OCTOBER 27--IPC--Association Connecting Electronics Industries (Bannockburn, IL, USA; www.ipc.org), a global trade association of 2400 member companies representing all facets of the electronic interconnection industry, including design, printed-circuit-board manufacturing, and electronics assembly, has announced its findings from its monthly Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The North American rigid PCB industry book-to-bill ratio for September 2006 decreased to 1.01. The North American flexible circuit book-to-bill ratio also decreased to 0.92.
These ratios are based on monthly data collected from PCB producers that participate in IPC's monthly PCB Statistical Program. The combined (rigid and flex) industry book-to-bill ratio in September 2006 was 1.00, at parity. Some analysts find the separate ratios for rigid and flex more meaningful than the combined ratio because of the divergence in recent years between the rigid PCB and flexible circuit segments of the industry in growth rates and book-to-bill patterns.
Rigid PCB shipments are up 6.6% and bookings are down 14.4% in September 2006 from September 2005. Year to date, rigid PCB shipments are up 10.1% and bookings are up 10.0%. Rigid PCB shipments from the survey sample increased 8.0% from the previous month, and rigid bookings decreased 6.3% from the previous month.
Flexible circuit shipments in September 2006 were up 24.3%, and bookings were up 14.7% compared to September 2005. Year to date, flexible circuit shipments are up 6.6% and bookings are down 6.2%. Compared to the previous month, flexible circuit shipments from the survey sample decreased 4.2% and flex bookings decreased 10.0%.
For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry shipments in September 2006 increased 7.7% from September 2005, and orders booked decreased 12.9% from September 2005. Year to date, combined industry shipments are up 9.9% and bookings are up 8.8%. Combined industry shipments for September 2006 are up 7.1% over the previous month, and bookings are down 6.6% over the previous month.
