In recognition of their leadership and contributions to IPC and the electronics industry within the past five years, IPC® presented an IPC Rising Star award to Yusaku Kono, Japan Unix, and Pierre-Emmauel Gourtorbe, Airbus, at IPC APEX EXPO 2018.

The IPC Rising Star award is given to individuals who have shown significant leadership ability in the past five years, making an impact on IPC and the electronics industry because of their support to IPC standards, education, advocacy and solutions to industry challenges.

Yusaku Kono, Japan Unix, an active IPC volunteer, has dedicated the past three years to enhancing the value of IPC standards among Japanese electronics manufacturers. Kono serves on the IPC-A-610 Automotive Addendum Task Group and the J-STD-001 Task Group.

Pierre-Emmanuel Goutorbe, Airbus, is a PCB expert, covering PCB development, PCB-related standards and PCB technical support for all space projects at Airbus’ European sites. Goutorbe serves on seven standards development committees at IPC, including the Base Materials Roundtable Task Group, the IPC-6012 Aerospace Addendum Task Group, the Rigid Printed Board Performance Specifications Task Group and the Terms and Definitions Committee.

“Both Pierre-Emmanuel and Yusaku have taken on strong leadership roles in IPC, and we and the entire electronics industry have benefited from their skills and expertise,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “We are very fortunate that they have chosen to share their knowledge with IPC and the industry at large.”

For more information on the IPC Rising Star Award and this year's award recipients, contact Sandy Gentry, IPC communications director, at +1 847-597-2871.

It was all business at IPC APEX EXPO 2018 as 9,169 electronics manufacturing professionals from 43 countries converged at the San Diego Convention Center. In addition to experiencing a 22 percent increase in first-day show floor attendance, IPC APEX EXPO hosted a sold-out exhibition: 479 exhibitors showcased cutting-edge products and services on 149,700 net square feet, making it the largest exhibition in a decade. And with more than 80 percent of the 4,574 attendees identifying themselves as key buyers or influencers, the exhibitors at North America's largest electronics assembly event enjoyed three days of qualified leads, business development and brisk sales.

In keeping with the event’s theme, “Succeed at the Velocity of Technology,” APEX EXPO 2018 featured nearly 100 technical papers detailing original research and innovations from industry experts around the world. Attendees had access to new research on materials and processes, opportunities to learn more about trending materials, applications and processes such as Industry 4.0 (including a live demonstration on the show floor by more than two dozen exhibitors using IPC’s CFX standard) and e-textiles.

IPC APEX EXPO’s full- and half-day professional development courses blended traditional electronics industry topics with hot-new developments, delivered by corporate technologists, consultants, training center staff and university faculty. Attendees choose from an array of leading topics such as: PCB fabrication troubleshooting; dispensing/jetting; printing; manufacturing yield, defect analysis, failure analysis; reliability and design for excellence (DFX).

“When I spoke with exhibitors and attendees at this year’s show, feedback was resoundingly positive. Attendees said that networking and educational events and activities helped them find new ways to solve challenges; the exhibition provided them the opportunity to meet suppliers that could help them save time and money, and foster new business opportunities,” said John Mitchell IPC president and CEO. “Overall, I am proud of everything we accomplished in San Diego, I am equally as invigorated with everything we will do in the rest of the year. We are already working on putting together next year’s show, and look forward to our industry’s continued support in making IPC APEX EXPO 2019 a success.”

In 2019, IPC APEX EXPO will return to the San Diego Convention Center, January 26-31. Industry researchers, engineers and academics are invited to submit an abstract for consideration in next year’s technical conference or professional development courses in the online Call for Participation at www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org/cfp.

In recognition of their ongoing leadership in developing and promoting IPC standards on a global basis, IPC bestowed an Dieter Bergman IPC Fellowship Award upon Linda Woody, LWC Consulting, and Stephen Tisdale, Tisdale Environmental Consulting LLC at IPC APEX EXPO® 2018.

This recognition is given to individuals who have fostered a collaborative spirit, made significant contributions to standards development, have consistently demonstrated a commitment to global standardization efforts and the electronics industry and embody the work ethic and spirit of the late Dieter Bergman, an industry pioneer and icon. Award recipients are eligible to bestow the Dieter Bergman Memorial Scholarship upon the university or college of his/her choice. Woody’s selection was University of Central Florida in Orlando and Tisdale selected the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering at Binghamton University in New York.

