IPC recently announced the September 2020 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 0.93. Total North American PCB shipments in September 2020 were up 7% percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, September shipments grew 21.3%. PCB bookings in September grew 17.2% year-over-year and increased 59.1% from the previous month.

“Monthly PCB orders and shipments were up sharply in September, near their respective highs for the year,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist. “Some of the gains in September were likely the result of month-to-month variations that naturally exist in the PCB market. Orders and shipments continue to cool following a large jump in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic. Shipments over the last three months are just below the prior three months, while bookings are off 16.7 percent.”

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 3-12 months. A ratio of less than 1.00 indicates the reverse.

IPC’s monthly PCB industry statistics are based on data provided by a representative sample of both rigid PCB and flexible circuit manufacturers selling in the U.S. and Canada. Additional details are available at www.ipc.org.