HotPCB has pointed to and written about the relationship between fabricators and designers since our inception.  And we are not the only one speaking to it.  Pete Waddell of UP Media wrote an editorial to the issue of DFM (design for manufacture) failures within our industry earlier this year.  We would like to speak to the issue as well, but not without providing a way to begin fixing the problem.

The issue is that there has been, and will continue to be a disconnect between printed circuit board designers and fabricators.  If you, as a designer, have a firm grasp of the details surrounding the fabrication process, power to you and thank you.  However, if you are a designer and have not spent time learning the process of building boards, I highly recommend it.  Now I understand that the two parties have their areas of expertise, and I am not asking you to do a 9 month apprenticeship in a board shop.  But some research, and using some valuable tools available will be very beneficial to you.  How?  Read on.

Whenever a board comes into our shop, we need to check it for manufacturability and errors.  We use a variety of methods, but one of the key methods is to run the designs through DFM software.  We estimate that about 50% of the jobs we process need to go back to the designer for edits and changes after it has been run through the DFM.  That means we need to call/email the engineer, often leave a message, set up a time to talk about the issues, have them go fix the problems, wait to receive the updated files, assure that we don’t accidentally use the old files, re-check the design files, and then continue on in the production process.  In a quickturn shop, this may take 1-2 days, and I have heard several claim they often see it taking 5-7 days to get this all hashed out.  In a tense, quickturn market, several days means that you have doubled the lead time which was originally possible.  In addition to this, the fabricators are spending a lot of time going back and forth, chasing down engineers, revisions, files, etc.  This is time that is not billed, but in the long run finds its way into your boards because the process is less efficient and is using a lot of man-hours.  And so the designers are delayed in getting their boards, the fabricators are spending a lot of extra time pre-production, and nobody wins.

My hope is that there would be an industry wide shift in mentality toward an attitude of responsibility on the part of all to check for manufacturability.  I believe that it ultimately rests on designers to begin this change, and recognize that they can run preliminary DFM checks on their designs.  It takes very little time to run it, especially compared to several days of back and forth with the fabricator.  With designers running preliminary checks, and fabricators running secondary checks, the process will grow to be more seamless and productive.

One company in the marketplace who has narrowed in on this issue is Intercept Technology.  Their top-end software contains a DFM program, and their goal right now is to make it as accessible to designers as possible.  In fact, for a limited time it is free.  I recommend this to everyone within the industry.  This is an incredibly valuable tool for designers.  Together we can help each other accomplish our goals and increase in efficiency.  Designers will get their boards more quickly, fabricators will be able to spend more time improving their processes and building boards, and greater understanding/collaboration will be fostered between both.

Do you have a DFM nightmare story?  Or a success story?  Please feel free to comment below.  Maybe you think this is all hot air and unnecessary.  I’d like to hear what you have to say.

Although plenty of part numbers go through our shop which are classified and their end use is unclear, it is still quite possible to recognize the end users and the importance of performing quality work.  Products, processes, and chains are only as strong as their weakest link; and narrowing our focus too far on one spot in the product development cycle can have catastrophic consequences.  Our company, Cirexx International, does a fair bit of work within the defense industry.  For this reason, I will use the following hypothetical example as a reference.

“Although PN xxxxxxx is a simple 6 layer rigid-flex, it plays a critical role within a hand-held communications device our warfighters in Iraq rely on and expect to be functioning regardless of extreme conditions.  It’s failure, delamination, improper design could mean life or death for a whole troop.  And we all know who our military serves… us.”

If we focus on and remember who our end user is, the technical nature of our boards, our workplace morale, and our general business practices will all be affected.

