Worldwide production of printed circuit boards (PCBs) experienced real growth of just 2.4 percent in 2011 to more than $59 billion, according to World PCB Production Report for the Year 2011, recently released by IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries®.
Published annually, the report offers consensus estimates of PCB production value by country and by product category, and analysis of global and regional PCB industry trends. Special sections on the metal core PCB market and HDI/microvia board trends, applications and forecasts are included in this year’s report.
Approximately 2,600 PCB fabricators produced an estimated value of $59.138 billion (U.S.) in PCBs in 2011. PCB production value declined 11.3 percent in the Americas, but grew 1.3 percent in Europe and 3.6 percent in Asia. Asia now accounts for 89 percent of world PCB production. The fastest-growing product categories in 2011 were metal core PCBs, high-performance rigid PCBs and IC substrates. Rigid flex and CEM-3 production declined in 2011.
World PCB Production Report for the Year 2011 was developed by the World Market Consensus Committee, comprising the world’s leading analysts in the electronic interconnection industry. Using a consensus process, committee members share their own information and review data from other sources to produce this annual report. Committee members are: Michael Gasch, Data4PCB; Francesca Stern, BPA Consulting; Harvey Miller, Fabfile Online; Hayao Nakahara, N.T. Information; and Phil Plonski, Prismark Partners.
Available only to IPC members, the report is free of charge as a benefit of IPC membership and can be accessed at www.ipc.org/World-Report-2011.
For more information on the World PCB Production Report for the Year 2011 or other IPC market research studies and reports, contact Sharon Starr, IPC director of market research, at +1 847-597-2817 or SharonStarr@ipc.org.
IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global industry association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 3,100 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $2.02 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; Bangalore, India; and Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing, China.