Are Regional Differences in PCB Technology as Great as We Think?

May 23, 2019

By Denny Fritz, Fritz Consulting We keep hearing that Asia is all consumer and automotive electronics and North 

Key Summary

• IPC’s PCB Technology Trends study shows regional PCB differences are smaller than commonly assumed
• Asia produces most global PCBs but North America and Europe share similar priorities on materials and board construction
• Flex circuits show the largest variation with more low layer consumer flex produced in Asia
• North America and Europe specify more buried vias while Asia leads in HDI volume
• Capital investment priorities are aligned across regions with direct imaging and AOI topping the list
• Reliability and cost remain the top technical challenges everywhere

America and Europe are all high reliability/long life. The findings in IPC’s PCB Technology Trends 2018 study show that these regions are not as different as expected, and the differences we do see are interesting. There are small differences in rigid board layers, line widths and materials. A bigger difference shows up in flexible circuits where there is more low-layer count flex going into consumer electronics. True, North America and Europe have more rigid construction boards going into long-life (11 to 25+ years) products, pushing reliability. HDI construction is larger in Asia, as expected, but certainly not unknown in North America and Europe. North American and European OEMs specified significantly more buried vias than Asia. This could reflect either better acceptance of sub-laminations or more “any layer via” construction(not needing sub-laminations) in Asia. But, as Asia produces eight times as many boards as North America and Europe, Asian fabrication is quite capable of meeting the buried via needs of the other regions. The study also shows that investment in direct imaging and AOI are the top two capital equipment investment priorities of the industry in both regions for the next two years. Likewise, reliability and cost were the top two technical challenges for the industry in both regions. Are these findings consistent with your experiences of making or specifying PCBs in different regions? Do you think the regional differences are getting smaller? We welcome your comments.      

Q:
Are PCB technology differences between regions as significant as often claimed?
A:

The IPC study shows most differences are smaller than expected, with many shared priorities across regions.
 

Q:
Which area shows the biggest regional variation?
A:

Flexible circuits, as Asia produces more low layer count flex for consumer electronics.
 

Q:
Why do North American and European OEMs use more buried vias?
A:

They specify more sub lamination or complex constructions, while Asia often relies on any layer via approaches.
 

Q:
Does Asia still dominate PCB production?
A:

Yes. Asia produces roughly eight times more PCBs than North America and Europe combined.
 

Q:
Do regions share similar investment priorities?
A:

Yes. Direct imaging and AOI are top capital investment areas globally, and reliability plus cost are top technical challenges everywhere.

IPC Day 2019 - Hungary

May 23, 2019

IPC and its partners Microsolder and ELAS, IPC licensed training centers in Hungary, welcomed more than 60 industry experts and members to  IPC Day, Hungary held at the Groupama Arena, the largest football stadium in Budapest.

IPC hungary

This one-day workshop provided an opportunity for attendees to network and exchange knowledge and represented an ambitious effort to expand awareness of IPC standards and activities among the dynamic electronics industry community in Hungary.

Peter Regos, Master IPC Trainer (MIT), Managing Director of Microsolder and István Hámornik, Managing Director of ELAS, gave opening remarks ahead of Philippe Léonard, IPC Europe Director, who presented information on electronics industry perspectives. Léonard walked the audience through a detailed overview of upcoming IPC activities in Europe including:

  1. IPC Transportation Initiative
  2. IPC now using DRM Protected Documents
  3. IPC EDGE, IPC’s online learning platform
  4. ICP Certified Standards Expert (CSE) certification program
  5. IPC-CFX, the Connected Factory Exchange for Industry 4.0
  6. Using J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 together
  7. IPC standards and automotive addendums
  8. IPC standards and space addendums
  9. IPC standards available in Hungarian
  10. Industry skills gap and IPC tackling the industry’s workforce challenges
    IPC Hungary

Later, Microsolder Managing Director, Csaba Császár gave a presentation on how to increase the reliability of PCBs using IPC standards.

Finally, Gábor Hámornik and Gábor Ozsváth from ELAS introduced available liquid dispensing technologies in the electronics industry that comply with IPC standards.

Attendees had the unique opportunity to learn about IPC and how to get further involved at local and European levels, network with like-minded peers and visit Hungary’s most famous football stadium.

