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IPC Releases PCB Industry Results For May 2008(Archive News Story - Products mentioned in this Archive News Story may or may not be available from the manufacturer.) IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries Release date: June 30, 2008
BANNOCKBURN, Ill., USA, June 30, 2008 - IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries® announced today the May findings from its monthly North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program.
PCB Industry Growth Rates and Book-to-Bill Ratios Announced
Rigid PCB shipments are up 5.7 percent and bookings are down 4.1 percent in May 2008 from May 2007. Year to date, rigid PCB shipments are up 6.4 percent and bookings are up 9.4 percent. Compared to the previous month, rigid PCB shipments decreased 0.1 percent and rigid bookings decreased 5.7 percent. The book-to-bill ratio for the North American rigid PCB industry in May 2008 declined to 0.95.
Flexible circuit shipments in May 2008 are down 3.5 percent and bookings are down 5.0 percent compared to May 2007. Year to date, flexible circuit shipments are up 3.3 percent and bookings are down 12.5 percent. Compared to the previous month, flexible circuit shipments are down 9.3 percent and flex bookings rose 1.1 percent. The North American flexible circuit book-to-bill ratio climbed above parity to 1.01.
For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry shipments in May 2008 increased 5.1 percent from May 2007 and orders booked decreased 4.2 percent from May 2007. Year to date, combined industry shipments are up 6.2 percent and bookings are up 7.5 percent. Compared to the previous month, combined industry shipments for May 2008 are down 0.7 percent and bookings are down 5.2 percent. The combined (rigid and flex) industry book-to-bill ratio in May 2008 fell to 0.96.
"Rigid PCB shipments have outpaced bookings in the last two months, which drove down the book-to-bill ratio for the industry," said IPC President Denny McGuirk. "Overall industry growth this year is still modest but steady."
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 two to three months.
Book-to-bill ratios and growth rates for rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined are heavily affected by the rigid PCB segment. Rigid PCBs represent an estimated 90 percent of the current PCB industry in North America, according to IPC's World PCB Production and Laminate Market Report.
The Role of Domestic Production
IPC's monthly survey of the North American PCB industry tracks bookings and shipments from U.S. and Canadian facilities, which provide indicators of regional demand. These numbers do not measure U.S. and Canadian PCB production. To track regional production trends, however, IPC asks survey participants for the percent of their reported shipments that were produced domestically (i.e., in the USA or Canada). In May 2008, 86 percent of total PCB shipments reported were domestically produced. Domestic production accounted for 86 percent of rigid PCB and 88 percent of flexible circuit shipments in May by IPC survey participants. These numbers are significantly affected by the mix of companies in IPC's survey sample, which changed slightly in January, but will remain constant through the remainder of the year.
Bare Circuits Versus Assembly
Flexible circuit sales typically include value-added services such as assembly, in addition to the bare flex circuits. In May, the flexible circuit manufacturers in IPC's survey sample indicated that bare circuits accounted for approximately 62 percent of their shipment value reported for the month. Assembly and other services make up a large and growing segment of flexible circuit producers' business. This figure is also sensitive to changes in the survey sample, which may occur at the beginning of each calendar year.
Interpreting the Data
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 may reflect cyclical effects. Because bookings tend to be more volatile than shipments, changes in the book-to-bill ratios from month to month may not be significant unless a trend of three consecutive months or more is apparent. It is also important to consider changes in bookings and shipments to understand what is driving changes in the book-to-bill ratio.
The information in IPC's monthly PCB industry statistics is based on data provided by a representative sample of both rigid and flexible PCB manufacturers in the USA and Canada. IPC publishes the PCB Book-to-Bill Ratio and the Interconnect Manufacturing Services (IMS) Business Report each month. Statistics for the previous month are not available until the last week of the following month.
About IPC
IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 2,700 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $1.5 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Garden Grove, Calif.; Stockholm, Sweden; and Shanghai, China.
Contacts:
Marketing:
Sharon Starr Director of Market Research
USA
Phone: 847-597-2817
 E-mail this person
Company Information:
Name: IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries
Address: 3000 Lakeside Drive
City: Bannockburn
State: IL
ZIP: 60015
Country: USA
Phone: 847-615-7100
http://www.ipc.org
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