that found the total value of U.S. electronics trade with Canada and Mexico was $155.5 billion in 2017, with trade in electronic systems and components being especially important to the North American automobile industry. Mexico imports 34 percent of U.S. printed circuit board production—larger than the next four largest markets combined.

Electronics Manufacturers Welcome US-China Deal, Seek Further Action

The following statement can be attributed to Chris Mitchell, vice president of global government relations at IPC, the global association representing the electronics manufacturing industry:

“The electronics manufacturing industry welcomes the U.S.-China "phase one" trade deal being signed today in Washington, and the pathway it offers to resolution of broader issues. The deal leaves many issues unaddressed including cyber security, structural economic reforms, and the high level of tariffs that are still in place on many products that are traded in our industry. As documented in a recent IPC study, many IPC members are feeling the pain of higher costs, supply chain disruptions, administrative hassles, and reduced access to the Chinese market as a result of the U.S.-China trade conflict.

Sartorius Lab Instruments GmbH & Co. KG, First German EMS Company to Receive the Qualified Manufacturers Listing for IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610

IPC's Validation Services Program has awarded an IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 Qualified Manufacturers Listing (QML) to Sartorius Lab Instruments GmbH & Co. KG. Sartorius is a leading international provider to the biopharmaceutical research and medical industry. Sartorius Electronics, a manufacturing arm of Sartorius Lab Instruments GmbH & KG (SLI), provides high-quality electronic subassemblies that are produced for end products used worldwide throughout the Sartorius Group. Since the 1990s, Sartorius Electronics has provided electronic manufacturing services (EMS) and has been supplying electronic subassemblies meeting the highest quality requirements. Sartorius Electronics is the first German company to successfully complete an intensive audit, based on two of IPC's foremost standards: IPC J-STD-001, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies and IPC-A-610, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies.

For many years, Sartorius Electronics utilized both IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 standards in their organization, meeting the quality requirements of customers throughout the entire development supply chain. Recently, Sartorius’s management challenged the organization to achieve a higher quality on products they produce for their customers, investing in a project to improve quality in design, purchasing, and electronic operations. Upon completion of the project, Sartorius Electronics contacted IPC Validation Services to become a certified company for the IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 Qualified Manufacturers Listing (QML).

Sartorius Electronics met or exceeded the requirements for the electronics industry's most rigorous classification, Class 2, which is intended for dedicated service electronics products. Sartorius Electronics is now one of the trusted sources of electronics suppliers and can be found on IPC's QML/QPL database at www.ipcvalidation.org.

Thomas Eckart, manager electronic production, said, “Collaboration between Sartorius Electronics and IPC has laid the essential foundations for the organization’s high and efficient performance, delivering the higher quality products our customers expect. A company certified for compliance with IPC standards attests to the fact that our products offer optimal reliability.”

IPC's Validation Services QPL/QML Program was developed to promote supply chain verification. It also provides auditing and certification of electronics companies' products and identifies processes which conform to IPC standards.

“Different from other audit programs, IPC's Validation Services 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 the QML for Sartorius Lab Instruments GmbH & Co. KG for becoming a member of IPC's network of trusted QML suppliers.”

For more information about IPC's Validation Services QPL/QML Program, visit www.ipcvalidation.org or contact Randy Cherry at RandyCherry@ipc.org or +1 847-597-2806.

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