-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueBreaking High-speed Material Constraints
Do you need specialty materials for your high-speed designs? Maybe not. Improvements in resins mean designers of high-speed boards can sometimes use traditional laminate systems. Learn more in this issue.
Level Up Your Design Skills
This month, our contributors discuss the PCB design classes available at IPC APEX EXPO 2024. As they explain, these courses cover everything from the basics of design through avoiding over-constraining high-speed boards, and so much more!
Opportunities and Challenges
In this issue, our expert contributors discuss the many opportunities and challenges in the PCB design community, and what can be done to grow the numbers of PCB designers—and design instructors.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
Design Tips for Lowering Costs of Fab and Assembly
August 25, 2022 | Cherie Litson, CID+, Litson1 ConsultingEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
This is the million-dollar question of every project: How can I cut the cost of the PCB?
There are about a thousand answers to this question. I may be exaggerating a little bit, but not much, especially when you consider that there are about 4218 different ways a PCB could fail. That’s a lot, but fortunately you really need to have a significant combination of these failures before it makes the boards unusable.
That said, there are a few simple guidelines that everyone can follow to reduce costs. I talk about them in my IPC CID and CID+ courses. Designers, fabricators, and assemblers talk about them in a variety of articles. Some professionals who have published some great articles on cost-saving strategies include Tara Dunn, Happy Holden, Chris Church, Kella Knack, Judy Warner, Julie Ellis, Lars Wallin, and many, many others.
It’s not as simple as saying, “Just cut down the layer count” or “Just use smaller parts and traces.” Here’s another: “Just use standard FR-4 material.” Then there’s, “Just don’t use blind and buried vias.”
These will certainly work if you make them happen, but they are not always the go-to answers on how to reduce costs. I’ve actually reduced the cost of some boards by doing the opposite of what you would normally think you should do. Here are some examples:
- Adding layers: This cut the cost of the board because I could increase the size and spacing of the traces. I was able to add an extra GND layer for shielding and better electrical performance. I had less fallout, less bow and twist, and easier manufacturing; thus, I cut the final costs.
- Using larger components: When only one component on the board had pin spacing less than 0.5 mm, it didn’t save any space at all. This part needed a special paste mask and we had to have extra spacing for the masking. Replacing it with a larger package saved us space on the board and cost less in manufacturing.
- Using higher-temp materials: This helped the board to withstand the stresses of manufacturing. It cut down on stress failures and fallout, thus cutting the overall costs.
- Using blind and through-vias: This improved breakout from fine-pitch parts. It wasn’t as expensive as using blind, buried, and through-vias; it improved power connectivity, and saved space on the board.
- Split one board into two boards: I modularized high-power, larger-pitch circuits and low-power, small-pitch circuits. The electrical requirements for these are different and become cost-adders for manufacturing when combined. Creating two boards, one with thick copper and larger features, the other with thin copper and smaller features, allowed each to be easily created at less overall cost.
So, here’s my take on how to reduce your costs:
Planning Ahead
This is one of the most important jobs of the program manager (PM). You’d be surprised how many DFM issues start with the PM. So, how does the PM influence the costs?
To read this entire article, which appeared in the August 2022 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
DuPont Showcases AI Innovations Featuring Advanced Interconnects at 2024 International Electronic Circuits Exhibition
05/13/2024 | DuPontDuPont announced it will showcase its comprehensive range of advanced circuit materials and solutions at the 2024 International Electronic Circuits Exhibition in Shanghai. With a product portfolio that includes fine line, signal integrity, power and thermal management, DuPont will exhibit at Booth #8L06 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) from May 13 to 15.
MKS’ Atotech to Participate in ECTC
05/10/2024 | MKS’ AtotechAt this year’s 74th IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC), MKS’ Atotech will present and demonstrate its latest product and service innovations.
The Chemical Connection: Reducing Etch System Water Usage, Part 2
05/02/2024 | Don Ball -- Column: The Chemical ConnectionIn my last column, I reviewed some relatively simple ways to reduce water usage in existing etch systems: cutting down cooling coil water flow, adding chillers to replace plant water for cooling, lowering flow rate nozzles for rinses, etc. This month, I’ll continue with more ways to control water usage in your etcher. Most of these are not easily retrofittable to existing equipment but should be given serious consideration when new equipment is contemplated. With the right combination of add-ons, it is possible to bring the amount of water used in an etch system to almost zero.
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.