Japanese PCB Production Increase, FPCB Grow 20%

According to statistics released by the Japan Electronics Packaging Circuits Association (JPCA) on the 24th, focusing on enterprises with more than 50 employees, Japanese printed circuit board (PCB) production saw an increase in January 2015. The total PCB output, including rigid PCBs, flexible PCBs (FPC), and module substrates, grew by 3.2% year-over-year to 1.091 million square meters, marking the second consecutive month of growth. Additionally, the total yield increased by 11.7% to 41.296 billion yen, continuing its growth trend for the second month in a row.

Breakdown by PCB Type:

Rigid PCB:

In January 2015, Japan's rigid PCB production fell by 0.8% compared to the same month last year, amounting to 850,000 square meters. This decline marks the second decrease in three months.

The total yield for rigid PCBs increased by 10.2%, reaching 26.854 billion yen, showing growth for the first time in three months.

Flexible PCB (FPC):

FPC production saw a significant increase of 23.1%, reaching 19.2 million square meters, marking the second consecutive month of growth.

The total yield for FPCs rose by 28.9% to 5.936 billion yen, marking the fifth consecutive month of growth.

Module Substrates:

Module substrates' output grew by 9.1% compared to the same month last year, totaling 48,000 square meters. This marks the first growth in three months.

The total yield for module substrates increased by 6.2%, reaching 8.506 billion yen, marking the ninth consecutive month of growth.

Major Japanese PCB Suppliers:

Japan's leading PCB suppliers include Ibiden, CMK, Nippon Mektron, Fujikura, Shinko, and Meiko.

These statistics indicate a positive trend in Japan's PCB industry at the beginning of 2015, particularly highlighted by the substantial growth in flexible PCB production.