-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Growing Industry
In this issue of PCB007 Magazine, we talk with leading economic experts, advocacy specialists in Washington, D.C., and PCB company leadership to get a well-rounded picture of what’s happening in the industry today. Don’t miss it.
The Sustainability Issue
Sustainability is one of the most widely used terms in business today, especially for electronics and manufacturing but what does it mean to you? We explore the environmental, business, and economic impacts.
The Fabricator’s Guide to IPC APEX EXPO
This issue previews many of the important events taking place at this year's show and highlights some changes and opportunities. So, buckle up. We are counting down to IPC APEX EXPO 2024.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
All About Flex: Taguchi Design of Experiments and Flexible Circuits
July 14, 2016 | Dave Becker, All FlexEstimated reading time: 4 minutes
Reducing variability in a process, or a sequence of processes, can require a significant and structured amount of work and analysis. One must develop an understanding of critical variables and determine methods to control them. Statistically based experiments are often needed for proper analysis.
Classical Design of Experiments
One strategy is to use classical design of experiments (DOE).
With DOE, the technical team needs to first identify variables that are suspected to have a significant impact on the output. With best estimates of critical variables, the methodology then defines a high point and low of each identified variable. Variables don’t necessarily fall into “high” and “low” categories. They may include options like bake or no bake, alternative surface finishes, material types, etc. A series of experimental runs are designed that have variables run at the high point and a low point in combination with all the other variables low and high. The output of the experiment (i.e., the consequence of the variety of inputs), is best if it can be defined numerically.
The table below illustrates a simple two variable experimental design.
The design above is called full factorial because every combination of high and low variables is run. Of course with two variables, only four experimental runs are required to test every combination of high and low. For three variables, eight or 23 runs are required. A four-variable experiment would require 16 unique runs.
A key requirement for proper experimental design is to randomize the experimental order. This avoids results being contaminated by other conditions that were not controlled during the experiment. Randomizing the order of runs reduces the risk of built in experimental bias confounding the results.
A full factorial experiment provides the main effects of each variable plus all the interaction effects.
Designed experiments are valuable, but disruptive for three primary reasons:
- They should be performed on production equipment
- Proper examination of variables may involve a large number of experiments; if six variables are to be examined, a full factorial experiment would require 64 different runs
- Randomization adds set-up times and cost in a highly capitalized production environment
A more realistic type of DOE is called fractional factorial. Fractional factorial experiments are designed to only find out the main effects and major interactions; as such, they require fewer runs. Many good reference documents are available to assist with DOE layout, statistical interpretation, and factorial design.
Taguchi Design of Experiments
Taguchi design of experiments is a variation of fractional factorial experiments, but with a one major difference. It addresses the fact that it is not realistic to control every single variable that might affect the process. Outside temperature, humidity, time of day, raw material supplier and operator are just a few examples of variables that are either impossible or highly impractical to control. If the experiments are being done in production, they may need to be spread out over several weeks so production schedules can be accommodated. Randomizing the experiment in a full scale production environment is often prohibitively expensive.
The Taguchi method allows for the reality faced when conducting designed experiments in production: it is often not practical to properly randomize an experiment. So in addition to all the critical variables tested, another variable, noise, is allowed and defined. The noise contains all the variables that are not controlled. The high level might be the noise variables set at one realistic extreme and the low level might be all the noise variables set the other realistic extreme. One of the goals of the experiment is to determine what variables and variable settings yield the most robust results. These are settings where there is zero interaction effect with the noise variable.
Page 1 of 2
Suggested Items
Designer’s Notebook: What Designers Need to Know About Manufacturing, Part 2
04/24/2024 | Vern Solberg -- Column: Designer's NotebookThe printed circuit board (PCB) is the primary base element for providing the interconnect platform for mounting and electrically joining electronic components. When assessing PCB design complexity, first consider the component area and board area ratio. If the surface area for the component interface is restricted, it may justify adopting multilayer or multilayer sequential buildup (SBU) PCB fabrication to enable a more efficient sub-surface circuit interconnect.
Insulectro’s 'Storekeepers' Extend Their Welcome to Technology Village at IPC APEX EXPO
04/03/2024 | InsulectroInsulectro, the largest distributor of materials for use in the manufacture of PCBs and printed electronics, welcomes attendees to its TECHNOLOGY VILLAGE during this year’s IPC APEX EXPO at the Anaheim Convention Center, April 9-11, 2024.
ENNOVI Introduces a New Flexible Circuit Production Process for Low Voltage Connectivity in EV Battery Cell Contacting Systems
04/03/2024 | PRNewswireENNOVI, a mobility electrification solutions partner, introduces a more advanced and sustainable way of producing flexible circuits for low voltage signals in electric vehicle (EV) battery cell contacting systems.
Heavy Copper PCBs: Bridging the Gap Between Design and Fabrication, Part 1
04/01/2024 | Yash Sutariya, Saturn Electronics ServicesThey call me Sparky. This is due to my talent for getting shocked by a variety of voltages and because I cannot seem to keep my hands out of power control cabinets. While I do not have the time to throw the knife switch to the off position, that doesn’t stop me from sticking screwdrivers into the fuse boxes. In all honesty, I’m lucky to be alive. Fortunately, I also have a talent for building high-voltage heavy copper circuit boards. Since this is where I spend most of my time, I can guide you through some potential design for manufacturability (DFM) hazards you may encounter with heavy copper design.
Trouble in Your Tank: Supporting IC Substrates and Advanced Packaging, Part 5
03/19/2024 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankDirect metallization systems based on conductive graphite or carbon dispersion are quickly gaining acceptance worldwide. Indeed, the environmental and productivity gains one can achieve with these processes are outstanding. In today’s highly competitive and litigious environment, direct metallization reduces costs associated with compliance, waste treatment, and legal issues related to chemical exposure. What makes these processes leaders in the direct metallization space?