IPC’s ambitious plan for 2019 aims to significantly increase local engagement in Europe and develop more events and education opportunities at the local level.

Interested in organising an IPC Day in your company/city? Please, contact Philippe Léonard at philippeleonard@ipc.org

Hosted by:

     

IPC Welcomes New Senior Director of Sales

May 15, 2019
IPC announces the addition of Michael Stone as senior director of sales to its staff at IPC headquarters in Bannockburn (Chicago), Ill. As IPC’s senior director of sales, Stone is responsible for managing IPC’s sales efforts and growth goals. Essential functions of his role include planning, reporting, sales process optimization, sales training, sales program implementation, and recruiting and selection of IPC’s sales team talent. A seasoned leader with more than 25 years of experience in sales management, account development and building highly effective sales teams, Stone was most recently vice president, non-profit sales at Liturgical Publications Inc. where he was responsible for leading all facets of the non-profit sales department to promote revenue growth and account level profitability. “Mike is a passionate sales leader who has built and developed highly effective sales teams during the course of his career,” said Brian Knier, IPC vice president of member success and chief marketing officer. “Mike has embraced the successful sales leader philosophy of clearly understanding his organization’s mission, and dedication to providing the exceptional customer value with every interaction. We are thrilled to welcome Mike to the IPC team.” Stone can be reached at MikeStone@ipc.org or + 1 847-597-2866.

United States Increases Tariffs on More Chinese Products

May 09, 2019

by Chris Mitchell, IPC vice president, global government relations 

Key Summary

• The United States increased tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion in Chinese products
• New exclusions were added to earlier tariff lists, including items commonly used in manufacturing
• Negotiations had shown progress, but U.S. officials said China backtracked on key commitments
• Additional tariff increases on all Chinese imports remain possible depending on future talks
• China has pledged retaliatory tariffs, keeping trade tensions high

The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has published the official Federal Register notice increasing tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on another $200 billion worth of Chinese products, effective at 12:01 a.m. on Friday. Meanwhile, the USTR also has added more products to the list of exclusions from the first round of tariffs. The list includes numerous codes for items used in manufacturing, including spools of aluminum and steel and coils; push-button switches; DC electric motors and AC electric motors. U.S. and Chinese officials have met regularly since January to resolve long-standing trade issues with the goal of de-escalating trade tensions and easing the tit-for-tat tariff increases that took effect last year. Officials from both countries have reported progress in negotiations over the past few months, but the U.S. posture changed abruptly last week. U.S. officials, according to news reports, felt that Chinese officials had “backtracked” on key commitments, including IP and technology transfer reforms. In response, President Trump personally decided to increase tariffs this week. Meetings between senior U.S. and Chinese trade officials are scheduled to resume today. We are unlikely to see an agreement this week, as had been the goal. President Trump has suggested that he may also impose new or increased tariffs on all Chinese products imported into the U.S., but a decision that bold would hinge on the President’s estimation of whether a deal can get done and what pressure is necessary to strike it. The Chinese have promised retaliatory tariffs. As always, please contact me if you have concerns, insights or questions.

Q:
Why did the United States raise tariffs on Chinese goods?
A:

U.S. officials said Chinese negotiators pulled back from commitments on issues such as intellectual property and technology transfer. In response, President Trump directed the tariff rate to increase as a pressure tactic in the ongoing trade discussions.
 

Q:
Which products were affected by the tariff increase?
A:

The increase applied to $200 billion in Chinese imports, while some exclusions were added for earlier lists, including items like spools, coils, push-button switches, and electric motors that are widely used in manufacturing operations.
 

Q:
Are negotiations still underway between the U.S. and China?
A:

Yes. Meetings between senior trade officials were scheduled to resume, but an agreement was not expected immediately. Negotiations have continued since January, though progress stalled due to disagreements over key reform commitments.
 

Q:
Could tariffs be expanded further?
A:

President Trump suggested the possibility of imposing tariffs on all Chinese imports if needed to influence negotiations. Whether this occurs depends on the administration’s assessment of progress and strategic pressure required to secure a deal.
 

