Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - March PWB Bookings Jump 11%

BANNOCKBURN, IL – March PCB shipments among North American fabricators rose 9.5% year-over-year, while bookings jumped 11.2%. Rigid shipments were up 9.5%, and flex shipments were up 9.7%, said IPC.

In March, rigid bookings were up 16.2% and flex orders were down 29.5%. Year to date, rigid shipments are up 4.9% and bookings are up 15.3%. Rigid PCBs represent an estimated 88% of the domestic market. About 16% of the boards included in the survey were produced offshore and re-sold by North American fabricators.

The March book-to-bill ratio rose to 1.0. The ratio is calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales during the same period. A ratio of more than 1.0 is considered a sign of an expanding industry.