IPC APEX EXPO 2019 … Exhibit Space Going Fast

IPC reports that 85 percent of exhibit floor space has been sold for IPC APEX EXPO® 2019. Three hundred twenty-seven exhibitors have been assigned to 134,200 net square feet of exhibit space, marking a 5 percent increase in square footage compared to 2018’s booth space selection event. The premier technical conference and exhibition for the electronics manufacturing industry will take place January 29–31, 2019, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif.

“Our exhibitors recognize that IPC APEX EXPO is the event to help them achieve their business goals and that IPC brings buyers and sellers together under one roof,” said Alicia Balonek, senior director of trade shows and events.  

The largest event of its kind in North America, IPC APEX EXPO sold out of exhibitor space last year and 2019 is promising to sell out as well. “Our number one priority is to give our exhibitors and attendees the best return on their investments, giving them an opportunity to grow their businesses and increase revenue,” said Balonek.

IPC APEX EXPO attracts a global audience of industry executives and decision makers in the ever-evolving electronics manufacturing and assembly market. IPC APEX EXPO 2018 post-show surveys from participants reflected that of those attending, 80 percent recommend, influence, or have key purchasing power and 50 percent make the final decisions. 

One of the top objectives for attendees is to see new products. “This event is an excellent opportunity to meet new customers, promote your business, network with existing customers and sell products and services,” Balonek added.

Post-show survey respondents have affirmed the buzz that rang throughout the 2018 show: attendees and exhibitors alike met their goals for networking, technical exchange, education and sales leads.

“IPC APEX EXPO 2018 was the most successful for my company and perhaps of all the years we have been exhibiting. The booth traffic was strong as were the leads -- we’re looking forward to coming back again next year for IPC APEX EXPO 2019,” said Jason Spera, CEO, Aegis Software.

Companies interested in exhibiting should visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org, or contact Balonek at AliciaBalonek@ipc.org or Kim DiCianni, exhibits manager and membership representative, at KimDiCianni@ipc.org.

IPC’s PCB Technology Trends Study Underway, PCB Fabricator Survey Open Until July 13

IPC launched a global survey of printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturers in the electronics industry this week. This confidential survey is part of a global data collection effort for the development of IPC’s 2018 PCB Technology Trends study. The deadline for PCB fabricator survey responses is July 13.

The goal of the survey is to measure current technical capabilities of the PCB industry and the potential for expanded capabilities over the next five years. The survey covers technical capabilities, including board types, layer counts, thickness, line width and spacing, aspect ratios, I/O pitch, thermal properties, frequency, reliability, materials and finishes. Respondents may answer the questions that relate to their type of product, focusing on one specific end-use application: automotive, communications, computers and business equipment, consumer, defense and aerospace, industrial, or medical and instrumentation.

PCB fabricator participation is crucial to the success of this project, which will provide valuable guidance to the electronics supply chain to meet the current and future needs of PCB fabricators and electronics OEMs.

A global survey of OEMs was launched earlier this month to collect data on their current technical requirements, product planning involving emerging technologies, and forecasts of PCB specifications over the next five years. Together the data on PCB capabilities and OEM specifications will produce detailed aggregate data on the current and future state of circuit board technology and technical requirements, and the outlook for future PCB technology developments through 2023.

Survey participants will receive a complimentary copy of the 2018 PCB Technology Trends report. PCB engineers, designers or technologists interested in participating are invited to contact IPC’s market research staff at marketresearch@ipc.org or +1 847-597-2868 for access to the surveys. Both surveys are also available in Mandarin Chinese.

IPC Extends Deadline on Call for Participation for IPC APEX EXPO 2019

Deadline for technical conference paper abstracts extended to: June 29, 2018

IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries® has extended the deadline of their invitation for engineers, researchers, academics, technical experts and industry leaders to submit abstracts for IPC APEX EXPO 2019 to be held at the San Diego Convention Center. The technical conference will take place January 29–31, 2019. The extended deadline for technical conference abstracts is June 29, 2018.

The industry’s premier conference and exhibition for the electronics industry, IPC APEX EXPO provides presenters and their companies with a notable and cost-effective opportunity to promote their expertise and gain visibility with key engineers, managers and executives from all segments of the industry worldwide. Staff from companies such as Ericsson, Flex, IBM, Indium, MacDermid-Enthone, Northrop Grumman, Oracle and Robert Bosch have presented papers at past technical conference sessions at IPC APEX EXPO. To recognize exceptional achievement, awards will be presented for “Best Paper.”

