The improvement in orders andbookings in September resulted in the printed circuit boardbook-to-bill ratio rising to 1.08. That means board manufacturersreceived $108 in new orders for every $100 of shipments theyshipped in September.
The growth in orders and shipments is an indicator that theprinted circuit board industry is turning around, says IPCPresident Denny McGuirk.
He notes that both rigid printed circuit board and flexiblecircuit sales and orders increased in September compared to August.Rigid PCB shipments grew by 21.7% from August and bookingsincreased 29.7%, says IPC. Flexible circuit shipments in September2009 went up 7.9% and bookings increased 12.1% compared toSeptember 2008.Jim Carbone -- Purchasing