-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueSilicon to Systems: From Soup to Nuts
This month, we asked our expert contributors to weigh in on silicon to systems—what it means to PCB designers and design engineers, EDA companies, and the rest of the PCB supply chain... from soup to nuts.
Cost Drivers
In this month’s issue of Design007 Magazine, our expert contributors explain the impact of cost drivers on PCB designs and the need to consider a design budget. They discuss the myriad design cycle cost adders—hidden and not so hidden—and ways to add value.
Mechatronics
Our expert contributors discuss the advent of mechatronics in PCB design, the challenges and opportunities this creates for circuit board designers, and the benefits—to the employee and the company—of becoming a mechatronics engineer.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
The Designer and Manufacturer Must Be in Sync
February 7, 2024 | Dana Korf, Korf ConsultancyEstimated reading time: 1 minute
“Why can’t we all just get along?”—Henry Liberman, TEDx
It’s no industry secret that most PCB data packages sent to fabricators from designers cannot be built as-is. The finished boards often seem to work, despite a factory estimating what the designer wanted vs. what the documentation showed, then jointly rectifying issues through lengthy technical query (TQ) cycles. In general, everyone seems to be satisfied with this process, so why do we need to improve the designer/manufacturer relationship? Why is the best solution a strong designer/manufacturer relationship, and is it even possible?
Let’s perform a traditional root cause analysis and define the function of a designer vs. a manufacturer. Oxford Language definitions:
Designer: A person who plans the form, look, or workings of something before its being made or built, typically by drawing it in detail.
Manufacturer: A person or company that makes goods for sale.
This seems pretty straightforward. The manufacturer builds the product based on the supplied documentation. Unfortunately, the manufacturer’s front-end engineering team typically completes a portion of the design after the data package is received because it can’t be built as submitted. The manufacturer must update the design to maximize yield, meet cost targets, ensure reliability, and meet all performance requirements.
Typical design functions performed by the manufacturer include creating a material stackup that meets the specified mechanical thicknesses/tolerances, material selection, line width/spacing modification to generate the specified impedance/tolerance, creating the assembly array/panel design/documentation, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, such as UL.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the January 2024 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
Danish-founded Defense Group Aims for More Responsibility Within Defense Supply Chain
09/09/2024 | CONFIDEEUnder the slogan "Together We Are Stronger," the AS9100 Nordic Consortium unites a powerful network of committed Danish companies, along with one Norwegian partner. This collaboration strives to elevate the defense and aerospace industries through a shared focus on traceability and quality management.
It’s Only Common Sense: Hear That? It’s Opportunity Knocking
08/26/2024 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: It's Only Common SenseI was reading the Sunday comics the other day when I came across a statement in “Hi and Lois” or maybe it was “Arlo and Janis” — one of those deep philosophical comic strips. One character says to the other, “He’s the kind of guy that when he hears opportunity knocking, he complains about the noise.” I love that. Not only because it’s funny, but because it’s also true.
The New Chapter: I’ve Found My ‘Why’
07/25/2024 | Hannah Grace & Paige Fiet -- Column: The New ChapterI often think about the phrase, “Excellence is born when someone shows they care.” We each have reasons for choosing a certain career path and then deciding whether to stay on that path or leave and go another direction. Those reasons often stem from our ability to care about the work we do.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/17/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineThis week, trade shows are at the top of our feed, with our coverage of the Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show and IPC APEX EXPO. These two longtime events are almost polar opposites in size and scope, but Del Mar seems to be expanding from its roots as a “neighborhood gathering” with its move into the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The Del Mar show always has a good “buzz factor,” which is something you can’t buy.
It’s Only Common Sense: OCCAM—the Time Is Now
04/22/2024 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: It's Only Common SenseOne of my favorite books is a little tome called Who Moved My Cheese? Even those of you who don’t spend a lot of time reading books have at least heard of it and know that it refers to people, especially in business, who are so stuck in their ways that they get upset when something changes. In our business, we know this kind of thinking is especially true. In fact, it always makes me laugh when one of my innovative friends finds a new way to do something and is afraid that someone will steal his idea. I always tell him that no one in our business, especially a PCB engineer, has ever thought about someone else’s innovative idea enough to steal it.