Linda Woody has supported IPC’s standardization efforts for more than 20 years and made her first technical presentation in 1997 on behalf of IPC. Since then, she has served on more than 40 IPC committees, chaired the 2-18d Printed Board Declaration Task Group and the Lead-free Electronics Risk Management consortia known as PERM and has been working on lead-free issues since the mid ‘90s. Woody has not only had a direct hand in drafting IPC documents, but has also participated in numerous round robin testing programs to collect data to support the requirements within the documents.

Woody recently retired from Lockheed Martin after 36 years, serving as a member of the Lockheed Martin Production Technical Excellence staff, where she was a corporate subject-matter expert for electronics assembly and soldering processes. She now serves as president and CEO of her own consulting business.

Stephen Tisdale has been involved in the electronics industry for more than 40 years, participating in IPC standards development activities and initiatives for most of his career. He is a recognized content expert in the areas of environmental compliance, semiconductor packaging, PCB design, materials and assembly.

While at Intel, Tisdale directed RoHS compliance implementation strategy, and technology compliance evaluations and set internal direction for halogen free strategies. He received a company excellence award for contributions to its lead-free program.

Tisdale currently lends his talent and expertise on technical compliance issues on 30 IPC committees and serves as chair of the 4-34B Marking, Symbols and Labels for Identification of Assemblies, Components & Devices Task Group. He has also presented at past IPC APEX EXPO events and is a published author on several technical topics. "IPC and the entire electronics industry are fortunate to have both Linda and Stephen volunteer their time and expertise to IPC standards and program development," said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. "Their work has enriched both the industry and IPC and we are thankful for their dedication."        

For more information on the Dieter Bergman IPC Fellowship Award and this year's award recipients, contact Sandy Gentry, IPC communications director, at +1 847-597-2871.

IPC announced today the January 2018 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Both sales and orders were up year-over-year in January. Due to continued strong order growth in January, the book-to-bill ratio climbed to a 12-year high of 1.16.

Total North American PCB shipments in January 2018 were up 9.8 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, January shipments decreased 8.5 percent.

PCB bookings in January grew 25.3 percent year-over-year. January bookings were down 13.9 percent compared to the previous month.

“Year-over-year sales growth for the North American PCB industry continued to climb in January and growth was positive for the fifth consecutive month,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “Strong bookings growth also continued, pushing the book-to-bill ratio to its highest point since September 2005. This performance, capping 12 consecutive months of positive book-to-bill ratios, offers a strong indication of continued sales growth in the first half of 2018,” she added.

Note: The June 2017 growth rates have been revised since their original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants.

View Chart in PDF

Detailed Data Available

IPC’s North American PCB Market Report, is now a quarterly publication. The next edition,containing detailed first-quarter 2018 data from IPC’s PCB Statistical Program, will be available in early May. The report presents detailed findings on rigid PCB and flexible circuit sales and orders, including separate rigid and flex book-to-bill ratios, growth trends by company size tiers, demand for prototypes, and other timely data. This report is available free to current participants in IPC’s PCB Statistical Program and by subscription to others. More information about this report can be found at www.ipc.org/market-research-reports.

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 at the end of each month. Statistics for the current month are normally available in the last week of the following month.

IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries® announces the appointment of Chris Mitchell as its new vice president of global government relations. Mitchell starts his new position today, March 5, 2018, and will be based in IPC’s Washington, D.C. Office.

In this new role, Mitchell will be responsible for development and implementation of the organization’s global advocacy efforts and public policy agenda with a focus on electronics industry business improvement; environment, health and safety; and defense initiatives. He will work closely with IPC’s Government Relations Steering Committee, and IPC Washington, D.C. office staff, to represent IPC and the electronics industry before key governmental policymakers globally and to identify issues and other opportunities where IPC can demonstrate its global leadership in government relations and public policy.

Mitchell was most recently a director at Prime Policy Group, a leading Washington, D.C. government relations firm, where he represented U.S. and international interests before Congress and the Executive Branch. Previously, Mitchell spent more than eight years working for members of Congress from the State of California for whom he handled technology, trade, and transportation issues. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University and a Master’s degree in philosophy from San Jose State University and currently serves on the board of directors for Partners Global and the Fabretto Children’s Foundation.

“Chris’s expertise in providing strategic council and advising members of Congress on technology and trade issues has made him a trusted advocate not only in Washington D.C. but in the halls of government across the globe,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “His entrepreneurial approach to championing past advocacy efforts will set IPC’s own advocacy efforts apart from other organizations while advancing IPC’s members and industry’s causes. We look forward to welcoming Chris to IPC.”

Mitchell can be reached at 202-661-8097 or ChrisMitchell@ipc.org.

