President Trump to Sign Legislation on Monday to Focus Leadership and Resources on Defense Electronics

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign legislation on Monday that will bring greater focus and long-term leadership to the government’s interests in military electronics.

Specifically, Section 845 of the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – passed by the U.S. House and Senate last month – calls on the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Executive Agent for Printed Circuit Board and Interconnect Technology (based at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana) and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to prepare a report to Congress by January 2019 on the health of the U.S. defense electronics industrial base. 

The report must include an examination of the department’s partnerships with industry and a plan to formalize the long-term resourcing and mission of the Executive Agent, which is the principal Defense Department entity charged with assuring the security and availability of printed circuit and interconnect technologies for defense electronics. The effort will build upon work already in progress within the Trump administration to ensure a more resilient defense equipment supply chain.

U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly (R-IN), who offered the legislative language, said: “Working together with the many companies around the state that support the electronics supply chain, Crane plays a critical role in our national defense and in Indiana’s economy. It is my honor to support these hard-working Hoosiers with this amendment, which requires a renewed focus on the defense electronics industrial base, including the work of the Executive Agent at Crane.This provision will strengthen our electronics manufacturing industry and ensure that our servicemembers have dependable access to the advanced electronics they need to succeed in any mission.”

IPC has been working on the issue for months. During IPC’s annual advocacy event in Washington, D.C. in May, member company executives discussed this subject with senior officials from the White House, the departments of Defense, Commerce and Labor, Sen. Donnelly, and Sen. Todd Young (D-IN).   

Most recently, IPC was successful in persuading members of Congress not to adopt a House provision that would have repealed the statutory requirement for the Executive Agent. Representatives Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN9), Ro Khanna (D-CA17), and Larry Bucshon (R-IN8) sent a letter to the NDAA conferees in support of the Senate language. Meanwhile, IPC members engaged their own members of Congress, alerting them of the harmful House provision.

"By including this provision in the NDAA, we’re fighting for both our country’s warfighters and the hardworking men and women of Crane Naval Base right here in southern Indiana,” said Rep. Trey Hollingsworth. “The military’s program at Crane to support domestic manufacturers will prevent our warfighters from having to depend on foreign suppliers for our most sensitive military technology.”

On a related note, the Trump administration is expected to release a report soon on the overall U.S. defense industrial base. That report, prompted by a July 2017 executive order by President Donald Trump, reflects months of analysis by the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce, and Labor, and is expected to be released within weeks. The objective of the effort has been to determine whether there are enough U.S. manufacturers and trusted foreign suppliers of vital military equipment, and whether there are enough skilled workers to work in the field.

IPC looks forward to continuing its work with members of Congress and the Trump administration to address issues of concern in the electronics supply chain.

IPC Invites Industry Leaders to Submit Poster Abstracts for IPC APEX EXPO 2019 in San Diego

IPC invites researchers, technical experts and industry leaders to submit abstracts for poster presentations at IPC APEX EXPO®, the industry’s premier conference and exhibition for printed board design and manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. Poster presentations are scheduled for Wednesday, January 30, 2019, and will be displayed throughout the event, offering additional visibility.

Technical poster presentations are being sought on all relevant electronics topics, including design, materials, assembly, processes and equipment and test, especially:

  • 3D Printing in Electronics Manufacturing
  • Automation in Electronics Manufacturing
  • Adhesives
  • Advanced Technology
  • Area Array/Flip Chip/0201 Metric
  • Assembly and Rework Processes
  • BGA/CSP Packaging
  • Black Pad and Other Board Related Defect Issues
  • BTC/QFN/LGA/MLF Components
  • Business & Supply Chain Issues
  • Cleaning
  • Conformal Coatings
  • Corrosion
  • Counterfeit Electronics
  • Design
  • Electromigration
  • Electronics Manufacturing Services
  • Embedded Passive & Active Devices
  • Environmental Compliance
  • Graphene in Electronics Manufacturing
  • Lean Six Sigma
  • LED Manufacturing
  • Failure Analysis
  • Flexible Circuitry
  • HDI Technologies
  • Head-on-Pillow
  • Board and Component Warpage
  • High Speed, High Frequency & Signal Integrity
  • Industry 4.0
  • Lead-Free Fabrication, Assembly & Reliability
  • Miniaturization
  • Nanotechnology
  • Optoelectronics
  • Packaging & Components
  • PCB Fabrication
  • PCB and Component Storage & Handling Performance
  • Quality & Reliability
  • Photovoltaics
  • PoP (Package-on-Package)
  • Printed Electronics
  • Reshoring
  • RFID Circuitry
  • Robotics
  • Soldering
  • Surface Finishes
  • Test, Inspection & AOI
  • Tin Whiskers
  • 2.5-D/3-D Component Packaging
  • Underfills
  • Via Plugging & Other Protection
  • Wearables

An abstract of up to 300 words summarizing technical and previously unpublished work covering case histories, research and discoveries should be submitted by Friday, September 21, 2018, to www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org/CFPosters.