Export Controls in Flux

May 07, 2019
By Ken Schramko, senior director, North American government relations U.S. export control rules have changed significantly over the last decade, and more changes are expected as policymakers tackle the treatment of new and foundational technologies and respond to geopolitical developments. To help electronics companies comply with these rules and stay abreast of developments, IPC recently held three training workshops in California, Illinois, and Virginia, with the California and Virginia workshops sponsored and hosted by TTM Technologies. Featured speaker Gary Stanley – president of Global Legal Services, PC, and one of the nation’s top legal experts on export controls – gave an in-depth presentation that covered the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) cybersecurity, with a focus on printed circuit boards and electronics. Among the key points that Gary stressed were the following: • Correctly determining the commodity jurisdiction (State Dept./ITAR versus Commerce Dept./EAR) and the commodity classification (U.S. Munitions List versus Commerce Control List) is the most critical step in complying with U.S. export controls, because only then will you know what licensing requirements apply. • Communicate, communicate, communicate! Open lines of communication within your company's functional areas, e.g. legal, sales, procurement, IT, HR, as well as you’re your customers and suppliers, is essential to avoiding export control mistakes. • Measures relating to Trusted Suppliers, DFARS cybersecurity, and export controls certainly overlap, but each regulatory area has its own special requirements. • The most effective export control managers typically display intellectual curiosity, attention to detail, extroversion, and political skills. The last trait is important because export control managers must occasionally say “no” to their CEOs and colleagues, while maintaining their cooperation and support. The workshops also featured remarks by Special Agents from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry & Security, Office of Export Enforcement, who addressed, among other things, “red flags” to be aware of when approached by a potential customer, especially if that potential customer is new, foreign, and/or unknown to your company. Other speakers at the workshop presented on IPC-1791, Trusted Electronic Designer, Fabricator and Assembler Requirement; supply-chain risk management within the U.S. Department of Defense printed-circuit-board supply chain; and the DoD Executive Agent for Printed Circuit Board and Interconnect Technology. It is the responsibility of the company to understand all export control rules and regulations and ensure that they are in compliance. That’s why IPC will continue to make educational opportunities available on this topic, and why we encourage you to ensure that your company has solid export-control-compliance measures in place.

Engineer Connects Education, Industry and IPC

May 03, 2019
By Corey Lynn, Marketing Manager, Education As the IPC Education Foundation establishes student chapters, we have partnered with individuals in the electronics industry and academia. Sometimes we get lucky and find someone involved in both. Kris Moyer, lead engineer at Williams International, is an IPC veteran who chairs and participates in several IPC Standards Committees. Moyer is also a part-time professor focused on PCB design at Sacramento State. A chance encounter between Moyer and IPC President and CEO, John W. Mitchell led to a partnership in developing an online, instructor-led Introductory PCB Design course offered through IPC. The first class just ended. The next class starts on May 7 and is open for registration. The six-week online IPC PCB Design Fundamentals course utilizes interactive webinars, on-demand recorded class sessions, job-specific exercises, and team projects to facilitate mastery of the key concepts required by circuit board designers. IPCEF took the opportunity to ask Moyer about his experience teaching his first IPC class. Moyer responded, “It’s very rewarding to give back to the next generation of board designers by teaching PCB design both at the university level through Sacramento State University as well as through the new IPC EDGE training portal. I have been able to successfully design and build PWBs and CCAs for some of the most extreme environments and a lot of that knowledge flows directly from IPC’s standards and certification activities.” Moyer is also the faculty advisor of our first IPC Student Chapter at Sacramento State. He partnered with student Scott O’Hair, an IPC Emerging Engineer, to start the chapter with O’Hair as the first IPC student chapter president. Scott O’Hair added, “My experience as an IPC Emerging Engineer really expanded my knowledge of the electronics industry. I received a lot of insight from my mentors and attending IPC APEX EXPO give you the chance to see some impressive technology in action. The networking events can open up career opportunities as well and I wanted to share those benefits with my fellow students.” The Sacramento State IPC Student Chapter was the first of six chapters launched during IPC APEX EXPO 2019. Aaron Birney, IPC’s manager of education programs, describes IPC Student Chapters as “a way for students to engage IPC members and learn about real-world manufacturing processes, make connections within the industry, and lay the groundwork for internships.” The IPC Education Foundation, a 501©(3) organization, focuses on strengthening and shaping the emerging workforce by providing educational opportunities, connecting the emerging workforce with industry opportunities, improving the perception of the industry, and offering scholarships to deserving students. For more information on the IPC Education Foundation, contact Birney at AaronBirney@ipc.org or visit www.ipcef.org.

