Beyond Design: High-speed Rules of Thumb
Global PCB Connections: A Technical Overview of Long-flex Printed Circuit Boards
The Shaughnessy Report: A Handy Look at Rules of Thumb
Book Excerpt: 'The Printed Circuit Designer's Guide to... Manufacturing Driven Design', Chapter 3
August 29, 2023 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Excerpt from: The Printed Circuit Designer's Guide to... Manufacturing Driven Design, Chapter 3: Why a Change is Needed
What Is Manufacturing Driven Design?
Manufacturing Driven Design is the process of providing full manufacturing awareness within the design process in a manner that allows designers to optimize a design for manufacturing with the first release.
MDD begins at the incarnation of the design idea. In the context of manufacturing, the initial step involves defining the material requirements for the stackup based on the desired electrical requirements. Once the material stackup has been established, the design layout can then be carried out. This simultaneously considers a manufacturer’s process capabilities as well as the traditional design rule check (DRC). A traditional DRC is mainly focused on copper or electrical spacing requirements and does not consider manufacturing needs.
Currently what we call DFM is not necessarily Design for Manufacturing; it’s Manufacturing in spite of Design.
This improved approach of MDD is already implemented in silicon wafer production, where the foundry’s production capabilities are taken into consideration right from the placement of the first pattern during design. This approach resulted from the skyrocketing cost of missing an assignment to a wafer production schedule and having to wait for the next opportunity. Imagine a PCB DFM release process that behaved in the same manner. Consider the financial and environmental savings if PCB manufacturers and design organizations took the same approach. The opportunity for overall PCB manufacturing and environmental improvement would be staggering. The environmental impact of excessive PCB production cannot be measured in the recovery of unneeded bare PCBs alone, but also in the extra board edge trim, wastewater—which contains copper, any number of stripping materials, tin, lead, and much, much more. Analyzing the environmental impact of PCB manufacturing is outside of this book's scope but should not be overlooked.
How Is MDD Different From DFM?
Design for Manufacturing today is seen as a step performed after the design is completed but before it is tooled for manufacturing. Often it is done with limited visibility of the applicable manufacturing partners’ process capabilities for that design technology.
Manufacturing Driven Design facilitates a more advanced level of collaboration, automation, and intelligence to achieve complete manufacturing awareness, surpassing the capabilities of DFM. In its ideal form, MDD covers all manufacturing details that can impact the yield, cost, or reliability of the PCB. It should include the following at a minimum:
- Fabrication process constraints
- Assembly process constraints
- Test process constraints
- Actual PCB material stackup to be used
- Assembly array and fabrication panel configurations
Very few manufacturers today provide their manufacturing process capabilities in a systematic, comprehensive manner to their design customers. Information is conveyed as requested, and only on the specific topic(s) at hand. Even then, it is communicated via email or a PDF of their manufacturing process capabilities specification—nothing that can be automatically acted upon within the design process. MDD provides the infrastructure to share all the necessary manufacturing process capabilities in an automated, synchronized method.
Carrying Capabilities Forward
Understanding the importance of MDD within electronics begins with the end. Ideally, manufacturing processes (fabrication, assembly, test) would be completed with the highest yield and reliability for the lowest cost possible. As the phrase “Manufacturing Driven Design” implies, the manufacturing process capabilities would be introduced at the beginning of the design process, which is carried forward throughout the process. Stated another way, a PCB design is constrained by not only the electrical requirements, but also by the manufacturing process capabilities.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Unlocking Advanced Circuitry Through Liquid Metal Ink
10/31/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamPCB UHDI technologist John Johnson of American Standard Circuits discusses the evolving landscape of electronics manufacturing and the critical role of innovation, specifically liquid metal ink technology, as an alternate process to traditional metallization in PCB fabrication to achieve ever finer features and tighter tolerances. The discussion highlights the benefits of reliability, efficiency, and yields as a tradeoff to any increased cost to run the process. As this technology becomes better understood and accepted, even sought out by customers and designers, John says there is a move toward mainstream incorporation.
Fresh PCB Concepts: The Critical Nature of Copper Thickness on PCBs
10/31/2024 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsPCBs are the backbone of modern electronics and the copper layers within these boards serve as the primary pathways for electrical signals. When designing and manufacturing PCBs, copper thickness is one of the most critical factors and significantly affects the board’s performance and durability. The IPC-6012F specification, the industry standard for the performance and qualification of rigid PCBs, sets clear guidelines on copper thickness to ensure reliability in different environments and applications.
Book Excerpt: The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... DFM Essentials, Ch. 1
10/25/2024 | I-Connect007The guidelines offered in this book are based on both ASC recommendations and IPC standards with the understanding that some may require adjustment based on the material set, fabricator processes, and other design constraints. This chapter details high-frequency materials, copper foil types, metal core PCBs, and the benefits of embedded capacitance and resistor materials in multilayer PCBs.
The Cost-Benefit Analysis of Direct Metallization
10/21/2024 | Carmichael Gugliotti, MacDermid AlphaCarmichael Gugliotti of MacDermid Alpha discusses the innovative realm of direct metallization technology, its numerous applications, and significant advantages over traditional processes. Carmichael offers an in-depth look at how direct metallization, through developments such as Blackhole and Shadow, is revolutionizing PCB manufacturing by enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. From its origins in the 1980s to its application in cutting-edge, high-density interconnects and its pivotal role in sustainability, this discussion sheds light on how direct metallization shapes the future of PCB manufacturing across various industries, including automotive, consumer electronics, and beyond.
Connect the Dots: Designing for Reality—Pattern Plating
10/16/2024 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsIn the previous episode of I-Connect007’s On the Line with… podcast, we painted the picture of the outer layer imaging process. Now we are ready for pattern plating, where fabrication can get tricky. The board is now ready to receive the copper traces, pads, and other elements specified in the original CAD design. This article will lay out the pattern plating process and discuss constraints in the chemistries that must be properly managed to meet the customer's exacting manufacturing tolerances.