Technical
If we were to keep in mind the big picture of who we serve with our products, many technical aspects of our products would be affected.  Most notable, I believe quality and quality assurance would improve.  Technicians, managers, suppliers, etc would all hold themselves to a high moral standard above and beyond their ISO or corporate quality mandate.  Responsiveness to issues and concerns on the part of the customer would increase.  Recognizing that each delay in the product life-cycle keeps a potentially life-saving product out of production and out of the hands of our soldier, nurse, pilot, etc for a greater period of time.  Paperwork and voicemails will have less likelihood of being put off until the afternoon, the end of the week, etc.  And lastly, collaboration will improve.  Although it is not necessarily the job of the lamination technician to determine proper materials for use in the final product, they may have some knowledge of past performance that the designers did not.  Whether it’s that they heard from a colleague that a particular thickness of laminate has been having issues in extreme temperatures, or in humidity.  Knowing that the board will be in a product in use in the rain forest may happen to be a huge help.

Workplace Morale
Not only will the technical integrity of your boards increase, but also workplace morale and spirit.  Employee sense of ownership and duty will grow when their understanding of the big picture increases and the tunnelvision we often fall susceptible to is countered.  This will lead to increased attention to detail, greater job satisfaction, and a greater sense of community within your organization and between organizations.

Business Practices
Lastly, recognition of the true impact your company’s product has will lead to changes in how your business operates.  Customer service and support will take greater precedence.  Also, capital improvements and research/development will take greater priority.  Recognition of the ways we need to remain competitive, and provide the most cutting edge products to our customers will occur when we step back and think about the importance we play in the lives of so many people.

Who are your customers?  Your real customers… probably people who have never and will never hear of you.  Yet it is them who you serve, it is for them that we work day and night, providing the highest quality products with the best customer support and responsive attitudes possible.

What other improvements do you feel would occur if we were to all continually remind ourselves of these things?  Feel free to comment below.

Valor products are the world’s leading software for printed circuit board (PCB) design for manufacturing (DFM) and manufacturing execution (MES) systems. Valor’s solutions target three key segments in the PCB manufacturing market: design of the physical layout of the PCB, fabrication of the bare PCB, and assembly of PCB components. With the acquisition of Valor, Mentor is now positioned as the only EDA supplier to provide the electronics industry with a PCB systems solution from concept through manufacturing.

“Valor’s expertise and products in the manufacturing segment are an excellent fit to Mentor’s in the PCB design area as together we provide a concept-through-manufacturing design solution to our customers,” stated Henry Potts, vice president and general manager of the Systems Design Division of Mentor Graphics. “This acquisition will reinforce our number one position in PCB design while enabling Valor to leverage the strengths of Mentor and accelerate their delivery of differentiated design for manufacturing and manufacturing execution products.”

By acquiring Valor, Mentor is the first major EDA vendor to extend its scope into the market for PCB systems manufacturing solutions. This will benefit the electronics industry by enabling electronics companies to finally eliminate the long-standing technical barriers and inefficiencies between the worlds of design and manufacturing. Mentor will be in a unique position to deliver an efficient, bi-directional engineering process between designers, their partners in systems manufacturing, and the product supply chain.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for all of us,” said Dan Hoz, former Valor CEO and now general manager of the newly-formed Valor division of Mentor Graphics. “With both companies occupying leading positions in their respective markets, our combined expertise can deliver a breakthrough in operational integration between the world of design and the supply-chain oriented world of manufacturing, for the benefit of the entire electronics industry. We foresee a promising future for Valor as a division of Mentor Graphics.”

The development of solutions for the manufacturing market will remain a core activity of the Valor division, reinforcing Valor’s and Mentor’s long-term commitment to deliver solutions and support to the manufacturing market, as well as powerful integration of design for manufacturing functionality into Mentor and non-Mentor PCB design environments. For more information regarding the acquisition and the go-forward strategy, visit www.mentor.com/valor.

About Mentor Graphics

Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ: MENT) is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world’s most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of about $800 million and employs approximately 4,425 people worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777. World Wide Web site: http://www.mentor.com/.

(Mentor Graphics is a registered trademark of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other company or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.)