For more information about poster participation or other opportunities to participate in IPC APEX EXPO, contact Jasbir Bath, IPC technical conference director, at JasbirBath@ipc.org or Toya Richardson, IPC technical programs coordinator, at ToyaRichardson@ipc.org.

Electronics Industry Thanks U.S. Congress and President Trump for Enacting Bill to Advance Workforce Education

IPC, the global industry association representing the $2 trillion global electronics industry, is applauding the U.S. Congress for sending legislation to President Trump  that will strengthen workforce education and training efforts. The President signed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (the Perkins CTE Act) on Tuesday.

The U.S. electronics industry faces a chronic shortage of skilled workers in the United States. According to an IPC member survey, most companies say the skills gap is constraining their growth and, in some cases, their long-term viability.

IPC has been a staunch supporter of the Perkins CTE Act, having advocated for the measure over the past year. Most recently, IPC President and CEO John Mitchell sent a letter to the leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in June, urging them to complete their work on the bill. During IPC’s “IMPACT Washington, D.C.” advocacy event in May, member company executives discussed the issue directly with leaders in Congress and the Administration.

“Having access to trained individuals continues to be a top priority for IPC’s 2,300 U.S. member company sites that employ more than 2 million people throughout the United States,” said John Mitchell. “As a training and certification leader, IPC has made significant investments to address the skills gap for the electronics industry. We commend the U.S. Congress for passing this vital legislation, and the President for signing it into law, to help address these workforce challenges.” 

To address the workforce shortage, IPC is making unprecedented investments in its own education programs, including:

  • IPC EDGE Online Platform – IPC is moving toward delivering more of its traditional training and certification programs online and in ways that are more likely to ensure long-term knowledge and skills acquisition.
  • Jobs Task Analysis - IPC is undertaking an analysis of the critical job roles in the electronics industry to map the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform job functions. The outcome of this project will re-shape IPC’s future certification and education programs.
  • Earn and Learn – IPC is partnering with academic institutions to develop apprenticeship, internship, and related opportunities that offer valuable skills in concert with academic programs.
  • STEM Programming – IPC is working with schools and nonprofits on a variety of programs to get kids excited about STEM subjects and to give them a familiarity with the electronics industry.
  • Veterans/Transitioning Military: IPC is supporting activities and programs that seek to recruit veterans into the electronics manufacturing industry.

To learn more about IPC’s government relations efforts on education and workforce, contact Ken Schramko, senior director of North American government relations at 202-661-8094 or KenSchramko@ipc.org.

Request for Information

PFAS in the Electronics Industry
Jul 07, 2020

by Matthew Chalkley, Procurement and Environmental Compliance Consultant

Industry colleagues, on behalf of IPC, I have commenced a quick turn consultancy study, to understand which chemicals in the per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances class, are used within the electronics industry.

Recognizing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) used in photolithography processes in the manufacturing of semiconductors is widely understood, I would like to identify what other, from ever increasing list of 4700+ PFASs, their salts, and -related compounds and mixtures, are used within the electronics industry, inclusive of polymers and non-polymers. For example, long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylate (LCPFAC), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), substances with shorter per- or polyfluorinated carbon chains like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxyl (PFA), side-chain fluorinated polymers. I would also like to understand both the use of PFASs within electronics manufacturing processes as well as the PFASs that are incorporated in articles, for example, electrical wire and cable insulation, printed circuit boards, transducers, battery chemistry, semiconductor wafer baskets, etc. If you can provide some information, I would be grateful if you could specify the PFAS substance, CAS number, associated process and/or article it is used or incorporated into, relative amount used (e.g. parts per billion, ppb) and any other information that you believe would be relevant and useful.

I would appreciate if you can provide this information by July 20, 2020. I can be reached via e-mail at  chalklem19@gmail.com. Thank you in advance.

North American PCB Industry Growth Trend Continues

IPC Releases PCB Industry Results for June 2018

IPC announced today the June 2018 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Industry shipments and orders in June continued to grow at a strong pace. The book-to-bill ratio for June is 1.05.

Total North American PCB shipments in June 2018 were up 12.6 percent compared to the same month last year. This year to date, shipments are 10.5 percent above the same period last year. Compared to the preceding month, June shipments increased 18.0 percent.

PCB bookings in June increased 5.6 percent year-over-year. Year-to-date order growth was 12.8 percent above the same period last year. Bookings in June were up 5.4 percent from the previous month.

