IPC and ITI to Host Conference on Critical and Emerging Environmental Product Requirements

IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries® and the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) will host a conference series on “Critical and Emerging Environmental Product Requirements” in Boston, the Chicago area and San Jose on June 3, 5, and 7, respectively. The series will feature well-known United Kingdom (UK) regulators Carl Magness, product safety enforcement team leader, and Paul Tennant, product safety enforcement manager, both within the UK Office of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and Giuseppina Luvara, a policy officer within the European Commission’s Directorate General of Environment.

Magness and Tennant, who oversee enforcement of European Union (EU) regulations affecting the electronics industry, will provide an update on the EU’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive exemptions, implementation and enforcement, new chemicals, and more. Luvara, an expert on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) legislation and responsible for REACH review coordination, will cover EU chemicals management issues including REACH review, implementation, enforcement, and REACH/RoHS interface. She will also discuss new chemicals that the REACH regulation is reviewing, including phthalates and bisphenol A.   

“Global environmental compliance requirements constantly evolve, which can make adherence extremely difficult for companies,” said Chris Cleet, ITI’s senior director, environment and sustainability. “Misunderstanding these changes and their effect could have a disastrous impact for business. ITI and IPC’s conference will provide the information compliance professionals and officers need to be up to date with legal, regulatory, and customer requirements.”

The conference will include a U.S. Regulatory wrap-up by Cleet and presentations on Asia environmental issues by Alexa Lee, ITI’s senior manager of policy at ITI, at the Boston and Chicago-area events, and by Jennifer McLaughlin, Oracle’s product environmental compliance manager, at the San Jose event.

For detailed information on the agenda, specific speakers and the dates and locations of their participation, or to register for the “ITI and IPC Conference on Critical and Emerging Environmental Product Requirements,” visit www.ipc.org/ITI-IPC-Conference-2019.

North American PCB Sales Growth Stays Strong, Order Growth Slows

IPC Releases PCB Industry Results for March 2019

IPC announced today the March 2019 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Year-over-year growth in March was strong for sales but slipped into negative territory for orders, while the book-to-bill ratio retreated to parity at 1.00.

Total North American PCB shipments in March 2019 were up 19.1 percent compared to the same month last year. Year-to-date sales growth as of March was 16.4 percent. Compared to the preceding month, March shipments jumped 32.9 percent.

PCB bookings in March decreased 0.9 percent year-over-year, bringing year-to-date order growth down to a positive 2.4 percent. Bookings in March were up 10.1 percent from the previous month.

“Strong sales for the North American PCB industry in March, combined with lackluster order growth, brought the book-to-bill ratio down to 1.00, its lowest level in more than two years,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “Year-over-year sales growth has outpaced order growth for the past 10 months, indicating the likelihood of slowing sales growth in the coming months.”


Note: The March 2018 and January 2019 ratios have been revised since their original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants.


Note: The March 2018, November 2018 and January 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

The first-quarter 2019 edition of IPC’s North American PCB Market Report, containing detailed data from IPC’s PCB Statistical Program, will be published by mid-May. 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.

IPC Assembly Quality Benchmark Survey Open to Participants Worldwide

The 2019 Study of Quality Benchmarks for Electronics Assembly, one of IPC’s most popular annual studies, is currently underway. The survey is online and available in both English and Mandarin Chinese. The deadline for participation is May 17.

This confidential survey is open to all companies that do electronics assembly worldwide, including OEMs and contract electronics manufacturing service (EMS) companies. Participants who complete the survey will receive the report on the findings at no cost.

The study covers the industry's most widely used and important quality measurements, including yields, defect rates, cost of poor quality, rework, test and inspection methods used, inventory accuracy, customer returns, supplier performance, certifications and more. Companies use the results to benchmark their operations to world-class quality measurements.

The report will show industry averages and percentile data by product type, region and company size tier. Product types covered in the survey include electronic end-products and systems, rigid PCBs, flexible circuits and rigid flex, rigid backplanes, molded boards, MCM-C-L-D, mechanical assembly, cable and wire harnesses, and discrete wiring terminals and connectors. The report will be published in English and Chinese in August of this year.

IPC protects the confidentiality of participants’ data using a secure survey platform and server. IPC publishes only aggregate results and does not share any company-specific information. The survey asks for the participants’ IPC company ID number, which is used to provide additional data security.

