IPC Welcomes New Senior Director of Member Success

IPC -- Association Connecting Electronics Industries® announces the addition of Clay Ervine as senior director of member success to its staff at IPC headquarters in Bannockburn (Chicago), Ill.

As IPC’s senior director of member success, Ervine is responsible for managing the IPC member experience and customer support team as well as growing IPC’s membership globally. Essential functions of his role include planning, reporting, membership sales, customer service, member/customer data integrity, membership administration, recruiting, selection and training member success team talent.

A seasoned leader with more than 20 years of experience in customer service, operational improvement, change management and account development for a variety of organizations, Ervine was most recently the director of customer operations at Akorn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. where he was responsible for leading the customer service and inside sales departments.

“Clay has a long track record of improving the customer service experience, establishing a ‘voice of the customer’ culture and building successful teams, mentoring future leaders, and retaining key talent by creating positive work environments and career path options,” said Brian Knier, IPC vice president of member success and chief marketing officer. “IPC staff looks forward to working with Clay as we continue to enhance our customer support experience and provide exceptional membership value. We are thrilled to welcome Clay to the IPC team.”        

Ervine can be reached at ClayErvine@ipc.org or + 1 847-597-2865.

North American PCB Business Growth Continues, January Results Revised

IPC Releases PCB Industry Results for February 2019

IPC announced today the February 2019 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Sales and orders both experienced solid year-over-year growth in February and the book-to-bill ratio strengthened to 1.06. Based on revised data from the industry, January business results made a much stronger showing than originally reported.

Total North American PCB shipments in February 2019 were up 13.9 percent, following a 15.5 percent rise in January, compared to the same months last year. Year-to-date sales growth in February was 14.7 percent. Compared to the preceding month, February shipments decreased 5.2 percent.

PCB bookings in February increased 10.7 percent year-over-year, after decreasing 1.7 percent in January. Year-to-date order growth in February was up 4.4 percent. Bookings in February were up 8.8 percent from the previous month.

“Revised January data from the North American PCB industry brought welcome changes to the 2019 business results to date,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “After slowing growth in the latter part of 2018, strong growth has returned in 2019. The book-to-bill ratio rebounded from a corrected level of 1.02 in January to 1.06 in February, indicating the likelihood of continued sales growth in the coming months.”


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


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

New Opportunity for Managers Announced

Special Attention to ‘Emerging Managers’
Jun 18, 2020

By Tracy Riggan, senior director, Business Development

In times like these, effective management skills to navigate uncertainty and fast-paced shifts are critical. Coupled with talent shortages which overburden existing teams, it can be challenging for businesses to build internal mentorship and management training from within.

Our members tell us that one of the key areas they need help with is leadership training. At the same time, the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Council recognized a gap in management content for engineering managers at the beginning of their careers.

With this in mind, the council is proud to announce a new offering at IPC APEX EXPO 2021. The Managers’ Forum, presented by the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Council will take place on Monday, January 25. The theme in 2021 will be Managing Challenges in Periods of Transition and will cover pandemic, trade, economic, and political impacts.

“Our purpose with this event is to provide information, experiences, advice, training and exposure for emerging and rising managers in the electronics supply chain while at the same time, engaging existing managers. We hope to share the wisdom of current industry leaders with future leaders,” said Denny Fritz, Hall of Fame Council Chair.

“We’ve brought together an exciting list of industry icons and senior managers to tell what they learned from the recent unexpected disruptions, the changes they have made to survive, and how they now plan to thrive going forward,” said event chair Gene Weiner, Weiner International Associates. Weiner shared the following sneak peak of the agenda:

• A supply chain panel, composed of a material supplier, fabricator, EMS company, component supplier, and OEM will field questions regarding their experiences, actions taken, and plans for the future.
• Presentations by senior executives of fabricators and their supply chain will highlight how they have weathered the storm, plan to go forward, and will evaluate new products and processes.
• Norman Weiss, enabler of international alliances and advisor for digitized manufacturing, Industry 4.0 and the Chairman of German Robotics, will speak on digitizing in the new world.
• Harald Ahnert, president of Atotech Electronics, will tell how his global operations have supported its fabrication, packaging, and IC customers around the world and what the company’s plans are going forward for future development during a period of rapid change.

