-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueBox Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
Boost Your Sales
Every part of your business can be evaluated as a process, including your sales funnel. Optimizing your selling process requires a coordinated effort between marketing and sales. In this issue, industry experts in marketing and sales offer their best advice on how to boost your sales efforts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Flex Up, Rigid PCBs Flat in May
July 5, 2007 |Estimated reading time: 1 minute
BANNOCKBURN, Ill. Flex circuits recorded a May book-to-bill of 1.32, while rigid PCBs hit 0.98. The total PCB industry hovered at 1.01, according to IPC Association Connecting Electronics Industries' monthly North American PCB statistical program. Overall PCB sales in 2007 are averaging about 10% below 2006 sales thus far, noted Denny McGuirk, IPC president.
Combined, PCB industry shipments slowed by 14.5%, and bookings dropped by 11.2%, year-to-year. Rigid PCBs, 88% of the PCB market, saw shipments from North America-based producers drop 14.8% and bookings fall 12.2% from May 2006. Flexible circuits recorded a 10.1% decline in billings and a 2.9% in bookings over the same month last year.
Year-to-date, combined flex and rigid PCB figures indicate a 10.3% decline in shipments and 15.6% drop in bookings. Rigid PCB shipments fell 10.9% and bookings declined 17.7%. Flex circuit shipments rose 0.7% and bookings were up 23.8%, indicating a growth in demand paired with relatively flat shipping volumes, noted McGuirk.
Compared to April, the book-to-bill ticked upward slightly from 1.00 to 1.01, indicating continued market stability, which will remain below 2006 revenues for several months, predicts McGuirk. Overall, North America-based PCB manufacturers saw shipments rise 7.2% and bookings grow by 1.9%. Rigid PCB shipments climbed 6.7% over April, and bookings increased by 2.1%. Flex circuit shipments improved by 15.7%, though bookings fell 0.4%.
Participating survey companies reported 89% of PCBs produced were manufactured domestically. Rigid PCB manufacturers indicate 89% is domestic production; Ninety-six percent of flex circuits are manufactured in North America. Flex circuit manufacturers noted that bare circuits accounted for 80% of shipment value in May, with the remainder accounting for value-add services.
Book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing orders booked values by the value of sales billed, each over a three-month period. A ratio of more than 1.00 indicates probable near-term growth. Percentages for indicators such as domestic production and value-add services are heavily affected by the sample mix in IPC's survey.