Participants can access the survey in English at 2019QualityBenchmarkSurvey and in Chinese at 2019年IPC电子组装质量标杆调研项目. For assistance or to obtain the required company ID number, participants may contact IPC at +1 847-597-2868 or MarketResearch@ipc.org.

IPC-4101 Now Includes Validation Services Qualified Products List Requirements for Materials Specification Sheets

The IPC Technical Activities Executive Committee (TAEC) and the IPC Board of Directors approved by vote, the introduction of a Qualified Products List (QPL) requirement within IPC-4101, Specification for Base Materials for Rigid and Multilayer Printed Boards. The intent of the new requirement is to enhance supply chain verification of materials specification sheets, minimize nonverified submissions of specification sheets and give support to the committee evaluations of the new materials specification sheets.

Prior to submitting new material specification sheets, companies will be required to receive the IPC Validation Services Qualified Products List (QPL) certification. The QPL will ensure that the company is meeting the stringent requirements of IPC-4101 and delivering materials based on those requirements.

Companies who have submitted materials specification sheets for the proposed Amendment 1 to the current IPC-4101E, will be required to obtain the required QPL listing. The material specification sheets will not be accepted for review until the QPL listing is met.

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.

"IPC realizes that many companies use the inclusion of their products specification sheets in the IPC-4101 standard to provide some validity of their products in the marketplace," said Dave Bergman, IPC vice president standards and technology. "At the same time, a significant amount of IPC resources and volunteer time are used in the standards development process in adding these materials specification sheets to the standard. The Validation Services QPL program for IPC-4101 has proven to be of great value to the marketplace and adding material specification sheets will further enhance the program."

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 IPC-2591, Connected Factory Exchange (CFX)

Industry standard allows for quick and easy implementation of Industry 4.0 applications

IPC announces the release of IPC-2591, Connected Factory Exchange (CFX).The electronics industry now has an industry standard available to all companies in the industry, regardless of size or location which can be used to quickly and easily implement “Industry 4.0” and “smart factory” applications to their manufacturing operations.

IPC CFX offers tremendous value to electronics manufacturers as well as equipment vendors, solution providers, in-house IT groups and users with applications where data is transmitted and captured. EMS companies can set up seamless data communication between all equipment on their lines and track production on all the equipment from any part of the world in real time. Machine vendors have one plug-and-play data communication solution, reducing time and travel spent on customized programming for customers. OEMs can also utilize these standards to enhance real-time control of product quality, from board assembly to box build.

Because it is an industry standard, IPC CFX creates a level playing field for any company large or small to prepare for Industry 4.0 or to simply benefit from the machine-to-business data communication. IPC CFX also was developed with simplicity in mind. Rather than days or even weeks required to implement new equipment into a line, IPC CFX can be loaded and fully workable in a matter of hours.

IPC CFX defines all three critical elements required for a true plug and play industrial IoT standard: a message protocol, an encoding mechanism and a specific content creation element. The benefits are made possible without the need for middleware, delivering significant cost savings to the manufacturer as well as improved solution reliability.

The IPC CFX standard supports the concept of “big data,” including data of different types from across the factory, data on performance, materials, resources, users, quality events, product tracking and more. The types of data included in IPC CFX are used in many ways such as, a closed-loop feedback system, live production dashboards, MES control, and active quality management are just a few. Capturing all this information leads to a “big data” environment which can be used to create value opportunities to the whole operation.

David Bergman, vice president, IPC standards and technology states, “The goal of CFX is to bring technology-based optimization for all aspects of manufacturing operations, making the adoption of automation easier and more effective, as well as bringing enhancement of flexibility. IPC would like to recognize the strong contribution of the hundreds of volunteers from industry equipment and technology vendors who have been instrumental in this revolutionary step towards digital factory standards.”

For more information on IPC CFX, visit www.ipc-cfx.org.

IPC Launches New Certified Standards Expert Certification for Six IPC Standards

Responding to industry demand and member feedback, IPC created a new certification for company subject matter experts on IPC Standards. Companies need staff that understand IPC Standards at a deep level. The Certified Standards Expert (CSE) will possess a high level of expertise and serve as an in-house expert on IPC Standards. A CSE is not required to train, unlike a Certified IPC Trainer (CIT) who is required to train to maintain their certification.

