-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueSupply Chain Strategies
A successful brand is built on strong customer relationships—anchored by a well-orchestrated supply chain at its core. This month, we look at how managing your supply chain directly influences customer perception.
What's Your Sweet Spot?
Are you in a niche that’s growing or shrinking? Is it time to reassess and refocus? We spotlight companies thriving by redefining or reinforcing their niche. What are their insights?
Moving Forward With Confidence
In this issue, we focus on sales and quoting, workforce training, new IPC leadership in the U.S. and Canada, the effects of tariffs, CFX standards, and much more—all designed to provide perspective as you move through the cloud bank of today's shifting economic market.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
North American PCB Industry Sales Down 11.1% in October
November 22, 2024 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
IPC announced today the October 2024 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.09.
Total North American PCB shipments in October 2024 were down 11.1 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, October shipments were up 20.4 percent.
PCB bookings in October were up 3.5 percent compared to the same month last year. October bookings were down 3.7 percent compared to the preceding month.
“The October book-to-bill ratio for the North American PCB industry increased 3.1 percent compared to September, driven by strong bookings over the past three months and subdued shipments,” said Shawn DuBravac, Ph.D., IPC’s chief economist. “Year-to-date, order volume remains slightly positive, significantly outpacing the high single-digit decline in shipments.”
Detailed Data Available
Companies that participate in IPC’s North American PCB Statistical Program have access to detailed findings on rigid PCB and flexible circuit sales and orders, including separate rigid and flex book-to-bill ratios, growth trends by product types and company size tiers, demand for prototypes, sales growth to military and medical markets, and other timely data.
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 twelve 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 by the end of each month.
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
UHDI Fundamentals: UHDI Technology and Industry 4.0
08/05/2025 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsUltra high density interconnect (UHDI) technology is rapidly transforming how smart systems are designed and deployed in Industry 4.0. With its capacity to support highly miniaturized, high-performance, and densely packed electronics, UHDI is a critical enabler of the smart, connected, and automated industrial future. This article explores the synergy between UHDI and Industry 4.0 technologies, highlighting applications, benefits, and future directions.
Advancing Electrolytic Copper Plating for AI-driven Package Substrates
08/05/2025 | Dirk Ruess and Mustafa Oezkoek, MKS’ AtotechThe rise of artificial intelligence (AI) applications has become a pivotal force driving growth in the server industry. Its challenging requirements for high-frequency and high-density computing are leading to an increasing demand for development of advanced manufacturing methods of package substrates with finer features, higher hole densities, and denser interconnects. These requirements are essential for modern multilayer board (MLB) designs, which play a critical role in AI hardware. However, these intricate designs introduce considerable manufacturing complexities.
Ventec International Group Announces Distribution Agreement with Jinzhou Precision Technology Corporation
08/05/2025 | VentecVentec International Group has confirmed its agreement with Jinzhou Precision Technology Corporation to distribute precision drill and router bits in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, working in cooperation with DCM Technology, Jinzhou’s long standing European distribution partner.
NCAB Breaks Down Updated Tariff Rate Change
08/04/2025 | NCAB GroupThese are the new tariff rates that will go into effect Aug. 7, 2025 at 12:01am EST. Any shipments entering U.S. customs after this time will be affected.
Rogers Reports Q2 2025 Results; Net Sales Up 6.5%
08/04/2025 | Rogers CorporationNet sales of $202.8 million increased 6.5% versus the prior quarter. Advanced Electronics Solutions (AES) net sales increased by 4.6% primarily related to higher industrial, ADAS and aerospace and defense (A&D) sales, partially offset by lower wireless infrastructure sales.