IPC reports combined August PCB and flexible circuit shipments up 4.5% from July 2009

SEPTEMBER 29, 2009--IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries (Bannockburn, IL, USA; www.ipc.org) has released the August 2009 findings from its monthly North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program.

Rigid PCB shipments declined 27.4% and bookings were down 13.0% in August 2009 from August 2008. Year-to-date, rigid PCB shipments were down 28.7% and bookings fell by 26.9%. Compared to the previous month, rigid PCB shipments grew by 4.8% and rigid bookings increased 12.2%. The book-to-bill (B:B) ratio for the North American rigid PCB industry in August 2009 remained above parity at 1.09.

Flexible circuit shipments in August 2009 went down 13.7% and bookings increased 7.5% compared to August 2008. Year-to-date, flexible circuit shipments were down 2.7% and bookings were down 7.3%. Compared to the previous month, flexible circuit shipments went up 2.1% and flex bookings increased 26.5%. The North American flexible circuit B:B in August 2009 fell back to 0.92.

For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry shipments in August 2009 decreased 26.5% from August 2008 and orders booked decreased 11.7% from August 2008. Year-to-date, combined industry shipments were down 27.0% and bookings were down 25.7%. Compared to the previous month, combined industry shipments for August 2009 increased 4.5% and bookings went up 13.1%. The combined (rigid and flex) industry B:B in August 2009 held steady at 1.07.

"It's slow going, but we're seeing more signs of recovery in the North American PCB industry," says IPC president Denny McGuirk. "Rigid PCB bookings are strengthening and that is keeping the book-to-bill ratio well above parity. It has been positive now for four consecutive months, which suggests that we should start to see the impact in sales growth this fall."

-- Posted by Carrie Meadows, Vision Systems Design, www.vision-systems.com