The printed circuit board (PCB) industry has experienced rapid growth in recent times and studies show that predictions for the future are equally as optimistic. What is the key to this growth and what is driving it?
Part of the reason is printed circuit boards are a building block for everything electronic. PCBs are used with conductive strips to act as insulating bases. They are usually in the form of fibreglass, and the conductive connections are made from copper through the etching process.
In simple terms, PCBs are used when making electronic circuits. They may contain single or multiple layers of insulating material. They also have a layer of copper that has signal traces. The board’s design is dependent on the requirement of the electric circuit. A PCB is normally used in all electrical and electronics equipment and the reason why it has remained popular.
The global economy is drastically experiencing broad technology developments, which are increasing the demand for PCBs. As everything becomes more digitized, electronics are in high demand and even third-world countries are increasing their use of PCBs. It is possible that, very soon, circuit boards are going to be an important component in every vertical market.
The wide use of the internet is another driver as it is increasing the markets for this industry. The growth of recycled PCB markets will also be improved by e-waste collection goals.
The market that is expected to remain the biggest in the PCB industry is communication. The ever-changing innovations in smartphones and rising demand from new economies are expected to increase growth for this market. The Asia Pacific region is bound to remain the biggest and most rapidly growing area, due to the rising production of electronic devices and components that takes place in the region.