Expert papers and presentations are being sought on design, materials, assembly, processes, test, reliability and equipment in the following areas:

  • 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 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
  • Industry 4.0
  • Integrity
  • 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 approximate 300-word technical conference abstract summarizing original and previously unpublished work covering case histories, research and discoveries must be submitted. The submission should describe significant results from experiments and case studies, emphasize new techniques, discuss trends of interest and contain appropriate technical test results.

Technical conference paper abstracts are due June 29, 2018; to submit an abstract visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org/CFP.

IPC's PCB Technology Trends Study Underway, OEM Survey Open Until July 6

IPC launched a global survey of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the electronics industry this week. This confidential survey is part of a global data collection effort for the development of IPC’s 2018 PCB Technology Trends study. The deadline for OEM survey responses is July 6.

The OEM survey covers technical requirements that support the development of products using the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, sensor inputs and neural networks, and key technical issues including frequency and reliability. Technical requirements for PCBs are covered, including such properties as thickness, layers, line width and spaces, aspect ratios, I/O pitch, thermal properties, materials and finishes.

Respondents may answer the questions that relate to their type of operations, focusing on one specific end-use application such as automotive, communications, computers, consumer, defense and aerospace, industrial, or medical and instrumentation. OEM participation is crucial to the success of this project, which will provide valuable guidance to the electronics supply chain to meet the current and future needs of OEMs.

A global survey of PCB fabricators will also be launched later this month to collect data from PCB fabricators on their current technical capabilities and the potential for expanded capabilities over the next five years. Together the data on OEM specifications and PCB capabilities will produce detailed aggregate data on the current and future state of circuit board technology and OEMs’ technical requirements, and the outlook for future technology developments through 2023.

Survey participants will receive a complimentary copy of the 2018 PCB Technology Trends report. Electronics manufacturers interested in participating are invited to contact IPC’s market research staff at marketresearch@ipc.org or +1 847-597-2868 for access to the surveys. 

IPC Hand Soldering Regional Qualification Competition Winner Crowned at SMT Hybrid Packaging 2018

The competition was fierce as 27 competitors went soldering iron to soldering iron in IPC’s Hand Soldering Regional Qualification Competition at SMT Hybrid Packaging 2018 in Nuremberg, Germany. Of the 27 boards submitted by the competitors only four of the electronic assemblies were functional. Taking first place and a cash prize of €300 was Catherine Cardinal-Simoan, Thales International, who earned 422 points out of a possible 445.

Taking second place and a cash prize of €200 this year was Alexander Akpatrov, from Russia with 407 points. Eliane Chesnais, Thales International, took third place and a cash prize of €100. Elaine is not new to the IPC Hand Soldering Competition at SMT Hybrid Packaging Exhibition as she was the first-place winner in 2017. Taking fourth place this year was Ekatarina Stahlmann, Grundig Business Systems. Ekatarina was the first-place winner in 2015 and 2016.          

Participants in the hand soldering competition were tasked with building a newly designed functional electronics assembly this year, within a 60-minute time limit. Master Instructor Trainers Rob and Stefan Walls, PIEK, served as independent judges and evaluated each assembly based on workmanship, overall functionality, compliance with IPC-A-610G Class 3 criteria and speed to complete the PCB.

“The best-of-the-best hand soldering talent in Europe came to compete at this event,” said David Bergman, IPC vice president of international relations. “The competition was tough, but each competitor rose to the challenge to build a functional board within the allocated time limit. We look forward to hosting more hand soldering competition across the globe.”

Bergman added, “IPC would like to thank hand soldering competition gold sponsors: JBC Tools and Weller; silver sponsors: Almit, Balver Zinn, and NCAB Group; bronze sponsor: PIEK and MicroCare; contest contributor: Mircosolder, for their support.”

IPC is planning to hold additional hand soldering competitions in Europe. Watch for announcements from IPC with locations and times. For more information on IPC events visit, www.ipc.org/events.

IPC Welcomes U.S. Senate Defense Bill; Provision on Military Electronics Reflects IPC’s Priorities

The U.S. defense industrial base – and the electronics industry in particular – would benefit from a provision in a newly released U.S. Senate bill.

IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries welcomes the U.S. Senate’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was released to the public this morning.

Reflecting input from IPC and its collaboration with Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Section 862 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 defense electronics industrial base.