Here we go…

Industry Staples
Electrical/Electronics and Computer Development Engineers Group (2,789  April ‘09- 5,796 Members Now)
This is the largest technical group I was a part of last  year.  It is a dynamic group, and very active.  However, the content tends to be a little bit more generic, and lacks the technical specificity found within the smaller groups formed for topical discussions.  That being said, I really appreciate that there is always something new whenever you visit, and there is a large, diverse audience to whom you can field discussion questions, share news articles, and work on your networking skills.

EMS Insider (Electronics Manufacturing Services (2,663 April ‘09- 5,815 Members Now)
EMS Insider falls into the same category of LinkedIn group as the EECDE group above.  More general discussion on larger, less specific, and often marketing/manufacturing oriented topics.  This is a great group to be a part of so that you have messaging rights to people within the industry.

PCB Forum (1,133 Members Now)
The PCB Forum group is a mid sized group and falls right in the middle of everything.  Decent membership, good conversation, relevant news, etc.  If you’re not a part of this group, you ought to be.

Printed  Circuit Board Technologies and Solutions (330 Members April ‘09- 930 Members Now)
Same thoughts as the PCB Forum above.

PCB Designers and PCB Designers Group (423 Members and 378 Members respectively)
These two groups cater to the PCB Designer, as is clear by their titles.  PCB Designers is the more robust and put together group, although PCB Designers Group still has provided some valuable activity for me in the news section whenever I have posted a link.  There is a discussion thread about combining the two groups… and whether that happened or not, I am not sure.  I would speculate that a majority of the members are overlapping members.  However, these are my two favorite groups!!…. be sure to check them out and join.  I see them growing tremendously in the next year.

VLSI (2,337 Members April ‘09- 4,233 Now)
This group has grown a lot, but still has that feel of being subsidized by a few key contributors rather than it being a lively, dynamic community.

IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries
The IPC group is a great resource for the PCB Professional.  Although it is not updated or contributed to as often as many other groups, it is relatively free of junk postings and distractions.  I really appreciate the IPC and their efforts to provide resources; and supporting their LinkedIn group is a great way to show some support.

Rising Stars
These groups have great potential and I see them growing tremendously in the near future… however, that’s up to all of you.  With a little love and involvement, I see these topic/technology specific groups growing into very informative communities.  Some have very few members, and great content, while others have a good number of members, but need more applicable content.

Flex Circuit (42 Members April ‘09- 172 Members Now)

PCB/BGA Rework and Repair (103 Members Now)

Unexplainable PCB Quality Issues (151 Members Now)

PCB HDI – Next Generation (124 Members Now)

Signal Integrity Engineering (1,184 Members Now)

RF/Analog/Mixed signal circuit design & product/test engineering (883 Members Now)

RFID/AIDC Technology (1,818 Members Now)

Homepage logo taken from this site.

I see a variety of similarities between Tin whiskers… and my own: Elusive, thin, short, and never helpful.  And there is always the random single hair that frustrates you to no end.

Unfortunately, the costs associated with tin whiskers in the electronics, defense, health, and aerospace industries are astronomical compared to my need to shave once every two weeks.  Failure of products due to tin whisker growth can undermine an entire mission, scrap a program, or take a life.  I think about electronic pacemakers, our men and women traveling to space, or our servicemen and women flying at Mach speeds thousands of feet above the ground.

There has yet to be a definitive ruling made concerning the cause/prevention of whiskers, although pure tin components and plating seem to exhibit the highest likelihood of developing them.  Best practices at this time are to use a tin/lead mix with no greater than 97% tin.  However, RoHS regulations are throwing a wrench into this with its demands for lead-free products.  Some RoHS frequently asked questions are answered here.

This issue received significant attention at the IPC Technology Interchange this last December.  Also, the Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering at the University of Maryland (CALCE) and The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research at Osaka University (ISIR) are putting on another International Symposium on Tin Whiskers this June.  The call for papers is still out.  Read more about this at PCB007. Proceedings from past Symposiums can be found here.

