SEPTEMBER 30--IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries (Bannockburn, IL; www.ipc.org), a trade association of more than 2200 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 Interconnect Manufacturing Services (IMS)/Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The North American rigid PCB industry book-to-bill ratio for August 2005 returned to the positive range at 1.01, while the North American flexible-circuit book-to-bill ratio continued high at 1.62.
These ratios are based on monthly data collected from PCB producers that participate in IPC's monthly PCB Statistical Program. The combined (rigid and flexible) industry book-to-bill ratio in August 2005 remained at 1.16. This combined ratio has become less relevant to analysts, however, due to the divergence between the rigid PCB and flexible-circuit segments of the industry in growth rates and book-to-bill patterns.
Rigid PCB shipments are down 0.6%, and bookings are up 3.5% in August 2005 from August 2004. Year to date, rigid PCB shipments are down 5.3%, and bookings are down 3.8%. Rigid PCB shipments from the survey sample increased 15.4% from the previous month, and rigid bookings increased 30.5% from the previous month.
Flexible-circuit shipments are up 38.1%, and bookings are up 65.9% in August 2005 from August 2004. Year to date, flexible-circuit shipments are up 27.3%, and bookings are up 20.7%. Compared to the previous month, flexible-circuit shipments from the survey sample increased 10.8% and flex bookings decreased 20.2%.
For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry sales billed (shipments) in August 2005 increased 7.2% from August 2004, and orders booked increased 14.6% from August 2004. Year to date, combined industry shipments are up 0.7% and bookings are up 1.9%. Combined industry shipments for August 2005 are up 14.1% over the previous month, and bookings are up 12.1% over the previous month.
IPC's monthly survey of the North American PCB industry tracks bookings and shipments from US and Canadian facilities, which provide indicators of regional demand. These numbers do not measure US and Canadian PCB production. IPC asks survey participants for the percent of their reported shipments that were produced domestically (that is, in the USA or Canada). In August 2005, 73% of total PCB shipments reported were domestically produced. Domestic production accounted for 87% of rigid PCB and 33% of flexible circuit shipments in August.
For more information, contact IPC director of market research Sharon Starr at [email protected] or 847-597-2817.