IPC’s PCB Technology Trends Study Details How PCB Manufacturers Meet Current and Future Technology Demands

May 03, 2019
PCB Technology Trends 2018, a new global study published by IPC is now available. The survey-based study shows how printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturers are meeting today’s technology demands and looks at the changes expected by 2023 that will affect the whole industry. Based on data from 74 companies worldwide, the 213-page report presents data on PCB technology and OEMs’ PCB requirements as of 2018, as well as OEMs’ use of emerging technologies. Predictions from both industry segments indicate what these measurements are expected to be five years into the future. The data on OEMs’ use of emerging technologies showed that more than half of those surveyed are currently making products that communicate with the Internet of Things and three quarters make products that depend upon sensor inputs. By 2023, more than half of the reporting OEMs expect at least some of their products to incorporate artificial intelligence and more than one-third expect to make products that interface with humans via neural networks. Interesting regional differences emerged on the use of blind vias, which are more commonly specified by OEMs in North America and Europe than in Asia. The use of stacked vias by PCB fabricators is also more prevalent in Asia today, but fabricators in all regions expect the use of stacked vias to grow, displacing staggered vias. Asian PCB fabricators are also leading the way in the use of printed electronics, which is expected to grow in all regions by 2023. Data on board properties cover thickness, layer count, density, line width and spacing, via diameters, aspect ratios, I/O pitch, via design, blind and buried vias, and thermal properties. Use of materials looks at rigid, flexible, stretchable, metal core, loss characteristics and surface finishes. The PCB industry’s use of special structures covers embedded components and chip packages, and its use of printed electronics includes 3D printing and e-textiles. Survey participants’ comments on compliance and technical challenges and trends are included. In addition, the data in the report are segmented by two regions — North America and Europe in one segment, and Asia in another segment — and by two types of products — installed and mobile. PCB Technology Trends 2018 is available to IPC members for $675 and $1,350 for nonmembers. For more information or to purchase the report, visit IPC’s Online Store.

Every Day is a Good Day to Focus on Worker Health and Safety

Apr 29, 2019
by Kelly Scanlon, director, EHS policy and research This week marks the annual observance of World Day for Safety and Health at Work, coordinated by the International Labor Organization (ILO). According to a recent report from the ILO, approximately 2.8 million workers worldwide die each year from occupational accidents and work-related diseases, or about 7,500 per day. In most countries, government regulations now exist to prevent such hazards, although many of those rules are not as cost-effective as they should be. Indeed, recognizing the benefits of leading the way and going beyond mere compliance, many companies have created cost-effective systems for continuous improvement in environmental, health and safety (EHS) performance. We’re proud that IPC members such as Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control have been recognized as being among “America’s Safest Companies” by EHS Today. As a longtime leader in environmental, health and safety (EHS) issues, IPC supports the need for practical policies and regulations that prevent work-related hazards and exposures, and we offer several helpful resources for our members. For example, the IPC Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Committee – under the leadership of Bret Bruhn of TTM Technologies – promotes cleaner, safer manufacturing worldwide through information exchange, assistance with regulatory compliance, and advocacy for practical, internationally consistent legislation and regulations. If you or anyone on your team has questions or suggestions concerning IPC’s work on EHS issues, please contact me at KellyScanlon@ipc.org. You’re also invited to attend one of the IPC/ITI environmental compliance workshops in June, which will cover California Prop 65, the EU Circular Economy Strategy, EU RoHS, EU REACH Directive, EU plastics initiatives, and environmental restrictions in southeast Asia. After all: Are we not all workers who deserve a safe and healthy workplace?

North American PCB Sales Growth Stays Strong, Order Growth Slows

Apr 29, 2019
IPC Releases PCB Industry Results for March 2019 BANNOCKBURN, Ill., USA, April 29, 2019 — IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries® 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.” 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.

03_19 IPC BOOK-TO-BILL GRAPHS

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