In recognition of his significant contributions of time, talent and ongoing leadership in IPC and the electronics industry, long-time IPC volunteer, Robert Cooke, NASA Johnson Space Center, was presented with an IPC President’s Award at IPC APEX EXPO 2018.

Cooke joined his first Task Group meeting in February 2003, subsequently became a member of several task groups through the early 2000s, and in 2010 he increased his focus by nearly double. He continued to take on more projects, and in 2016, he accepted the invitation to become the General Chair of the 7-30 Product Assurance Committee where he has worked with the leaders of the task groups and subcommittees under that umbrella to make meetings more productive.

He has often come to the aid of IPC technical staff and taken a concept from a task group and turned it into an info graphic for discussion. These helpful gestures have led to new, more accurate graphics in some of IPC’s standards. He often provides clear and well-formatted working drafts from his meetings, and every note, comment and graphic is completely traceable to its source.

In 2016, Bob provided his committee members and IPC staff with a “wow” moment when he was asked what projects may fill industry gaps, and he provided a long list of possible projects that could answer industry needs. IPC continues to consider each idea carefully to see when and where programs and standards can be launched with industry support.

In addition to chairing the 7-30 committee, Cooke also chairs the 7-31M Fiber Optic Cable Acceptability Task Group, the 7-31H IPC-HDBK-620 Handbook Task Group and the 7-31K Wire Harness Design Task Group, with service on a total of 38 committees. He has led standards efforts that resulted in the release of three white papers and several standards including IPC-D-620, IPC-HDBK-620, IPC-D-640 and IPC-A-640.

“IPC and the entire electronics industry are fortunate to have Bob volunteer his time and expertise,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “His work has enriched both the industry and IPC and we are thankful for Bob’s dedication and hard work.”

For more information on the IPC President’s Award and this year’s award recipient, contact Sandy Gentry, IPC communications director, at SandyGentry@ipc.org or +1 847-597-2871. 

IPC bestowed its highest corporate honors on two, member companies, Rockwell Collins and Northrop Grumman Corporation. During a luncheon at IPC APEX EXPO 2018, the Peter Sarmanian Corporate Recognition Award was presented to Northrop Grumman and the Stan Plzak Corporate Recognition Award was presented to Rockwell Collins.

The Peter Samarian Corporate Recognition award, named for a former IPC Board Chairman, recognizes an IPC-member company in the printed board industry that has supported IPC through participation in technical and management programs while providing leadership for the industry.

Northrop Grumman, an IPC member since 1962, has long held a leadership role in IPC, participating in meetings for decades, making a significant impact on both IPC and the industry. More than 50 of its staff members are active on approximately 120 technical committees ranging from flexible circuits and fabrication processes to conflict minerals and intellectual property standards. Almost 1,000 Northrop Grumman employees have earned CIT, CIS, CID, CID+ and EMS certifications across all Northrop Grumman locations.

Named for former IPC Board Chairman and founding member of the IPC Electronics Manufacturing Services Industry Management Council, the IPC Stan Plzak Corporate Recognition Award honors an IPC-member company in the electronics assembly industry that actively contributes to the industry while supporting IPC technical and/or management programs.

Rockwell Collins has been a member of IPC since 1965, and has devoted many staff members to IPC standards development. Nearly 40 Rockwell Collins employees provide leadership and technical expertise on more than 100 standards development committees dedicated to topics such as assembly and joining, electronic documentation and e-textiles. More than 250 staff members have earned CIT, CIS, CID, CID+, and EMS certification across all Rockwell locations.

“We are privileged to have Northrop Grumman and Rockwell Collins as members of IPC,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “Their decades of leadership, commitment to providing staff resources to standards development, and engagement in IPC education and event activities, have contributed to IPC’s global growth in the electronics industry.”

For more information on IPC’s Corporate Recognition Awards and other honors presented at IPC APEX EXPO, contact Sandy Gentry, IPC communications director, at SandyGentry@ipc.org or +1 847-597-2871.

The Nominating and Governance Committee of the IPC Board of Directors presented five candidates for election at the IPC Annual Meeting on February 27, held in conjunction with IPC APEX EXPO 2018 at the San Diego Convention Center. Three candidates were elected as Board officers and will serve two-year terms. Two were elected as new Board members and will serve a four-year term.

