IPC announced today the August 2019 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Sales and order growth rebounded in August and the book-to-bill ratio strengthened to 1.02.

IPC, in conjunction with What’s New in Electronics Live and ART-- Advanced Rework Technology Ltd., conducted the IPC Hand Soldering Competition in Warwickshire, United Kingdom, on September 18-19, 2019. Twenty competitors demonstrated their soldering skills with the hope of winning the coveted hand soldering competition crown.

IPC’s 2019 Annual Report on the North American PCB Industry, published last week, shows that the PCB industry in North America has turned a corner. For the first time in five years, domestic PCB production grew in 2018. North America’s PCB market also grew last year by nearly eight percent, solidifying the turnaround that began in 2017.

Exhibitor booth space at the third annual M-EXPO Wire Processing Technology 2019 in Ciudad Juárez, México, is sold out and wait-list applications are being accepted.M-EXPO 2019 has more than doubled its event space from 2018 and has exceeded expectations by selling out the exhibit space a month before the event. This year’s event is being held on October 9-11, 2019 at the Cuatro Siglos Convention Center, co-locating with the ninth annual EXPO-MRO.

IPC offers a day-long technical education seminar, Design for Excellence (DFX): DFM (Design for Manufacturing) DFR (Design for Reliability) DFA (Design for Assembly), in conjunction with PCB Carolina November 12, Raleigh, N.C., at the McKimmon Conference and Training Center.

The IPC Electronics Materials Forum is a new technical conference focused on developments in materials and processes associated with advanced electronics assembly and manufacturing for board fabrication, assembly and post-assembly protection. The three-day forum, to be held November 5-7 in Bloomington, Minn. Will be co-located with a Pb-free Electronics Risk Management (PERM) Council meeting.

B. Gentry Lee, chief engineer for the Solar System Exploration Directorate at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and successful science fiction writer, will present his keynote address, “A Passion for Space Exploration,” at the WHMA 27th Annual Wire Harness Conference, February 19, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nevada. During his keynote presentation, Lee will talk about the highlights of his exploration career and touch on the role of wires and harnesses on the most memorable spacecraft.

IPC invites researchers, technical experts and industry leaders to submit abstracts for poster presentations at IPC APEX EXPO®, the industry’s premier conference and exhibition for printed board design and manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. Poster presentations are scheduled for Wednesday, February 5, 2020, and will be displayed throughout the event, offering additional visibility.

Today, IPC announced Shawn DuBravac, Ph.D., CFA, will serve as the association’s chief economist. In this role, DuBravac will expand IPC’s research program and provide insights on the biggest issues facing the $2 trillion global electronics industry, including supply chain resiliency/uncertainty, trade wars, skilled workforce shortage, and the expanding role of electronics in the global economy.

IPC E-Textiles Europe 2019, a two-day technical education conference for innovators, technologists and brands/OEMs, will provide a platform for education and collaboration among a diverse group of professionals interested in producing e-textiles technologies and products. Developed by the e-textiles industry for the e-textiles industry, IPC E-Textiles Europe 2019 will also provide technical insights of interest to myriad market segments, including fashion design, health monitoring, medical, automotive, aerospace and military. The conference will take place in Munich, Germany, November 12-13, 2019.