“This is a step by the Hall of Fame Council in the direction of providing and organizing industry mentorship specifically for its managers and future leaders,” added Sanjay Huprikar, IPC vice president, Solutions.

We invite all managers of technology businesses in the electronics supply chain to attend on January 25 and especially welcome emerging and rising managers.

For more information, visit www.ipcapexexpo.org.

IPC and ITI Convene Experts and Members to Examine Critical Environmental Requirements for Electronics

Jun 17, 2020
Kelly Scanlon, IPC director of environment, health and safety policy and research Last Tuesday, June 9, IPC partnered with the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) to offer an educational conference for the electronics sector on critical environmental requirements. Previous conferences entailed a cross-country roadshow including stops in multiple cities from the East to West coasts. Due to the pandemic, this year’s event was held via webinar, and the participation level was strong! In all, we hosted 90 attendees, 12 speakers, and four sponsors from 25 states and 10 countries, who learned about: • The “Circular Economy” strategy; • The U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); • The European Commission’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive; • The Substances of Concern in Products (SCIP) database; • IPC and other industry standards for electronics and the environment; and • Novel approaches for product sustainability and COVID-19 response. The conference speakers represented government and industry experience, including: • William Neale, from the Directorate-General for Environment within the European Commission; • Susanna Blair and Ryan Schmit from the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; • Steve Andrews, currently with a global solutions provider in supply chain management and the former Deputy Head of the Resources & Waste Team in the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra); and • Walter Jager, an environmental compliance provider and leader in standards development for IEC, ISO, IPC, IEEE, NSF, UL, and CSA. Attendees also had the chance to engage with the event sponsors: Anthesis/The Compliance Map; Gensuite; GreenSoft Technology; and iPoint. This year, the sponsors doubled as speakers during five-minute “sponsor takeovers” during which subject matter experts from the sponsoring companies engaged directly with the audience in short, informative presentations – kind of like high-intensity intervals that kept attendees engaged and pumped. Kudos to Marc Church, Anne Barr, Brian Ahlers, Randy Flinders, and Donavan Hornsby for their creative presentations. This year, we also increased our social media presence. IPC, ITI, event sponsors, and speakers used Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to advertise and share news about the event with a large, global audience. The key takeaways included policy themes that reflect our daily work to engage with industry and government colleagues on critical environmental requirements for electronics. These themes include: • Consideration of the product life cycle. The chemicals and materials that are critical at each stage of an electronic product’s life-cycle require industry to have end-to-end data and information throughout the supply chain. The TSCA risk evaluations for high-priority substances and the requirements for the SCIP database are real-time examples of how we need to frame our understanding of conditions of use and the risks to human health and the environment in each stage. • Data. Data and information about the chemicals and materials that make up electronic products are more important than ever to sound decision making and policy creation. We need to consider how to improve our abilities to collect, manage, present, and communicate data within industry and to policy makers. • Standards can help industry and government. Ecodesign, ecolabel, and materials declaration standards enable industry to identify the data and information that are useful in design choices, circularity objectives, and end-of-life management options. These standards can be used to meet reporting requirements that will enable the circular economy goals. • Policies as instruments for change. RoHS continues to evolve even as we see new policies and requirements emerging, such as the various chemical and product strategies under the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan. We need to stay engaged. • Communication. We are remiss if we do not work together to nurture partnerships among supply chain members and between industry and government. Industry and government can engage through public comments, stakeholder meetings, site visits, and/or less formal meetings that aim to build trust and shared goals. While it is the responsibility of every company to understand the environmental requirements that apply to them, IPC will continue to be your educational resource and your advocate. To learn more about IPC’s policy and research work in the area of environment, health, and sustainability, please e-mail me at KellyScanlon@ipc.org or subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter.