Candidates may pursue CSE certification for six IPC Standards: IPC-J-STD-001, IPC-A-600, IPC-A-610, IPC-6012, IPC-7711/21 and IPC/WHMA-A-620. Upon certification, CSEs are able to navigate the IPC standard efficiently; identify relevant sections of the standard to address specific questions; act as a subject matter expert on all matters related to the standard; and apply the standard to specific company needs.  Certification is valid for two years and is available through IPC’s Licensed Training Centers.

David Hernandez, IPC vice president of education said, “After talking to IPC members and looking at internal data, we realized the need for the CSE level of certification. In the past, if you needed a higher-level of expertise than a Certified IPC Specialist (CIS) you became a Certified IPC Trainer (CIT) even if you didn’t train anyone. Now we offer a comparable certification to the CIT without the training component. A CSE is not required to train.”

IPC has also shifted the training materials to online-only delivery streamlining the registration and fulfillment processes. “The feedback we received from our beta-testing has been very positive and we continue to look for better ways to serve our customers,” added Hernandez.

For more information on the new Certified Standards Expert certification, visit  http://www.ipc.org/CSE.

IPC Hand Soldering Competition Winner Crowned at ELECTROSUB 2019 in Budapest

In conjunction with ELECTROSUB 2019, Microsolder and IPC conducted the second regional European qualification for the IPC Hand Soldering Competition in Budapest, Hungary on April 3-5, 2019. The competition in Budapest drew 33 professional hand soldering competitors for the coveted hand soldering regional competition crown. In addition to this year’s professional competition, 34 beginners from local high schools competed for first, second and third place cash prizes over the three-day period.

This year, the first and third place winners came from the same company Elektromont Kft. The first-place winner, Istvan Bidlek won a cash prize of 96000 Hungarian Forint and the opportunity to compete at the IPC World Hand Soldering Championship in November 2019, located at productronica in Munich, Germany. Coming in second place was Adam Istvan, from Eurocircuits Kft. Who received a cash prize of 64000 Hungarian Forint. The third-place winner, Imre Papp took home a cash prize of 32000 Hungarian Forint for his strong efforts.

IPC’s local training center partner Microsolder helped to organize the hand soldering competition and provided the independent judges for the competition. The competitors were evaluated on completing a finished assembly, based on workmanship, overall functionality, compliance with IPC-A-610 Class 3 criteria and speed, with a 60-minute time limit.

Thirty-four competitors participated in the student hand soldering competition. Varga Balazs, took first place and received a cash prize of 10000 Hungarian Forint. In second place, Toszegi Mate received a cash prize of 7000 Hungarian Forint.  Balazs Markus took third place with a cash prize of price of 4000 Hungarian Forint.

“The best-of-the-best hand soldering talent in Hungary came to compete at ELECTROSUB 2019,” said David Bergman, IPC vice president of standards and technology. “The competition was tough, but each competitor rose to the challenge. We look forward to hosting more hand soldering competitions across the globe.” Bergman added, “IPC would like to thank hand soldering competition gold sponsors: JBC, HAKKO, and Thales; silver sponsors: Optilia, The Daylight Company, Almit, Zestron et NCAB, Microsolder; for their support.”

IPC is planning additional regional hand soldering competitions in Europe. Watch for announcements from IPC with locations and times and on IPC’s Hand Soldering Competition web page. For more information on IPC events, visit www.ipc.org/events.

IPC Pulse Survey Shows Positive Industry Outlook Continues but Varies by Region

First-quarter 2019 results from IPC’s Pulse of the Electronics Industry global data service shows an electronics industry that is still riding the crest of the current growth cycle, despite cooling enthusiasm in some regions and industry segments.

The 167 participating companies worldwide reported average quarterly sales growth of 8.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018. Their average forecast for first-quarter 2019 sales growth was a bullish 9.8 percent worldwide.

The industry’s outlook on the current direction of the business environment worldwide rebounded in the first quarter of 2019 after scores edged downward in the last three quarters of 2018, although they remained positive all year. Most participating companies reported the current direction for sales, orders, order backlogs and profit margins as moving in a positive direction. Increasing labor and materials costs and recruiting challenges were the main factors negatively affecting the current-state score.

