Pcb industry sales up 4.5%

The printed circuit board (pcb) book-to-bill ratio stands at 0.98, while total North American pcb shipments in July 2022 were up 4.5% compared to the same month last year, according to findings from IPC Association’s Statistical Program.

Compared to the preceding month, however, July shipments dropped 24.9 percent, says IPC. Pcb year-to-date bookings in July were down 8.1 percent compared to last year. Bookings in July decreased 20.9 percent from the previous month.

“The pcb book-to-bill remained below one for a second consecutive month, the first time this has happened since August 2020,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist. “Orders are down over eight percent through the first half of the year, while shipments are up nearly nine percent. Supply chain constraints are easing, but demand for pcbs is slowing as overall demand for durable goods ebbs.”

Interpreting the Data

The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to twelve months. A ratio of less than 1.00 indicates the reverse.