Target Condition: The 5 Ws of PCB Design Constraints
Fresh PCB Concepts: More Than Compliance—A Human-centered Sustainability Approach
Elementary Mr. Watson: Closing the Gap Between Design and Manufacturing
N.A. PCB Book-to-Bill Ratio Increases to 1.04 in January
March 2, 2016 | IPCEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries announced today the January 2016 findings from its monthly North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Sales and orders slumped in January, but orders continued to outpace sales, bringing the book-to-bill ratio up to 1.04.
Total North American PCB shipments declined 1.6 percent in January 2016 compared to January 2015. Compared to December 2015, January 2015 shipments were down 19.2 percent.
PCB bookings fell 3.4 percent below the level of January 2015. Orders in January 2016 were down 14.3 percent from the previous month.
“Historically, January is a slow month for the PCB industry,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “Although sales and orders in January were slightly below last year’s levels, orders continued to outpace sales, which brought the book-to-bill ratio back into positive territory. The ratio’s brief decline into negative territory near the end of last year is consistent with the current weak start to the new year,” she added, “but the return to positive ratios indicates the likelihood that slow growth will resume in 2016.”
Detailed Data Available
The next edition of IPC’s North American PCB Market Report, containing detailed January data from IPC’s PCB Statistical Program, will be available the first week in March. 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.
Page 1 of 2
Share on:
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
From Attraction to Action: Where Marketing Ends and Sales Begins
07/29/2025 | Brittany Martin, I-Connect007Before a PO hits the system, marketing has already done a lot of heavy lifting. Without strategic marketing, the PO might never arrive. At I-Connect007, we have been fortunate to help many companies achieve sales success through marketing. The key to success? Understanding how marketing leads to sales.
American Made Advocacy: A Growing Presence in Washington in Turbulent Times
07/29/2025 | Shane Whiteside -- Column: American Made AdvocacyLast month, PCBAA held its fourth annual meeting in Washington, D.C. It was our largest gathering to date and included speakers from the House and Senate, the Department of Commerce, and OEMs Lockheed Martin, RTX, and Northrop Grumman. We also spent a day on Capitol Hill educating lawmakers and their staff about the importance of a secure domestic microelectronics supply chain.
TSMC’s Dr. C.C. Wei and Dr. Mark Liu to Receive SIA’s Highest Honor
07/28/2025 | SIAThe Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) announced Dr. C.C. Wei, TSMC’s Chairman and CEO, and Dr. Mark Liu, TSMC’s Former Chairman and Former President & Co-CEO, have been selected as the 2025 co-recipients of our industry’s highest honor, the Robert N. Noyce Award.
Beyond Recycling: Reshaping Sustainability in Electronics
07/24/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineEnvironmental sustainability, especially for carbon-intensive industries like electronics manufacturing, means businesses are often plagued with various reporting requirements that don’t necessarily address the root problem. To that end, SERI and the Global Electronics Association are teaming up to reshape sustainability in electronics.
Smart Automation: What Industry 4.0 Means for Mid-sized Electronics Manufacturing
07/24/2025 | Josh Casper -- Column: Smart AutomationIndustry 4.0 has become a go-to phrase in manufacturing circles, though it’s often used as a slogan rather than a clearly defined concept. At electronics manufacturing trade shows or conferences, marketing banners and vendor literature display the term prominently; many technical sessions also focus on it. Industry 4.0 is the push for smart factories, with a focus on autonomous machines, cloud-connected systems, and AI-powered decisions.