It’s Only Common Sense: Customers Capabilities—and Confidence
Marcy’s Musings: Operating Without a Rulebook
Beyond the Board: How a Diminished Supplier Base Affects Complex PCB Manufacturing Readiness in Defense
North American PCB Sales Rebound in February
April 1, 2016 | IPCEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries announced today the February 2016 findings from its monthly North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Sales rebounded in February, outpacing orders and reducing the book-to-bill ratio to 1.02.
Total North American PCB shipments in February 2016 came in 8.9% above the same month last year, bringing the year-to-date growth rate up to 3.6%. Compared to the preceding month, February shipments were up 10.1% .
PCB bookings increased 2.7% year-on-year. This growth rate was not quite high enough to cancel out the preceding month’s negative year-on-year order growth, but it brought year-to-date order growth up to -0.5%. Orders in February 2016 were down 2.3% from the previous month.
“The February rebound in sales was the best news this month, following flat growth in 2015 and a slump in January,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “Also, the decrease in the book-to-bill ratio is not bad news, because it was driven by strong sales growth, and it remained in positive territory, which is an indicator for continued sales growth in 2016,” she added.
Detailed Data Available
The next edition of IPC’s North American PCB Market Report,containing detailed February data from IPC’s PCB Statistical Program, will be available by the end of next week. The monthly report presents detailed findings on rigid PCB and flexible circuit sales and orders, including separate rigid and flex book-to-bill ratios, military and medical market growth, demand for prototypes, and other timely data. This report is available free to current participants in IPC’s PCB Statistical Program and by subscription to others. More information about this report can be found here.
Interpreting the Data
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 three to six months. A ratio of less than 1.00 indicates the reverse.
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 reflect seasonal effects and short-term volatility. Because bookings tend to be more volatile than shipments, changes in the book-to-bill ratios from month to month might not be significant unless a trend of more than three consecutive months is apparent. It is also important to consider changes in both bookings and shipments to understand what is driving changes in the book-to-bill ratio.
IPC’s monthly PCB industry statistics are based on data provided by a representative sample of both rigid PCB and flexible circuit manufacturers selling in the USA and Canada. IPC publishes the PCB book-to-bill ratio at the end of each month. Statistics for the current month are normally available in the last week of the following month.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Our marketing partnership with I-Connect007 is already delivering. Just a day after our press release went live, we received a direct inquiry about our updated products!"
Rachael Temple - AlltematedSuggested Items
Fresh PCB Concepts: Designing PCBs for Harsh Environments—Reliability Is Engineered Upstream
04/23/2026 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsWhen engineers hear the phrase “harsh environment,” they usually think of the extreme temperature swings, vibration and shock, pressure changes, or radiation in aerospace. However, aerospace is not the only harsh environment where electronic assemblies must survive. Automotive power electronics, downhole oil and gas tools, marine controls, rail systems, defense platforms, and industrial automation equipment all expose PCBs to environments that are equally unforgiving. The stress mechanisms may differ, but the physics does not.
The Right Approach: The End of an Era—DoD Proposes MIL-PRF-31032 Cancellation
04/21/2026 | Steve Williams -- Column: The Right ApproachThe Defense Logistics Agency has initiated formal proceedings to cancel the military's primary performance specification for printed circuit boards, a move that could reshape how the U.S. defense industrial base qualifies and sources one of its most critical electronic components. On March 4, 2026, DLA Weapons Support issued a memorandum to military and industry coordination activities announcing that MIL-PRF-31032, along with its six associated specification sheets, has been proposed for cancellation. A 30-day comment period was allotted, with concurrence or comments due by April 3, 2026.
IPC CFX Demo Line Debuts in Korea at EMK 2026
04/10/2026 | Global Electronics AssociationAt Electronics Manufacturing Korea (EMK) x NEPCON Korea 2026, the Global Electronics Association, in collaboration with 13 companies, showcased the IPC CFX Demo Line (Connected Factory Exchange demonstration line), marking its debut in Korea.
IPC-7712 Development Advances at APEX EXPO: Committee Aligns on Scope, Structure, and Industry Priorities
04/10/2026 | Circuit Technology Center, Inc.Significant progress was made in developing the proposed standard IPC-7712, Component Safe Removal for Failure Analysis and Reclamation, during in-person meetings held at APEX EXPO, March 16 to 18.
2026 IPC Masters Competition China Wraps Up With Record Participation
04/07/2026 | Blair Yan, Global Electronics Association East AsiaThe three-day 2026 IPC Masters Competition concluded March 27 at productronica China in Shanghai, bringing together the largest and most highly skilled group of electronics assembly professionals in the event’s 16-year history. With 623 participants from 77 companies across China—up 30% from last year—the competition reflected a growing focus on the practical application of electronics manufacturing standards.