Basic Analysis of Three Major Growth Areas in PCB Industry

June 08, 2023

Basic Analysis of Three Major Growth Areas in PCB Industry

BICHENG Ships New PCB with Impressive Features for Various Industries

The printed circuit board (PCB) industry is a vital part of the electronics manufacturing sector, providing the backbone for electronic devices. PCBs are used in electronic products across various fields such as communication, data centers and servers, consumer electronics, automotive electronics, energy and power, industrial control, medical, aerospace, and defense. In recent years, the PCB industry has witnessed significant growth in specific application fields, including data centers and servers, automotive electronics, and telecommunications.

Data Centers and Servers

Servers are the backbone of the digital economy, providing computing power for downstream applications such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, neural networks, and edge computing. The requirements for server computing power are continually increasing, with high-end servers needing PCBs with high layers, high density, high transmission speed, and high aspect ratio.

According to Prismark, the compound annual growth rate of servers and data centers is expected to reach 9.4% from 2022 to 2026. With the successive launch of new platforms by Intel and AMD, the widely used PCle 4.0 interface has been upgraded to PCle 5.0. To meet the requirements of high-speed PCB and high-frequency, the requirements for server PCBs are also increasing, driving product upgrades and enhancing the value of server PCBs.

BICHENG has recently shipped a new PCB with impressive features, including Rogers RT/duroid 5880 material, a lead-free process, and -40℃ to +85℃ operation. The stackup consists of base copper 17um + dielectric 5mil + base copper 17um. The board dimensions are 55.00 x 26.00 mm=1 PCS, with a minimum trace/space of 5/5 mils and a minimum hole size of 16 mils. The finished board thickness is 0.25 mm, with a finished Cu weight of 1 oz (1.4 mils) all layers. The surface finish is immersion gold, and the top silkscreen is white. The PCB also comes with a panelized solder paste stencil for top sides. BICHENG's PCB has all the features necessary to meet the high requirements of the server industry.

Rogers 5880 PCB material

Automotive Electronics

The production volume of automobiles is a critical factor in the demand for traditional automotive PCBs. The control systems (VCU), motor control systems (MCU), battery management systems (BMS), and other systems in new energy vehicles are contributors to the incremental PCB demand. The per-vehicle PCB content in new energy vehicles is 3-6 times that of traditional vehicles. As the trend towards electrification continues, the proportion of automotive electronics has significantly increased, contributing to a large increase in PCB demand.

According to TrendForce's data, global sales of new energy vehicles in 2022 reached approximately 10.65 million units, with a year-on-year increase of 63.6%. The rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry provides a huge incremental space for the PCB market. BICHENG's newly shipped PCB is an excellent fit for the automotive electronics industry, with no blind or buried vias, 100% electrical test used, and a total of 26 pads, including 9 thru-hole pads, 10 top SMT pads, and 7 bottom SMT pads.

Telecommunications

The development of 5G has been rapid in recent years, and PCBs are a vital material for base station construction. As one of the critical materials for base station construction, PCBs directly benefit from the increase in the number of base stations and the area of single base station use. According to the Minister of Industry and Information Technology, 600,000 new 5G base stations will be opened in 2023, with a total number exceeding 2.9 million. The large-scale application of 5G in various industries will be the key to the development of 5G technology and will play an enabling role in industries such as industry, medical, education, and transportation.

BICHENG's newly shipped PCB is well-suited for the telecommunications industry, with 77 vias and 82 nets. The PCB material, Rogers RT/duroid 5880, and lead-free process, and -40℃ to +85℃ operation make it ideal for telecommunications applications.

Conclusion

The PCB industry has experienced significant growth in specific application fields, including data centers and servers, automotive electronics, and telecommunications. As the requirements for computing power and high-speed transmission increase, the PCB industry will continue to see growth and demand for high-quality PCBs. BICHENG's newly shipped PCB is an excellent fit for various industries, with features that meet the high demands of the server, automotive, and telecommunications industries.