The report would include recommended actions to address aspects of the defense industrial base deemed “deficient” or “vulnerable,” and a plan to provide long-term budget resources and policy direction to the Executive Agent.

“I am pleased that the Senate national defense bill includes my amendment that would require a renewed focus on the defense electronics industrial base, including the work of the executive agent program at Crane. This would help to both strengthen our nation’s electronics manufacturing industry and ensure the availability of the trusted, sophisticated electronics that our service members depend on,” said Donnelly. 

“Every nation has a vital interest in securing access to the technologies that underpin their defense needs,” said IPC President and CEO John Mitchell.

“We thank Senator Donnelly for working with us to address these issues,” Mitchell added. “As he has said, the U.S. military depends on the U.S. and global electronics industry to help ensure the success of troops in the field. We take that responsibility very seriously, and we look forward to working with members of Congress and the Trump administration to address issues of concern in the electronics supply chain.” 

Because electronics are at the heart of so many critical defense systems, IPC has long been engaged in policy discussions aimed at ensuring the preservation and growth of a resilient electronics supply chain.   

For example, during IPC APEX EXPO 2018, IPC members had the chance to hear from representatives of the departments of Defense and Commerce on their analyses of the domestic printed circuit board industry. 

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 these issues.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is expected to release a separate report soon on the 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.

Mitchell added, “In the context of today’s globally connected, rapidly evolving technology industry, it is vitally important that policy makers have a clear and detailed understanding of the defense industrial base, and then strike the right balance between fostering important domestic industries and upholding the principles of free, fair and reciprocal trade. IPC welcomes all efforts to understand the role of electronics in international security, and we will continue to be actively engaged in this issue.”

Electronics and Textiles Come Together at IPC E-Textiles 2018

If your company has e-textiles and/or stretchable technologies on its roadmap and you find yourself asking the question, “How can I merge smart fabrics with smart engineering?” IPC has developed a technical and business education workshop to answer these questions and more. IPC E-Textiles 2018 will take place on September 13, 2018 in Des Plaines, Ill., and will bring together innovators, technologists and engineers to collaborate, and identify partners and solutions to propel growth for the e-textiles market.

Topics will deal with all aspects of e-textile development, including: smart textile wearables for consumers, sports, medical, military and safety markets; bringing the Internet of Things (IoT) to textiles; how to develop an e-textiles business model; how to collaborate with the supply chain to get the end-product you envision; and materials and components that make up e-textiles and how to select the right ones for your applications.

Oona Oksjarvi and Mary Alice Gill, of Jabil Circuit’s Nypro Consumer Health Division Clothing+ will present “We’re Successful When You’re Successful,” and will provide information on how to help achieve successful e-textiles manufacturing. Stephanie Rodgers, Apex Mills and Diana Wyman, American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, will cover “FYI: Fibers, Yarns and Inks for E-textile Products,” and will shed light on the building blocks, capabilities and characteristics of e-textiles.

In addition, Ben Cooper, IoClothes, will present, “Picking a Winning Business Model for Smart Textiles,” and provide a review of existing business models in the textiles industry and opportunities and considerations along the textile value chain.

Prior to the technical education and networking on September 13, IPC E-Textiles 2018 will play host to an open-forum IPC E-Textiles Committee Meeting on September 12. Interested participants will have the opportunity to meet with e-textiles industry colleagues to brainstorm needed standards and test methods and learn how to influence industry standards being developed by the IPC E-Textiles Committee.

“Performance standards, guidelines and certifications allow us to achieve best practices for customer satisfaction and consumer adoption,” said Stephanie Rodgers.   Rodgers who chairs the IPC D-70 E-Textiles Committee and co-chairs the D-72 E-Textiles Materials Subcommittee which is developing the first industry consensus standard for e-textiles materials adds, “for e-textiles, there are limited publications creating a vortex between two industries. The absence of these standards creates cumbersome conversations, excessive development costs and limited long-term success. The work happening with IPC is engaging participants from both supply chains in a forum for identifying and communicating a hybrid language and establishing a protocol for e-textile product development and acceptance.”

For more information on or to register for IPC E-Textiles 2018, visit www.ipc.org/E-Textiles-2018. For more information the IPC E-Textiles Committee, contact Chris Jorgensen, IPC director of technology transfer, at ChrisJorgensen@ipc.org.

