Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘Costovation: Innovation That Gives Your Customers Exactly What They Want—And Nothing More’
The Right Approach: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (Harley-style)
It’s Only Common Sense: Dear Santa, Here’s My Sales Wish List
Hidden (and Obvious) Design Mishaps With Big Cost Impacts
August 14, 2024 | Jen Kolar, Monsoon SolutionsEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
At Monsoon Solutions, we provide PCB layout services for the full lifecycle of products, from one-off prototypes to items manufactured in production volume. We also manage manufacturing and assembly for prototype and smaller production runs for both customer-produced and in-house layouts. As a result, we see various manufacturing data packages and work with many different manufacturers. I asked our PCB design engineers and program managers to share the cost adders and cost savers that designers can affect, and it was interesting to see that in addition to more technical responses, some of the biggest culprits were rather simple.
Fabrication Note Errors
Starting with PCB fabrication, one of the most obvious and simplest cost adders is incorrect or missing fabrication notes. As designers, we all like to have a starting point for a layout rather than having to start from scratch, and that often means starting from a similar board, which comes with existing fabrication notes. As a service bureau, we also often work on revisions of designs, and thus we inherit fabrication notes from the previous design. A common mistake I see from designers is when they leave notes the new designer doesn’t understand or know if they are required. I will often see them ask the customer about the notes, and it’s not uncommon for the customer to not know if they apply either. Rather than removing them, they commonly remain “just to be safe.” This often leads to extra processes like via fill, planarize, and plate. It may lead to building to Class 3 vs. Class 2 or extra testing and paperwork requirements. It may lead to adding hard gold vs. just ENIG. It may lead to ordering more exotic materials where standard FR-4 was fine. It also can lead to back-and-forth DFM questions as the fabricator must confirm what does or doesn’t apply, and with which offshore vendors can mean delays of multiple days.
Similarly, if there are no fabrication notes, the fabrication vendor is left guessing and may choose processes or materials that are more expensive or not absolutely needed, or they may miss important aspects of the design, like controlled impedances or that a specific thickness is needed for edge connectors. Make sure to review your notes for clarity and correctness before sending them to the fabrication shop. If you are unsure how to specify your requirements, talk to your fabricator.
To read the entire article, which originally appeared in the August 2024 Design007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Are Our Stackup Rules No Longer Valid?
12/19/2024 | Cherie Litson, EPTAC MIT CID/CID+Are the stackup rules we used to follow no longer valid? It depends on what you’re designing. Electrical rules change depending on your circuit. Fabrication rules change depending on which fabricator you’re working with. Today, we just have more options, and sometimes, cost is a bigger rule than anything else. If you search online for information about layer stackups, trace widths, and hole sizes in PCBs, you’ll find a variety of resources.
Case Study: PCB Design Flaws Affect Product Cost
12/03/2024 | Matt Stevenson, ASC SunstoneIn the rapidly evolving aerospace industry, precision and reliability are paramount. “AeroTech Solutions” (not the company’s real name), an aerospace company specializing in satellite technology, recently faced a significant challenge that tested its operational integrity: A flaw identified in the PCB design of its latest satellite model led to unexpected delays and cost overruns.
Root-cause Analysis and Problem-solving
11/01/2024 | Happy Holden, I-Connect007An essential skill for any process engineer in printed circuit fabrication is the ability to conduct root-cause analysis (RCA) and problem-solving. These are related to TQC and Six Sigma applications and are essential for customer support and continued profitability. All engineers will encounter these methods sooner or later, but it will likely be sooner if you are in product or process engineering in manufacturing.
Real Time with... SMTAI 2024: Summit Interconnect Doing Its Part to Rebuild Industry Expertise
10/29/2024 | Real Time with...SMTAIIn this interview from the recent SMTAI show, Nolan Johnson speaks with Jesse Vaughan from Summit Interconnect. Jesse hits the highlights for some of Summit's programs to promote skilled workers in our industry—programs such as apprenticeships, Emerging Engineers, and more.
Designers Notebook: Implementing HDI and UHDI Circuit Board Technology
10/23/2024 | Vern Solberg -- Column: Designer's NotebookTo accommodate new generations of high I/O semiconductor packaging, circuit board technology has undergone significant changes in both the fabrication process method and the criteria for base material selection. The reason behind these changes is the new high-function semiconductor package families that require more terminals than their predecessors and a significantly narrower terminal pitch.