BANNOCKBURN, IL -- May sales of rigid printed circuit boards by North American fabricators were up 20.2% and bookings climbed 7.1% year-over-year, the IPC trade group reported Wednesday. Sequentially, shipments rose 8.5% and bookings were up 2.9%.

Flexible circuit shipments fell 4.2% and bookings were off 20% compared to May 2005. Shipments rose 19.5% and flex bookings increased 19.2% over April's numbers.

The May book-to-bill ratio for rigid boards fell to 1.02. The flexible circuit book-to-bill ratio was 0.91, its third straight month below the benchmark 1.0 level.

The ratios are based on monthly data collected from PCB producers that participate in IPC’s monthly PCB Statistical Program. The combined (rigid and flex) industry book-to-bill ratio in May was 1.01.

Ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders over the past three months by the value of sales. A ratio of more than 1.0 suggests expansion.

It is difficult to derive the value of the IPC data, critics contend, because of the limited number and size of companies that participate in the survey.

Year to date, rigid PCB shipments are up 11.1% and bookings are up 12.8%. Flexible shipments are up 0.8 % and bookings are down 14.5%. Combined industry shipments are up 10.3% and bookings are up 10.8%.

More than 75% of the PCB market in North America is for rigid boards.

At least 13% of the boards sold in May by those surveyed were built offshore.

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