BANNOCKBURN, IL – North American PWB shipments rose 3.5% year-over-year in August, while orders fell 15.5% compared to 2007, IPC said.
 
Year to date, shipments were up 5.6% and orders were up 1%. Sequentially, combined shipments for August were up 5.2%, while bookings were up 2%. The book-to-bill ratio was 0.95.
 
For the month, rigid PWB shipments were up 2.5% and bookings were down 14.9% year-over-year. Year to date, rigid PWB shipments are up 5.3% and bookings are up 1.7%. Sequentially, shipments increased 5.8% and bookings increased 3.9%. The book-to-bill ratio increased slightly to 0.95.
 
Flex circuit shipments in August were up 18.9% and orders were down 24.3% compared to 2007. Year to date, flex shipments were up 9% and orders were down 8.7%. Compared to the previous month, shipments were down 2.2% and bookings declined 21.5%. The book-to-bill ratio fell to 0.90.
 
In August, 76% of the total PWB shipments reported were domestically produced. Domestic production accounted for 76% of rigid PCB and 84% of flexible circuit shipments, according to IPC survey participants.
 
For the month, the flex circuit manufacturers in IPC’s survey sample indicated bare boards accounted for approximately 62% of their shipment value. The remainder includes assemblies and other value-added services.
 
IPC does not disclose the number of companies that participate in the survey, making it difficult to assess whether the data are representative of the industry at large.

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