“The North American PCB industry growth trend continued in June,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “Sales growth was positive year-over-year for the 10th consecutive month and order growth has been positive for the past 13 months. The book-to-bill ratio retreated in June due to stronger sales growth than order growth, but it remains above parity (1.0) for the 17th consecutive month, which is a positive indicator of continued growth for the remainder of this year.”


Note: The January 2018-March 2018 ratios have been revised since their original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants.


Note: The June 2017 and January 2018-March 2018 growth rates have been revised since their original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants.

View Chart in PDF

Detailed Data Available

The next edition of IPC’s North American PCB Market Report,containing detailed second-quarter 2018 data from IPC’s PCB Statistical Program, will be available in August. The quarterly 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 product types and company size tiers, demand for prototypes, sales growth to military and medical markets, and other timely data. This report is available free to current participants in IPC’s PCB Statistical Program and by subscription to others. PCB companies that are IPC members doing business in North America are invited to contact marketresearch@ipc.org for information about participating. 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.

U.S. Defense Legislation Reflects IPC Input on Military Electronics

IPC is applauding leaders in the U.S. House and Senate for finalizing the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and including a provision on military electronics backed by IPC.

Reflecting IPC’s collaboration with Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Section 845 of the bill calls on the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Executive Agent for Printed Circuit Board and Interconnect Technology (based at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana) and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to prepare a report to Congress by January 2019 on the health of the U.S. defense electronics industrial base.  The report will include an examination of the Department’s partnerships with industry and a plan to formalize the long-term resourcing of the Executive Agent.

IPC was successful in persuading members of Congress not to adopt a House provision that would have repealed the statutory requirement for the Executive Agent. The Executive Agent is the principal Defense Department entity charged with assuring the security and availability of printed circuit and interconnect technologies for defense electronics.  

“This decision is a positive step for the electronics industry," said IPC President and CEO John Mitchell. "Advanced electronics are at the heart of many critical defense systems, and it is our industry’s goal to ensure a resilient global electronics supply chains. We applaud Congress for taking this step, which will bring welcome attention and support to electronics manufacturers."

During IMPACT 2018, IPC’s annual advocacy week in Washington, D.C. in May, member company executives discussed this subject with senior officials from the White House and the departments of Defense, Commerce and Labor, and IPC presented an award to Sen. Donnelly for his leadership on the issue.

IPC worked with Representatives Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN9), Ro Khanna (D-CA17), and Larry Bucshon (R-IN8) to send a congressional letter to NDAA conferees, affirming the industry's positions on both the House and Senate bills. Meanwhile, IPC members engaged their own members of Congress, alerting them of the harmful language in the House provision.

On a related note, the Trump administration is expected to release a report soon on the overall U.S. defense industrial base. That report, prompted by a July 2017 executive order by President Donald Trump, reflects months of analysis by the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce, and Labor, and is expected to be released within weeks. The objective of the effort has been to determine whether there are enough U.S. manufacturers and trusted foreign suppliers of vital military equipment, and whether there are enough skilled workers to work in the field.

IPC looks forward to continuing its work with members of Congress and the Trump administration to address issues of concern in the electronics supply chain.

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems Division Earns IPC Qualified Manufacturers Listing (QML)

IPC's Validation Services Program has awarded an IPC J-STD-001, IPC-A-610 and IPC/WHMA-A-620 Qualified Manufacturers Listing (QML) Class 3, to the Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS) business area. Following an initial audit by IPC, Lockheed Martin RMS becomes one of the OEM trusted sources and suppliers meeting the stringent requirements of the Qualified Manufacturing Listing (QML) based on three of IPC's foremost standards: IPC J-STD-001, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies, IPC-A-610, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies and IPC/WHMA-A-620, Requirements and Acceptance for Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies.

Lockheed Martin RMS initially contacted IPC to review its manufacturing processes using the IPC Standard Gap Analysis (SGA). Through the SGA program, the global security and aerospace company looked to improve its production methods before moving to the IPC Validation Services QML recognition program.

During the IPC Validation Services QML four-day audit, Lockheed Martin RMS met or exceeded the requirements for the electronics industry’s most rigorous classification, Class 3, which is intended for high-performance electronics assemblies. The company is now listed and recognized as an IPC trusted source capable of manufacturing in accordance with industry best practices.

IPC's Validations Services QPL/QML Program was developed to promote supply chain verification and recognition. 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 provides 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 Lockheed Martin for becoming a member of IPC's network of trusted QML suppliers for three of IPC’s foremost standards."

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.

IPC Releases 2018 Quality Benchmark Study for Electronics Assembly

IPC's Study of Quality Benchmarks for Electronics Assembly 2018 is now available. The global study provides valuable benchmarking data to electronics assembly companies interested in comparing their quality measurements to those of the industry worldwide.

