-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Growing Industry
In this issue of PCB007 Magazine, we talk with leading economic experts, advocacy specialists in Washington, D.C., and PCB company leadership to get a well-rounded picture of what’s happening in the industry today. Don’t miss it.
The Sustainability Issue
Sustainability is one of the most widely used terms in business today, especially for electronics and manufacturing but what does it mean to you? We explore the environmental, business, and economic impacts.
The Fabricator’s Guide to IPC APEX EXPO
This issue previews many of the important events taking place at this year's show and highlights some changes and opportunities. So, buckle up. We are counting down to IPC APEX EXPO 2024.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
A Conversation with Walt Custer: Market Report
May 16, 2016 | Barry Matties, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
In a recent conversation, Walt Custer shared current market data and industry trends, detailing those market segments and regions that are currently seeing growth and those that are in decline. Walt also offered his interpretation of the data, which he uses to forecast the upcoming month.
Barry Matties: Walt, please begin with an update on the market. What do you think the industry needs to know about current market conditions?
Walt Custer: I think we're kind of at the bottom of this current down-business cycle. I'm seeing signs that things are improving, but they're not improving dramatically. The improvement depends on the region and also the product mix. The global purchasing managers’ index, which I use as kind of an overall barometer, was basically at no growth in April. The economy right now is not growing, but if you look by country, the U.S. was expanding, Europe was expanding even more, and South Korea expanded a little bit. On the flip side, Japan, Taiwan, and China are still below water. Regionally it varies, and part of that is tied both to the economy and also the product mix that these countries produce.
In the U.S., we've gotten some good news recently. Printed wiring board sales have rebounded in March. They were up about 10% both on shipments and bookings. Some of our end markets are doing better, like the instrument control, automotive electronics, and medical electronics markets. On the flip side, the volume markets which tend to be more Asia-centric are still struggling, and that includes communication equipment and cellphones. The smartphone market is kind of saturated, and that was one market that a lot of people were depending upon. Apple has seen that their strong growth has kind of curtailed. Related things like the storage industry and hard disk drives, for example, have been hit. Those end markets have been contracting, but on the flip side, the automotive market has been very strong, and instruments and controls and medical are doing better.
It's really a mixed bag right now, both regionally and product-wise. Fortunately it looks like we're at the bottom of the business cycle as I said, and it looks like we're coming out it. If you look at overall growth of electronic equipment, we're still down about 3.5% in the first quarter, but we appear to have hit the bottom and we're coming back up. As we look forward into the year, I think we're going to start seeing some growth by the mid to end of the year, which is encouraging.
I guess I would summarize it as A) a mixed bag, and B) at the bottom of the business cycle with some recovery in sight.
Page 1 of 2
Suggested Items
KIC’s Miles Moreau to Present Profiling Basics and Best Practices at SMTA Wisconsin Chapter PCBA Profile Workshop
01/25/2024 | KICKIC, a renowned pioneer in thermal process and temperature measurement solutions for electronics manufacturing, announces that Miles Moreau, General Manager, will be a featured speaker at the SMTA Wisconsin Chapter In-Person PCBA Profile Workshop.
The Drive Toward UHDI and Substrates
09/20/2023 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamPanasonic’s Darren Hitchcock spoke with the I-Connect007 Editorial Team on the complexities of moving toward ultra HDI manufacturing. As we learn in this conversation, the number of shifting constraints relative to traditional PCB fabrication is quite large and can sometimes conflict with each other.
Standard Of Excellence: The Products of the Future
09/19/2023 | Anaya Vardya -- Column: Standard of ExcellenceIn my last column, I discussed cutting-edge innovations in printed circuit board technology, focusing on innovative trends in ultra HDI, embedded passives and components, green PCBs, and advanced substrate materials. This month, I’m following up with the products these new PCB technologies are destined for. Why do we need all these new technologies?
Experience ViTrox's State-of-the-Art Offerings at SMTA Guadalajara 2023 Presented by Sales Channel Partner—SMTo Engineering
09/18/2023 | ViTroxViTrox, which aims to be the world’s most trusted technology company, is excited to announce that our trusted Sales Channel Partner (SCP) in Mexico, SMTo Engineering, S.A. de C.V., will be participating in SMTA Guadalajara Expo & Tech Forum. They will be exhibiting in Booth #911 from the 25th to the 26th of October 2023, at the Expo Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico.
Intel Unveils Industry-Leading Glass Substrates to Meet Demand for More Powerful Compute
09/18/2023 | IntelIntel announced one of the industry’s first glass substrates for next-generation advanced packaging, planned for the latter part of this decade.