Alternative Manufacturing, Inc. Earns Recertification as Qualified Manufacturer to IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610

IPC's Validation Services Program is proud to announce Alternative Manufacturing Inc.’s (AMI) IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 Qualified Manufacturers Listing (QML) recertification. AMI is an electronics contract manufacturing company based in Winthrop, Maine and provides PCB assembly, wire harness production, and product assembly for a variety of industries. To earn recertification of the QML, AMI successfully completed 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.

AMI met or exceeded the electronics industry’s Class 2 testing requirements for dedicated service electronic products. As a result, the company maintains its listing as an IPC trusted source capable of manufacturing in accordance with industry best practices. AMI as a trusted supplier source can be found on IPC's QML/QPL (Qualified Product Listing) database at www.ipcvalidation.org.

“The recertification process validates our commitment to excellence throughout the entire manufacturing process and acknowledges the efforts of each AMI employee owner,” said Greg Boyd, AMI president and CEO. “Each employee not only met but exceeded the expectations set forth by the IPC QML. By achieving and maintaining certification, our current and future customers can be confident in their choice to partner with AMI to support their manufacturing requirements.”

IPC's Validations 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.

"By recertifying, AMI has differentiated itself from the competition by continuing to be part of IPC's global network of trusted industry sources," said Randy Cherry, IPC director of Validation Services. "We are pleased to recognize AMI in this great achievement."

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. 

New IPC Report Shows Turnaround in North American PCB Market Size and Domestic Production

2018 Annual Report on the North American PCB Industry Released

IPC’s 2018 Annual Report on the North American PCB Industry, published this week, contains data showing the industry’s turnaround as it emerged in 2017 and how it affects different segments of the industry.

One key finding is IPC’s preliminary estimate of the size of the North American PCB market, which indicates growth of nearly nine percent in 2017. This makes 2017 the first year of any significant PCB market growth since the recovery year of 2010. Preliminary data on North American PCB production in 2017 also indicates solid growth in domestic production. Another notable change is seen in the 2017 market growth for rigid PCBs versus flexible circuits. For the first time since 2011, rigid PCB market growth outpaced flexible circuit market growth.

The military and aerospace market continues to represent the largest share of North American PCB production, reaching 40 percent for the reporting companies. Substantial growth was also seen the medical device and instrumentation market for PCBs. Sales of PCB prototypes experienced unusually strong growth in the flexible circuit segment.

Lead times increased steadily for all types of rigid PCBs during 2017, increasing more than 35 percent on average over the course of the year. In the flexible circuit segment of the industry, capacity utilization increased gradually in each quarter of 2017.

The report covers the size and growth of the region’s PCB market by product type, domestic production, sales and order growth by product type and company size tier, shares of eight vertical markets as percentages of sales, prototype sales, percentages of rigid PCBs with special technologies such as RF and embedded components, and other business data including capacity utilization, inventory turns and lead times for rigid PCB and flexible circuit businesses. The report is based on data collected in IPC’s North American PCB Statistical Program, in which the sample of survey participants represent more than 50 percent of the region’s PCB market.

The 2018 Annual Report on the North American PCB Industry, at $450 for IPC members and $900 for nonmembers, is available for download in IPC’s online store. For information on IPC market research reports and services, visit www.ipc.org/market-research-reports and www.ipc.org/IndustryData, or contact IPC’s market research team at marketresearch@ipc.org.

North American PCB Industry Growth Continues but at a Slower Pace

IPC Releases PCB Industry Results for April 2018

IPC announced today the April 2018 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Industry shipments and orders in April continued to grow but at a slowing pace. The book-to-bill ratio decreased but remained strong at 1.08.

Total North American PCB shipments in April 2018 were up 8.8 percent compared to the same month last year. This year to date, shipments are 9.6 percent above the same period last year. Compared to the preceding month, April shipments decreased 14.0 percent.

PCB bookings in April increased 2.9 percent year-over-year. Year-to-date order growth was 12.8 percent above the same period last year. Bookings in April were down 16.2 percent from the previous month.

“The North American PCB industry’s slower sales and order growth in April is unsurprising, as the industry settles into a more normal pace of growth after the recovery of the last three quarters,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “Also, business tends to peak in the last month of every quarter, often causing month-to-month decreases in the first month of the quarter, and this normal pattern can be seen in the April data. The outlook for this year remains encouraging, based on strong order growth in the past year and a book-to-bill ratio that has been above parity (1.0) for 15 consecutive months.”




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

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 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. 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.

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