IPC board welcomes New Senior Director of Education Programs, Colette Buscemi

IPC -- Association Connecting Electronics Industries® announces the addition of Colette Buscemi as senior director of education programs to its staff at IPC headquarters in Bannockburn (Chicago), IL.

As IPC’s senior director of education programs, Buscemi will be responsible for working with partners, staff and other associations to develop markets for IPC’s educational programs. In addition, she will identify and establish external resources and partners from education and workforce training organizations to help deliver IPC’s education and workforce development initiatives to attract and develop students and learners at all levels. Initiatives will target non-traditional, K-12, and post-secondary students, as well as transitioning military and veterans.

With a specialty in in strengthening and revitalizing business ecosystems, industry sectors and communities through trade development, workforce and educational programs, Buscemi has expertise in working with membership-based industry associations and government sponsored programs focused on improving U.S. Manufacturing through technology advancements and workforce initiatives.

Prior to joining IPC, Buscemi worked as the senior director for strategic partnerships and programs for the Digital Manufacturing Design & Innovation Institute (DMDII), serving as the Institute’s lead for workforce development initiatives and academic engagement and developing the workforce and education strategy while overseeing the re-design of the Institute’s academic membership model. Buscemi also served as head of trade & investment, Midwest region for UK Trade & Investment, the British government’s international trade development agency.

“The addition of Colette to the IPC staff aligns with the association’s ongoing efforts to develop markets for IPC educational programs,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “Understanding the challenges in creating a 21st century workforce is critical to the success of the electronics manufacturing industry. Colette’s background in program management, strategy and partnership engagement and workforce development ensures that IPC will be able to address the educational needs of the electronics industry. We are thrilled to welcome Colette to the IPC team.”

Buscemi can be reached at ColetteBuscemi@ipc.org or + 1 847-597-2841.

IPC Membership Cost: IPC’s Enterprise Membership Option Simplifies Dues Structure

IPC’s membership department is constantly working to expand its portfolio of exclusive member benefits, services and membership options. With feedback from IPC members, the membership team has developed a more comprehensive dues structure to make it simple for all divisions, groups and employees of a company to access the rich suite of IPC member benefits.

“Our members spoke, we listened, and in an effort to increase engagement and ease of use, we are transitioning our Enterprise Membership to a revenue-based model which will give IPC the ability to optimally serve our membership efficiently and effectively,” said Tracy Riggan, IPC senior director, Member Support. “Additionally, this method aligns us with the structures of other associations of which many of our member companies may be a part,” she added.

Features of the Enterprise Membership option include:

  • Gives companies an "all in" membership option to replace site-count tiered discount structure, making it much easier for existing members to increase their engagement with IPC
  • Simplifies membership dues structure to prospective new members
  • Provides efficient membership processing for buyers and IPC staff
  • An upgraded listing in IPC’s buyer’s guide, IPC Global Marketplace

According to Riggan, individual site membership (2018 prices: $1,300 for primary, $1,100 for each additional when joining at the same time) is still available for those who prefer this option. “For companies that recognize the importance of giving multiple company sites access to IPC membership benefits, Enterprise Membership provides the same benefits as “single-site” membership to all employees at designated locations at significant savings over single-site membership dues” she said. “In addition, Enterprise members receive an upgraded listing in IPC Global Marketplace worth $500 and the assistance of the IPC team to help communicate the benefits throughout their company.”

For more information on IPC’s Enterprise Membership dues structure, visit www.ipc.org/IPC-Membership-Dues or contact an IPC member success advocate at, Contact.Us@ipc.org.

Salary Budgets are Rising, Says New IPC Salary Study

Expanding salary budgets for North American electronics assembly companies are among the findings of a new study published by IPC this week. The 2017 Wage Rate & Salary Study for the North American Electronics Assembly Industry is now available for purchase.

Average growth in salary budgets in 2017 and 2018 for the 49 contract electronics manufacturers and OEMs that contributed data to the study was a full percentage point higher than average pay increases in both years, indicating an expanding workforce. The report also covers spending on benefits, health insurance and training.

