SMYRNA, GA -- More than 2,000 PCB designers, fabricators and assemblers registered for Virtual PCB (www.virtual-pcb.com), the industry's only virtual trade show and conference, which took place this week.

The live event was held Feb. 24-25, and the show will remain open in an archive mode for two months.

Exhibitors include several leading suppliers of placement, soldering and test equipment, materials, software, and bare boards. The technical conference includes Webinars on design, simulation, soldering, lead-free assembly, and environmental issues from well-known industry experts.

New this year were technical chats featuring experts on subjects ranging from CAD and MCAD software to laminates, and from assembly process defect solutions to the potential of alternative energy platforms for SMT manufacturers.

“We found the technical conference to be a huge draw, with some Webinars attracting several hundred attendees, which simple logistics would prevent at the industry’s ‘live’ events,” said Mike Buetow, editor in chief of Circuits Assembly, which cosponsored Virtual PCB.

A fully interactive, Web-based event, Virtual PCB incorporates all the critical features of a live event while allowing PCB design, fabrication and assembly equipment and materials buyers and sellers to interact online.
 
For more information about Virtual PCB, visit www.virtual-pcb.com or contact Alyson Skarbek, show manager, at 678-589-8865 or askarbek@upmediagroup.com.

Virtual PCB is produced by UP Media Group, the industry’s leading publisher of technical magazines.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – January PWB shipments fell 17% year-over-year, and bookings decreased 29.3%. The combined industry book-to-bill fell to 0.89, says IPC.
 
For the month, rigid shipments dropped 18.9%, and bookings dipped 30.7% compared to the same month last year. The book-to-bill slipped further to 0.88.
 
Flex shipments rose 16.6%, while bookings slid 1.8% year-over-year. The book-to-bill declined to 0.98.
 
“Sales and orders of rigid PCBs declined sharply in January compared to January 2008, but flexible circuit sales were surprisingly strong,” said IPC. “The industry has not hit the bottom yet, but we will continue to watch the leading indicators, such as our book-to-bill ratio, for signs of an upturn.”
 
Rigid PCBs represent an estimated 90% of the current PCB industry in North America, according to IPC. In January, 90% of total PCB shipments reported were domestically produced.
 
For the month, flex circuit manufacturers indicated bare circuits accounted for about 71% of their shipment value.  

SAN FRANCISCO -- Intel Corp. chief executive Paul Otellini offered a few words of encouragement to a battered market, saying the world's largest chipmaker is seeing "a pattern of purchases emerge again that's more predictable."

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MUNICH — Demand for semiconductors used in vehicles and related gear will drop 25% from its peak of $20 billion last year, a new research report asserts.

It will take until 2013 for market revenues to rebound past $20 billion, research firm Databeans adds. The market will grow at a CAGR of 8.5% through 2014, reaching $22.5 billion, the firm forecasts.

A drop in demand for autos will be partially offset by higher electronics content in each new vehicle. The average value of electronics content will rise to 14.8% by 2012, up from 13% today, boosted by telematics, infotainment and safety applications, and environmental regulation compliance.