IPC Releases 2018 Quality Benchmark Study for Electronics Assembly

IPC’s Study of Quality Benchmarks for Electronics Assembly 2018 is now available. The global study provides valuable benchmarking data to electronics assembly companies interested in comparing their quality measurements to those of the industry worldwide.

The quality control measurements covered by the study include yields for various test methods as well as the percentages of products subjected to these tests. Yields and defect rates at first pass and final inspection, internal yields of key processes, defect rates, and DPMO and yield targets, and the average cost of poor quality as percentages of sales for rework and scrap are also covered. The study reports on the use of various quality control methods.

Customer satisfaction and supplier performance measurements are covered in the study, including rates of customer returns and returns due to product failure, and rates of on-time delivery. The industry’s adoption of major quality certifications is also reported.

The data — in averages, medians and percentiles — are segmented by company size tier, by region, and by type of production including rigid PCBs, flexible circuits, finished end products, mechanical assembly, cable and harness, and discrete wiring terminal and connectors.

The aggregate data represent 63 electronics assembly companies of all sizes – both OEMs and contract electronics manufacturers – in all regions of the world.