Executive Summary

Printed circuits are essentially electrically conductive wiring elements which are graphically outlined on rigid boards or a flexible material (PCBs) on to which various electronic components are bonded to make up and complete an electronic assembly. PCBs, therefore, have a vital importance in virtually every item of equipment where electronic control systems are used.

In 1991, the total value of the UK printed circuit market, including imports, for single, double-sided, multilayered or flexible boards was £372m. UK manufacturers' sales peaked in 1988 at £341m, followed by a steady decline in the value of sales to around £300m in 1991/1992. Clearly, the continuing recession has had a major impact on the end users' markets, but it is not entirely evident that the decline has been solely due to a drop in volume. The electronics equipment industry is extremely competitive and the constant drive by manufacturers to reduce their costs also impacts on the prices paid for PCBs. Some of the most important end user markets such as telecommunications and personal computers have remained fairly buoyant, but price reductions, particularly for personal computers, have often been dramatic.

High quality and competitive prices are demanded by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) which will buy from any reliable source that meet their standards. The technically better qualified and equipped independent PCB manufacturers in the UK, many of which are located near the large electronics equipment manufacturing companies in Scotland, are gradually gaining a bigger share of their local market from in-house and Far East competitors.

There has, therefore, been a transformation in business prospects for the UK PCB manufacturers which pass the tests of competitiveness against overseas rivals, in technical competence, a willingness to invest in the latest equipment and techniques and an ability to quickly convert new ideas into designs and prototypes that meet customer specifications at a reasonable price.

Many of the smaller PCB fabricators in the UK have been unable to meet these standards of competitiveness and their numbers fell from 400 in 1990 to 250 in 1992 (Printed Circuit Interconnection Federation statistical survey of February 1993). This shakeout has led to a stronger UK PCB fabricating industry which is capable of taking on European rivals and has the ability to penetrate European markets. Foreign manufacturers from the US and the Far East are also investing in new PCB facilities in the UK, some as independents and some as in-house operations, to service their main stream activities, such as production of computers. Their interests are unequivocally in European markets and it is possible, if the investments and range of expertise continues to grow, that the UK's imbalance in overseas trade will eventually be eliminated and Britain will become a net exporter.

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