Current Situation in the Procurement of PCB Materials

How has the way PCB materials are ordered for PCB production changed? Have companies shifted to a different procurement model? What causes shortages of materials, and how can these supply challenges be addressed?

Procurement of PCB Materials for PCB Production

The general shortage of basic materials and ongoing disruptions in global logistics are also affecting the procurement of PCB materials. Continued lockdowns in China, the war in Ukraine and the accumulation of previous problems with transport capacity have all affected the supply of materials to Europe.

At the same time, some production is returning to Europe, putting additional pressure on the production capacity of PCB manufacturers. At Gatema PCB, we are addressing these challenges by actively and proactively managing our inventories of materials, focusing on European manufacturers such as Isola, cooperating with other suppliers and manufacturers, and seeking alternatives to commonly used PCB material.

We Are Constantly Expanding Our Portfolio of PCB Materials

One of the alternatives is Ventec VT-47, which can be used as a replacement for 370HR. Both materials are suitable for high-Tg applications with temperatures above 175 °C.

We have also newly added Isola DE104 with a 50/50 μm copper base and copper foil with a thickness of 50 μm. This PCB material is also newly classified as CAF-resistant. It can therefore be used when resistance to short circuits caused by intermetallic copper growth between layers is required.

We also plan to expand our range of 50 μm copper base materials to include Isola IS400.

Suppliers of PCB Materials in Europe

In the past, the trend was to move the production and manufacturing of PCB materials to Asia. Even European suppliers are often dependent on supplies of materials such as cuttings, prepregs and copper foils, as well as basic raw materials such as resin, fiberglass and copper from Asia.

As long as just-in-time logistics worked smoothly, this model functioned well. However, as the grounding of the Ever Given demonstrated, relying solely on global transportation chains can be highly risky for the supply of PCB materials.

Manufacturers are now trying to diversify their supply risks and are once again moving part of their PCB materials production back to Europe. We believe that by the end of the year, more PCB materials could become available with shorter lead times and lower minimum order quantities.

We are also working with suppliers to increase the amount of PCB materials they keep in stock, including through consignment warehouses. Although we cannot expect the shift of production back to Europe to result in lower prices, we believe that faster availability of materials will help our customers complete their projects more efficiently, particularly when it comes to more demanding prototype PCB production.