Dan’s Biz Bookshelf ‘House of Huawei'
Happy’s Tech Talk #41: Sustainability and Circularity for Electronics Manufacturing
Facing the Future: Challenges and Opportunities in Reshoring PCB Manufacturing
KLA Moves PCB Design-for-Manufacturability Analysis to the Cloud
April 7, 2022 | PRNewswireEstimated reading time: 1 minute
KLA Corporation announced the launch of Frontline Cloud Services, a software solution that accelerates design-for-manufacturability (DFM) analysis and time-to-market (TTM) for complex printed circuit boards (PCBs). Advanced technologies, such as 5G and miniLED, call for PCBs with increasingly complex designs that require time-consuming, compute-intensive validation for manufacturability. This new cloud-based SaaS offering – an industry first – addresses this challenge by moving DFM analysis to the cloud, which significantly reduces IT bottlenecks and the amount of time needed to run analyses.
An on-premises DFM analysis can often take hours or even days, causing considerable delays in the mass production of PCBs for the electronics industry. To accelerate this process, KLA is transitioning its proven computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and engineering technologies to the cloud, where compute power is virtually infinite.
"As a leader in PCB CAM, engineering and Industry 4.0 solutions, our customers share with us the bottlenecks that slow down their PCB manufacturing process," said Eran Lazar, general manager, Frontline division, and vice president at KLA. "We decided to tackle the challenges of DFM analysis by taking advantage of the unlimited computational power of the cloud, while keeping the proven application intact. For PCB manufacturers eager to make the most of cloud-based efficiencies while maintaining exacting security protocols, we continually ensure that Frontline Cloud Services meets the highest security standards."
Anecdotally, customers running comparative tests on complex PCBs saw Frontline Cloud Services enable up to 90% faster DFM analysis speeds. For example, one customer producing high-density interconnect (HDI) PCBs saw analysis time significantly shorten from 75 hours to 30 minutes when running the same DFM analysis on premises versus with Frontline Cloud Services, respectively. Another customer producing PCBs for miniLED ran a similar test and analysis time was reduced from nine hours to 20 minutes.
For PCB manufacturers, Frontline Cloud Services can:
- Accelerate DFM analysis to meet growing productivity demands
- Save on IT costs with scalable compute resources and monitored usage reports
- Address emerging electronics trends like 5G and miniLED, and their increased design complexity
- Provide access to consistently reliable, available and up-to-date services and tools
- Ensure the highest cloud security standards in the industry with both factory- and job-level security
- Enable fast onboarding to the cloud-based system with no training or implementation required
Share on:
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Jerry Siegmund
08/15/2025 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007The Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame (HOF) Award has been awarded to those who have contributed significantly to the Global Electronics Association (formerly known as IPC) and our industry. Though many early HOF members have passed away and are unknown to today’s membership, their contributions still resonate. This special series on Hall of Fame members provides a reminder of who was honored and why.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
08/15/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007In our industry, my top reads include Prashant Patel’s overview and argument for reshoring, which I found to be a great general overview and breakdown. In further support of the onshoring/reshoring message, I’m highlighting Nolan Johnson’s interview on the survey and report by the Reshoring Initiative. Check out my interview with USPAE’s Jim Will on the state of the flat panel display (FPD) industry and the risks associated with it for U.S. defense and critical infrastructure products.
20 Years of Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT) – Backbone of German Semiconductor Research Celebrates Anniversary
08/14/2025 | Fraunhofer IPMSThe Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT) of the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Since its founding in 2005, it has developed into a pillar of applied semiconductor research in Germany and Europe. With its unique research cleanroom and equipment adhering to the 300-mm wafer industry standard, CNT is unparalleled in Germany and serves as a central innovation driver for the microelectronics industry.
A Passion for PCB Prototypes: Accurate Circuit Engineering—'Good People Doing Something They Love'
08/13/2025 | Linda Stepanich, Community MagazineFounded in 1983, Accurate Circuit Engineering (ACE) in Santa Ana, California, is a PCB prototype manufacturer and industry leader in radio frequency (RF) and microwave boards. It started as a family company and still adheres to those values by knowing its staff well and tailoring work and education to encourage them to stay at the company. “ACE is good people doing something they love,” says James Hofer, director of operations. “I am passionate about what I do, and ACE allows me to pursue that passion."
COVID, Tough Sales, and What Made Me a Better Salesperson
08/12/2025 | Daniel Beauvois, The Component StoreBefore 2020, we approached sales differently. A persistent, gritty salesperson could approach businesses daily without an appointment. They would often be turned away, but sometimes, they would be given a shot. Then, in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic became official, and things started to shut down. When we finally came back, everything had changed, creating an impenetrable barrier for outside salespeople.