Book-to-Bill ratio circuit boards. Source: VdL/ZVEI. [Click picture to enlarge]

According to the german VdL (Verband der Leiterplattenindustrie) [Association of Circuit Board Industries in Germany] and ZVEI, the turnover of circuit boards in October 2007 was unusually high. It was 11% above the annual average and 5% above that of the October of the previous year. Accumulated, the turnover volume for the first 10 months reached almost the same level as the already good whole previous year. The orders received rose to an exceptional value of almost 40% above the value of the previous year and 26% above those of the previous years average. For small and medium size manufacturers there was an increase of sample quantities for per-series and for large manufacturers, long-term orders were no longer shunted to Asia, report the associations.