Copper and Bronze Materials for printed circuit boards

What We’ve Been Up To…

Believe it or not, the Spring and Summer season was a busy one for Aurora Circuits. Although the manufacturing industry saw a downturn in bookings and production during Q2, Aurora Circuits has kept running full-speed ahead! With the Fall and Winter season upon us, we are turning the heat up even higher!

From rolling out our new webinar series, to producing extremely successfully quick-turn projects, we couldn’t be more proud to see the reliance of the American people – our staff included! The IPC reported that, “The electronics industry continues to appear to have weathered the pandemic most favorably. Production is up in recent months and positive on a year-over-year basis.”

Watch the replay of our second webinar in a series of free collaboration discussion forums covering new technologies, processes and insights from our Aurora team and partners.

Our presenters, Dr. Chris Kalmus, Yoshi Fukawa, Jeff Brandman, Thad Bartosz, and John Holmquest will use their vast experience to discuss and educate on the advantages and uses Thermal Dissipation in the printed circuit board industry.

Message From The President
Dr. Chris Kalmus, PhD.

It’s safe to say that I have been around long enough to remember when the U.S led the world when it came to printed circuit board technology development, and production. There were (depending who you talk to) over 1,500 PCB shops in this country with new shops being added monthly.

Companies like RCA, Rockwell, Honeywell, and IBM all had their own in-house shops where the real research and development took place. Once the PCB designs had been set, they would go on what we called commercial (or job shops) to build the production much more economically.

It was an excellent and equitable partnership that was good for everyone involved. The shops were able to learn and attain new technologies while getting paid, essentially like a paid learning program. It was truly beautiful looking back – American companies working with American companies.

It’s time to get back to that.

Message From The IPC
Economic Outlook

PCB INDUSTRY UPDATE

Electronics production remains strong and incoming data suggests strong demand for PCBs has probably led to some backlog of orders. As a result, the industry did see PCB imports increase during July. PCB imports increased 6.7 percent in July and are down 10 percent from last year. North American PCB shipments decreased nearly 16 percent in July but are up 10 percent over the last year. Bookings also fell sharply in July (down 36.5 percent from June 2020) and are down 9.4 percent from last year. Bookings from month-to-month can be volatile, but the year-over-year trend has been strongly positive. The decline in July is the first year-over-year decline since July 2019. The decline in bookings could also be a signal of slowing demand, something to watch for closely in the months ahead.

INDUSTRY EMPLOYMENT

The electronics industry added 1,900 jobs in August. The labor picture in the industry has looked somewhat different than other industries.The industry shed 40,800 jobs in March and April — roughly 2.7 percent of total industry employment. Overall, manufacturing shed about 10.6 percent of its total labor force, and the broader economy shed 14.5 percent of its labor force. So while the electronics industry has shed a much smaller percentage of its workforce, it has also added back a smaller percentage. The electronics industry workforce remains down 37,300 — roughly 1.7 percent lower than last year and 2.7 percent below pre-pandemic levels.

Labor Day Celebrations

September 7th: We at Aurora Circuits are proud of the printed circuit boards we produce on a daily basis, but let’s take a second to recognize the true “stars” of our industry: The American Worker.

Without the skills, work ethic, ingenuity and grit that our workers showcase on a daily basis, there would be no Aurora Circuits. We wish to thank all of our staff and all American workers across the nation.

We Set Records!

Here at Aurora Circuit’s we are proud to announce that our company has been accident-free for more than four years! We’re very proud that each member of our team has gone this long without a lost-time accident or injury. By posting zeroes in the lost time column, we have saved our customers time, money, and worry because a safe team means safe, on-time PCBs!

A lot has changed over the past 70 years, but what hasn’t changed is Aurora Circuits dedication to remaining 100% American Made. With over 70 years of knowledge and experience to make your project a reality, we stand by our commitment to manufacture the highest quality products founded on expertise and innovation.

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