The companies’ outlook for the next six months also strengthened in the first quarter of 2019. Growth in sales, production, number of full-time employees, markets, capital investment and exports contributed to the strong six-month outlook. The 12-month business outlook also strengthened in the first quarter, with 88 percent of responding companies indicating a positive outlook.

The strong current-state score and six-month outlook were driven by results from companies in the Americas and global businesses. Asia and Europe had negative current-state scores. Their six-month outlook was positive, but weaker than the outlook for companies in the Americas and global businesses. Among the industry segments, the current-state score was strongest for OEMs and weakest for materials suppliers, although all industry segments indicated positive current-state scores in the first quarter of 2019.

Respondents comment every quarter on the trends or conditions that are driving or limiting their business growth. The comments reveal that component shortages have begun to ease, while there is growing concern about the shortage of qualified workers as the major factor limiting growth. Workforce issues now appear to be the biggest concern in all regions and segments of the industry, followed by tariffs and trade disruptions.

The second-quarter 2019 survey is now online with a deadline of April 19. Electronics industry executives with knowledge of their companies’ performance are eligible to participate. The confidential IPCPulseQ22019 survey is brief and easy for company management to answer, and there is no cost to participate. All eligible participants who complete the survey by April 19 will receive a report on the findings.

IPC Welcomes New Director of EHS Policy and Research

IPC -- Association Connecting Electronics Industries® announces the addition of Kelly Scanlon, DrPH, CIH, as director of Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) policy and research to its staff at IPC’s offices in Washington, D.C.

As IPC’s EHS policy and research director, Dr. Scanlon will lead IPC’s EHS advocacy and will work with IPC’s North American Government Relations Committee, the EHS Committee and IPC’s larger membership to develop a robust environmental policy agenda and a plan to achieve that agenda. In addition, she will represent IPC before policymakers and with industry coalitions and will be responsible for providing membership updates and analyses on pertinent EHS developments through online communications, events and one-on-one engagement.

Dr. Scanlon comes to IPC with more than 20 years of experience. Most recently she worked at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) where she helped identify policy and technology solutions for improved chemical management. Her work at the Defense Department was facilitated through a relationship DoD has with The George Washington University, where she had been a senior research scientist. She previously worked as a consultant and scientist in the private sector.

“Kelly brings strong technical credentials to her position at IPC,” said Chris Mitchell, IPC vice president of global government relations. “With more than two decades as a public health scientist, Kelly has influenced and strengthened environmental and occupational health policies inside and outside of government. We are thrilled to welcome Kelly to the IPC team, and we look forward to the contributions she will make to the electronics industry.”   

Dr. Scanlon can be reached at KellyScanlon@ipc.org or + 1 202-661-8091.

IPC Issues Call for Participation for Electronics Materials Forum

Presentations sought on emerging technologies

IPC -- Association Connecting Electronics Industries® invites engineers, researchers, academics, technical experts and industry leaders to submit presentation topics and descriptions for IPC Electronics Materials Forum, a new technical conference focusing on developments in materials and processes associated with electronics assembly and manufacturing. The conference will be held in Minneapolis, Minn., November 5-7, 2019.

The content of the IPC Electronics Materials Forum will focus on materials for board fabrication, assembly, and post-assembly protection with an emphasis on the emerging technologies that challenge our existing materials set. Developments needed for the future will be addressed, and interactive panels will extend an open forum to discuss solutions to these challenges.

IPC is seeking presentations on emerging technologies challenging existing material sets, as well as the following topics of interest:

Substrate Materials:

  • Novel board laminates
  • Surface finishes
  • Solder mask advancements
  • Flexible/wearable circuits
  • HDI developments

Assembly Materials:

  • New solder alloys
  • Flux development
  • Cleaning chemistries
  • Assembly process strategies
  • Thermal interface solutions

Protective Materials:

  • Cleaning chemistries
  • Conformal coatings
  • Adhesive
  • Underfills

“While many future technologies can be envisioned, they cannot be fully developed without the materials and processes to manufacture them,” said Brook Sandy-Smith, IPC technical education program manager, “this conference is ideal for engineers and managers that procure materials or want to understand advancements in materials for the board, assembly, components, and protective layers.”

Presentation titles and short descriptions should be sent to Sandy-Smith, at BrookSandy@ipc.org by June 28, 2019. For information regarding sponsorship/exhibiting, contact Alicia Balonek, IPC senior director, tradeshows and events, at AliciaBalonek@ipc.org.

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