The report presents averages, average ranges and percentile data on 2017 hourly wages, annual salaries and sales compensation. Data on 40 positions are segmented by region and company size. Sales compensation data covers base salaries, commissions and bonuses, as well as compensation of independent manufacturers' representatives.

Data on current HR policies cover hiring, performance appraisal, shifts, paid leave, team activities and other topics. Coverage of employee benefits includes retirement plans, profit-sharing, stock ownership, health insurance plans, life insurance, coverage of dependents, company contributions to insurance premiums, and tuition assistance.

Electronics assembly companies in North America can use the data in the report to gauge the competitiveness of their compensation, benefits and policies. The findings can help companies compete for the best talent in the industry.

The report is available from IPC for $450 (IPC member price, single user) or $900 (nonmember price, single user). For more information or to purchase the report, visit www.ipc.org/WageSalary2017.   

IPC’s Annual High Reliability Forum Adds Microvia Summit to Conference Lineup

Event to discuss solutions to microvia challenges and reliability concerns for Class 3 electronics

IPC’s High Reliability Forum and Microvia Summit, a three-day technical conference to be held in Hanover, Md., May 14-16, will focus on electronics for mil-aero, automotive, and long-life applications.

The conference will commence with a half-day professional development session offered by Bhanu Sood, Ph.D., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, titled, “Focus on PCB Quality to Drive Reliability.” Dr. Sood will review concepts of reliability and risk along with the relationship between quality and failure mechanisms. The application of non-destructive/destructive analysis techniques as well as materials characterization will be illustrated with the support of pertinent case studies.

Technical presentations will cover topics ranging from PCB design and laminate reliability, surface cleanliness and reliability, to microvia considerations and standard development updates. Panel discussions will open the conversation to attendees with subject matter experts addressing board and surface reliability challenges as well as microvia reliability testing.

The Microvia Summit is featured in 2019 since microvia challenges and reliability issues are of great concern to the printed board manufacturing industry and upstream users of printed boards. A new subcommittee, IPC V-TSL-MVIA Weak Interface Microvia Failures Technology Solutions Committee, was formed in 2018 to investigate root causes of microvia interface failure. Speakers from that subcommittee will provide updates on their ongoing efforts.

“The High Reliability Forum and Microvia Summit provides an opportunity for those working with Class 3 electronics to interact with subject matter experts, facilitating true problem solving and cooperation to share best practices across applications focused on exceptional reliability requirements,” said Brook Sandy-Smith, IPC technical education program manager.

The IPC High Reliability Forum and Microvia Summit features sponsorships by Aqueous Technologies Corporation, PCB Technologies Ltd, and NTS. Exhibitors at the conference include BTG Labs, Colonial Circuits, Inc., ELANTAS PDG, Inc., NTS, PCB Technologies, Ltd, Summit Interconnect – Orange, and Zentech Manufacturing.

For more information and to register for the IPC High Reliability Forum and Microvia Summit, visit www.ipc.org/high-reliability.

IPC Releases Report Projecting Employment Growth in European Electronics Sector; Launches Ambitious New Workforce Initiative

Employment in the European electronics sector is expected to grow according to a new study by Oxford Economics released today by IPC—Association Connecting Electronics Industries®. Such a trend would exacerbate issues created by an existing shortage of skilled workers according to our members.

The study’s release accompanied IPC’s announcement that it is expanding its Workforce Champions initiative from the United States to the European Union, with a pledge to create at least 500,000 workforce training opportunities to workers and students across the EU over the next five years.

