BANNOCKBURN, IL – The printed circuit board recovery has reached a “plateau” based on the book-to-bill ratio trends, IPC says.

The ratio fell in October for the fifth straight month, as order growth has slowed, the trade group said.

North American PWB shipments in October were up 13.7% year-over-year. Orders decreased 0.8% compared to the same month in 2009. Year to date, PWB shipments were up 18.8%, and orders grew 24.9%. Sequentially, shipments dropped 14.7%, while orders decreased 20.3%.

The book-to-bill ratio slipped just under parity at 0.99. A ratio of more than 1.0 suggests current demand is ahead of supply, a positive indicator for sales growth over the next two to three months.

In October, rigid PWB shipments were up 13.6%, while orders decreased 2.7% from 2009. Year to date, rigid shipments were up 19.5% and orders rose 25.4%.

Sequentially, rigid shipments decreased 14.3% and orders decreased 21.1%.  The rigid book-to-bill for the month fell to 0.98. Rigid PWBs represent an estimated 89% of the current industry in North America, says IPC.

Flex circuit shipments in October were up 14.7%, while orders grew 25.2% year-over-year. Year to date, flex shipments increased 11% and orders were up 19.4%. Sequentially, flex shipments decreased 18.6%, while orders dropped 10.9%. The flex book-to-bill climbed to 1.0.

“PCB sales are back to about where they were in October 2008, just before the downturn hit the industry in North America,” IPC said.

In October, 82% of total PWB shipments reported were domestically produced.

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