The quality control measurements covered by the study include yields for various test methods as well as the percentages of products subjected to these tests. Yields and defect rates at first pass and final inspection, internal yields of key processes, defect rates, and DPMO and yield targets, and the average cost of poor quality as percentages of sales for rework and scrap are also covered. The study reports on the use of various quality control methods.

Customer satisfaction and supplier performance measurements are covered in the study, including rates of customer returns and returns due to product failure, and rates of on-time delivery. The industry's adoption of major quality certifications is also reported.

The data — in averages, medians and percentiles — are segmented by company size tier, by region, and by type of production including rigid PCBs, flexible circuits, finished end products, mechanical assembly, cable and harness, and discrete wiring terminal and connectors.

The aggregate data represent 63 electronics assembly companies of all sizes – both OEMs and contract electronics manufacturers – in all regions of the world.

The 152-page report is available for sale to IPC members for $675 and to nonmembers for $1,350. For more information or to purchase the report, visit www.ipc.org/AssemblyBenchmark2018 or contact IPC's market research department at marketresearch@ipc.org. For information on other IPC market research programs, visit www.ipc.org/IndustryData.

IPC Offers Technical Education Course, Designing Boards with HDI Technology, at PCB Carolina

High density interconnect (HDI) technology makes it possible to place more components on both sides of a raw PCB and from a design perspective, HDI technology requires different setup and thought as to what is needed and how to accomplish it. As a result, designers need to understand the structure of the HDI traces and vias, and what their options and effects are to the cost and electronics involved.

Designers wanting to learn more are invited to attend IPC’s technical education course, “Designing Boards with HDI Technology” on November 6 in Raleigh, N.C. The course will be held in conjunction with PCB Carolina.

Instructor and senior PCB designer with Design Science, Suzy Webb, will provide instruction on HDI technology and cover: the structure of the HDI traces and vias; options and effects of cost and electronics; options for stack up types; how to get signals and powers from layer to layer in the board; patterns and grids such as via in pad, offset or swing vias to maximize fanout and routing opportunities; and routing return, power distribution, and layer paired routing. In addition, Webb will lead a discussion on the benefits HDI technology provides to other parts on the board, along with the unique manufacturing needs of these types of boards.

IPC’s technical education course registration includes access to PCB Carolina including exhibition, keynote address, and morning and afternoon technical sessions on November 7. Attendees who want to learn more about IPC and its services are invited to join IPC staff for a free networking event, IPC Day, the evening of November 6, immediately following IPC’s course.

For more information or to register for “Designing Boards with HDI Technology,” visit www.ipc.org/TechEd-Raleigh. Separate registration is required for IPC Day. Visit www.ipc.org/IPC-Day for more info.

Electronics Industry Supports Senate Bill to Advance Workforce Education

IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries, the global industry association representing the $2 trillion global electronics industry, applauds a U.S. Senate committee for its work in advancing a workforce education and training bill.

In a letter to the chairman and ranking minority member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee – Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA), respectively – IPC President and CEO John Mitchell praised the pair for their bipartisan leadership on the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act.

“As a training and certification leader, one of IPC’s top priorities is to promote workforce development initiatives, educate and train workers to fill manufacturing jobs, and be innovative in finding ways to close the skills gap,” wrote Mitchell. “Our members, who employ two million individuals throughout the United States, are highly dependent on workers with technical skills with many jobs not requiring an advanced degree in STEM. We appreciate your leadership to address these workforce challenges.”

The electronics industry has been hit particularly hard by a shortage of skilled workers in the United States, with most companies indicating it is constraining their growth and, in some cases, their long-term viability.

“This piece of legislation is hugely important to our industry and the next generation of workers as it will ensure that students have access to critical technical programs that will advance their ability to develop in-demand skills that are essential to 21st century manufacturing,” said IPC’s Senior Director of Education Programs, Colette Buscemi.

To address the workforce shortage, IPC is making unprecedented investments in its education programs, including:

  • IPC EDGE Online Platform – IPC is moving toward delivering more of its traditional training and certification programs online and in ways that are more likely to ensure long-term knowledge and skills acquisition.
  • Jobs Task Analysis - IPC is undertaking an analysis of the critical job roles in the electronics industry to map the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform job functions. The outcome of this project will re-shape IPC’s future certification and education programs.
  • Earn and Learn – IPC is partnering with academic institutions to develop apprenticeship, internship, and related opportunities that offer valuable skills in concert with academic programs.
  • STEM Programming – IPC is working with schools and nonprofits on a variety of programs to get kids excited about STEM subjects and to give them a familiarity with the electronics industry.
  • Veterans/Transitioning Military: IPC is supporting activities and programs that seek to recruit veterans into the electronics manufacturing industry.

To learn more about IPC’s workforce development initiatives, contact Buscemi at 847-597-2841 or ColetteBuscemi@ipc.org.

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