Commissioned by IPC, the Oxford Economics report examined the data for the European electronics industry, which currently employs approximately 2.4 million workers in the 28 member states of the EU (the EU28), or about 8 percent of overall manufacturing employment. Key findings of the study include:

  • Employment in the European electronics sector is climbing but still below pre-2008-recession levels.
  • Germany remains the clear employment leader in the European electronics industry. In 2018, the electronics industry in Germany employed approximately 813,000 workers, equivalent to just over a third of total employment in the EU28. France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Poland round out the top five.  
  • The electronics industry is moving eastward. From 2011 to 2018, electronics industry employment in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) grew at an average annual rate of 2.1%, more than double the rate in the EU15.
  • Employment growth across the EU28 is expected to average 0.2 percent per year over the next five years.
  • However, the trend is expected to be far from uniform across Europe with the shift eastward projected to continue with the majority of CEE economies forecast to enjoy above-average employment growth.
  • Further research into the UK shows that wage growth in the electronics sector has run well ahead of the economy average and the rest of the manufacturing sector since 2011.
  • Such a trend is consistent with the existence of a skills gap which has weakened the negotiating power of firms in the labour market, although further research is required to reach any definitive conclusions. We plan to make such analysis part of our research programme over the coming year.

IPC commissioned the study to better understand employment trends in Europe to undertake further research and to inform its workforce training programs. IPC certifies more than 100,000 electronics workers per year globally and recently launched the IPC Education Foundation to support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs at universities and secondary schools.

The shortage of skilled workers is the industry’s top business concern. Companies simply cannot attract enough young workers to replace those retiring. With unemployment in many counties near record lows, market conditions are surely a factor. At the same time, electronics manufacturers are requiring ever-greater skillsets as the industry moves to advanced manufacturing.  

Advanced manufacturing, which relies heavily on robotics and automation, opens new horizons for the European electronics industry. The workers in these cutting-edge facilities tend to have less hands-on interaction with manual tools and greater reliance on computer-managed machinery. This trend is making manufacturing cleaner and safer than in the past, but it is placing new skills requirements on workers.

“The chronic shortage of adequately skilled workers and the changes in skills required are some of the most difficult challenges facing the electronics industry in Europe and worldwide,” said IPC President and CEO John Mitchell. “More than two-thirds of IPC companies indicate that a lack of skilled workers is constraining their ability to grow.

“That is why IPC is significantly expanding our industry’s efforts to engage young people and provide the education and training programs they need to enter and be successful in this industry.

“From a policy perspective,” Mitchell added, “we believe Europe needs to take a strong cross-sectoral policy approach to expanding the skilled workforce and strengthening the electronics value-chain.”

IPC unveiled its EU Workforce Champions initiative in a meeting with Inge Bernaerts, Head of Cabinet for Marianne Thyssen, the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility.

In support of its pledge, IPC is making unprecedented, multi-million-dollar investments in its education, training and workforce programs. The multifaceted effort will include investments in training and credentialing programs, STEM programming in secondary and post-secondary schools, “Earn & Learn” programs, and new job opportunities.

IPC Offers Tech Ed Course on Utilizing J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 Together

Course to be taught in locations in U.S and Europe

IPC’s popular standards, J-STD-001, recognized globally for its criteria on soldering processes and materials, and IPC-A-610, the most widely used electronics assembly acceptance document, complement each other when used together. IPC offers a new technical education course, Process and Acceptability Requirements: Utilizing J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 Together, to provide instruction on how best to use these documents jointly.

This course is ideally suited for process engineers, quality managers, auditors and others defining contractual requirements for soldering and acceptance.

Attendees will learn:

  • How these documents complement each other and where they differ;
  • How to provide clear instructions on drawings and documentation;
  • What takes precedence when a conflict occurs in the requirements;
  • How to navigate the complex world of ensuring staff training and proficiency requirements can be met.
  • What is needed to properly flow down requirements to suppliers and the pitfalls of taking shortcuts.

“J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 are written and revised in synergy,” said Teresa Rowe, senior director, assembly and standards technology, “so it makes sense to use them together. This course is designed to teach attendees how to use these standards jointly.”

Courses will be offered in the following locations:

  • April 2, 2019, King of Prussia, Pennsylania (full-day course)
  • May 5-6, 2019, Nuremberg, Germany (full-day course delivered over two half days)
  • September 10, 2019, Huntsville, Alabama (full-day course)
  • December 3, 2019, Anaheim, California (full-day course)

For more information or to register for IPC’s technical educations courses, visit www.ipc.org/TechEd-001-610.

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