Case Study: PCB Design Flaws Affect Product Cost

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

In 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. This article explores the issues the company encountered, its collaboration with its PCB manufacturer to resolve these challenges, and the steps taken to ensure project success moving forward. The real cost to manufacture can be greatly affected at the PCB design level.

AeroTech Solutions has built a reputation for innovation and excellence in the aerospace technology market. With numerous successful satellite projects under its belt, the company was poised to launch its newest satellite designed for advanced communications and earth monitoring. However, during the final stages of production, the engineering team detected a flaw in the PCB design which was causing functional failures and putting the satellite’s operational functionality at risk.

The Issue: PCB Design Flaw

The PCB design flaw was identified during the final test stage of the prototype PCBA. Engineers kept finding assemblies that showed the flaw at various levels throughout the testing phases, and finally identified the root cause during final test. They discovered that the designer had overlooked critical routing on a very sensitive portion of the design. That created issues with the clean transfer of the signal and created isolated overheating. This led to delamination and jeopardized the satellite’s mission objectives.

To read the entire case study, which originally published in the November 2024 PCB007 Magazine, click here.