IPC releases IMS/PCB book-to-bill ratios for April 2006

MAY 30--IPC--Association Connecting Electronics Industries (Bannockburn, IL), a global trade association of 2300 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 April 2006 remained strong at 1.08, but the North American flexible circuit book-to-bill ratio continued its decline to 0.87.

Rigid PCB shipments are up 15.5%, and bookings are up 7.3% in April 2006 from April 2005. Year to date, rigid PCB shipments are up 8.9% and bookings are up 14.2%. Rigid PCB shipments from the survey sample decreased 17.0% from the previous month, and rigid bookings decreased 24.3% from the previous month.

Flexible circuit shipments in April 2006 were down 12.2%, and bookings were down 17.1% compared to April 2005. Year to date, flexible circuits shipments are up 2.2%, and bookings are down 12.9%. Compared to the previous month, flexible circuit shipments from the survey sample decreased 21.2%, and flex bookings decreased 34.5%.

For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry shipments in April 2006 increased 13.2% from April 2005, and orders booked increased 5.6% from April 2005. Year to date, combined industry shipments are up 8.5% and bookings are up 12.3%. Combined industry shipments for April 2006 are down 17.3% over the previous month, and bookings are down 24.9% over the previous month.

"April tends to be a fairly slow month in the PCB industry, as the month-to-month growth rates show," said IPC president Denny McGuirk. "But rigid PCB producers are still doing well, with healthy year-on-year growth rates. The decline in flexible circuit business over the past few months may be just a correction after last year's double-digit growth rates," McGuirk added.

For more information, contact IPC director of market research Sharon Starr at [email protected] or (847)597-2817.