The newly elected Board officers are:           

• Board Chair – Mikel Williams, CEO and Board Chair, Targus Inc.
• Vice Chair – Shane Whiteside, President and CEO, Summit Interconnect
• Secretary/Treasurer – Bob Neves, Chair and Chief Technology Officer, Microtek Laboratories

The newly elected Board members are:

• Rick Bromm, President, Altex Inc.
• Jay Hill, Chief Operating Officer, Imaging, GE Healthcare

"IPC is privileged to have these directors and officers 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 industry," said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO.

In addition to holding Board elections, IPC honored outgoing Board Chair, Joe O’Neil, CEO, Power Design Services. O’Neil will serve as the Immediate Past Chair on the IPC Board of Directors Executive Committee for a two-year term. Out-going Board Member Marc Peo was honored for his nearly 10 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.

In recognition and acknowledgement of his extraordinary contributions to IPC and the electronics industry, Dave Hillman, Rockwell Collins, was presented with the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Award at IPC APEX EXPO on Tuesday, February 27 at the San Diego Convention Center. IPC’s most prestigious award, the Hall of Fame is given to individuals who have provided exceptional service and advancement to IPC and the electronics industry.

An active IPC volunteer and leader for IPC and the electronics manufacturing industry for nearly 30 years, Hillman is a metallurgical engineer in the Advanced Operations Engineering Department at Rockwell Collins, as well as a Rockwell Collins Fellow, serving as a consultant to manufacturing on material and processing problems.

Author of more than 200 industry papers and presentations, chair of numerous committees at IPC and a sought-after speaker in the industry, Hillman’s knowledge and expertise in the issues of tin whiskers, BGA voiding, solder joints, wire solderability, tin-lead solder, lead-free processes and conformal coating materials is extensive. Active in IPC’s Emerging Engineer program as a mentor, Hillman has also mentored more than 100 young engineers at Rockwell Collins.

In 1999, Dave earned an IPC President’s Award for his contributions to IPC standards development and in 2015 was amongst an illustrious group of inaugural winners of the Dieter Bergman IPC Fellowship Award for his commitment to global standardization efforts.

“Dave’s contributions to IPC have been invaluable,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “He is not only dedicated to creating better standards for the industry, but he also generously shares his knowledge and expertise with the next generation of engineers. His contributions for the past three decades have been far reaching, his time spent, immeasurable and his achievements, vast. He is an ideal recipient for IPC’s highest honor.”

For more information on the IPC Hall of Fame and other awards presented at IPC APEX EXPO, contact Sandy Gentry, IPC communications director, at +1 847-597-2871 or SandyGentry@ipc.org.

IPC® announces the winners of the IPC APEX EXPO 2018 Innovation Awards, a celebration of the innovators and forward thinkers who are changing the technological landscape of the electronics industry.

Thirty-four products and services were submitted by 32 exhibiting companies and were reviewed, rated and scored by a panel of industry experts who provided a numerical value 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 IPC APEX EXPO Best of Innovation Awards will be presented on Wednesday, February 28 during the morning keynote to the following companies:

• DfR Solutions takes a Best of Innovation Award for their Temperature-based FEA with Sherlock Automated Design Analysis™ Software, the first-of-its-kind Automated Design Analysis software tool for analyzing, grading, and certifying the expected reliability of products at the circuit card assembly level.
• A Best of Innovation Award goes to JBC Tools for JBC Net, a pioneering software system that manages and optimizes the hand soldering process, standardizes parameters and controls operator performance.
• Metcal has earned a Best of Innovation Award for its Connection Validation Robotic Soldering System. Robotic soldering is becoming more commonplace as manufacturers look to reduce risk and increase productivity. Metcal’s new CV Robotic Soldering System addresses these needs by combining its patented CV technology and a new Smart Interface System.
• Orbotech, Inc. has earned a Best in Innovation Award for its Ultra Dimension, an Automated Optical Inspection Series for advanced PCB manufacturing processes -- the first AOI solution to integrate four leading solutions into a single system: pattern inspection, laser via inspection, Remote Multi-Image Verification and 2D metrology.

“The IPC APEX EXPO Innovation Awards allow us to celebrate the innovators and forward thinkers who are changing the technological landscape of the electronics industry,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “The product and service submissions were certainly innovative and the companies did an exceptional job in identifying their product’s unique value in the industry. The innovative submissions directly indicate the strength of the electronics industry and its ability to respond to new challenges resulting from emerging technologies,” Mitchell added.

Members of the award review board include: Dale Lee, Plexus Corporation; Todd MacFadden, Bose Corporation; Dave Geiger, Flextronics International; Don Dupriest, Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control; Jeff Timms, ASM Assembly Systems; and Rick Lies, Chemcut Corporation.

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