72 The PCB Magazine • February 2014
a
IPC: PCB Sales Improving
Despite weaker Orders
"while sales continued to strengthen in the north
american Pcb industry compared to last year, or-
ders declined," said Sharon Starr, iPc's director
of market research. "this disparity between sales
and order growth pushed the book-to-bill ratio to
its lowest point since march 2009," she added,
"indicating a slow and possibly bumpy recovery
going into 2014."
b
Spirit Circuits Acquires
Lyncolec
after six months of negotiation, innovative Pcb
manufacturer Spirit circuits is pleased to an-
nounce the acquisition of Poole, uK-based Pcb
manufacturer lyncolec. the company is well-
known for supplying rigid, flex, and hybrid mul-
tilayer Pcbs.
c
IPC Redefines Microvias,
Again
in 2013, iPc changed its definition of a microvia.
before then, a microvia was defined as any printed
board with holes that have a diameter of equal to
or less than 0.15 mm [0.006 in]. over time, that
size became common, while more challenging ge-
ometries emerged to alter the definition of micro-
via structures.
d
IPC's 2013:
A year in Review
within the printed board fabrication arena, iPc
released updates to two of its most popular flex-
ible circuit standards: iPc-6013c, Qualification
and Performance Specification for Flexible Printed
boards, and iPc-4203a, cover bonding material
for Flexible Printed circuitry.
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72 The PCB Magazine • February 2014
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