For a great overview of tin whiskers, be sure to check out the resources provided by NASA.  The pictures in this article have all been sourced from NASA.

Have you dealt with tin whiskers in your products/designs? What types of damage have they caused?  What are some of the things you have done to diminish the likelihood of them?

Homepage Image Original found here

I have spent some time exploring the virtual show floor and various exhibits.  My gut response? I miss shaking hands.

A virtual trade show has some great benefits.  The reduced costs associated with travel is the first to come to mind.  There is also the advantage of being able to go about your day at work, and to hear a notification that someone has stepped into your “booth”.

However, my first interaction with a virtual show hasn’t been the best.  Please do not read that as a condemnation of virtual shows.  I just don’t fit the description of someone who would truly benefit from this show.  It seems that this style of show (virtual) really weeds out the moochers.  What I mean is – there are a few very specific strengths of the show, and if you fit within the target of those strengths, it will be great.  However, if you’re on the fence, you won’t like it.

With 2,300 attendees, Virtual PCB has been great for the exhibitors.  Many have stated that their booths have been consistently busy.  And it would be awesome to be an attendee looking for some services provided by the exhibitors.  The ability to switch in between various companies and instantly chat with them is great.  Exhibitors also have access to attendee lists, which is a very valuable resource when used correctly.

But for me, as a competitor to most of the exhibitors and being a marketing guy without technical expertise, there was not a whole lot of benefit.  Had we exhibited, I might be singing a different song.  This is a great benefit for the exhibitors… having a firewall/deterrant of sorts to their competitors.  There is very little cherry-picking.

What are your thoughts or experiences concerning virtual shows?  They are definitely a piece of the puzzle as it relates to the future of our industry.  UP Media is leading the charge, and sincerely I commend them.  Did you find the show helpful?  Are there aspects you wish were different?

There was a particular moment, however, which really encouraged me and provided some hope for 2010. A group of designers and engineers we’ve been working with for a few years now came down to say hello and to ask us some questions. It was great to have dynamic dialogue and interest in our company’s various developments over the last two years. It was within that conversation that I watched a younger engineer bridge the gap between fabricator and designer. And no exaggeration, it was like the room got brighter and the air sweeter.

Spending the last year getting to know both groups has exposed me to the complaints on both sides of the fence. I have heard frustrations from designers and customers concerning quality, timeliness, and customer service. I have seen fabricators scratch their head and stare at design files or bills of material in wonder and confusion. And finally someone stepped up and asked the most beautiful question. I will paraphrase, but I remember it pretty well.

He said, “Morgan, is there anything we can be doing to make your job easier? I mean, I honestly don’t know a whole lot about the details of the fabrication process… I just design them. What could we be doing to help you?”

Every relationship is different, and every customer is different, but it is essential to open up the discussion about how we can form a more seamless relationship between design, fabrication and assembly.  And so I would like to open up the discussion about how fabricators can better serve their customers, and vice versa.  Keep it clean, keep it helpful, and keep it coming.

- Liam

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., USA, February 4, 2010 — Complacency with having survived the trials of 2009 is a naïve posture that, in 2010, will lead to continued struggles warns Walt Custer. The noted industry analyst and president of Custer Consulting Group will join IPC Director of Market Research Sharon Starr for the “Global Business Outlook: Where Do We Go Next?” keynote session at IPC APEX EXPO on Wednesday, April 7 in Las Vegas.

“If a company hasn’t been planning for the recovery,” Custer says, “it has considerable catching up to do or it will risk losing market position.” Custer will share his insights into the leading global indicators he tracks to help companies understand timing sensitivities for phasing in recovery plans.

Custer and Starr will provide forecasts and trends for electronics equipment and component markets and discuss how seasonal and cyclical trends affect the industry and the supply chain.

Starr will present the findings of the latest IPC market research and explain how companies can use this data to assess their own performance and identify promising markets. IPC’s market research studies show the latest trends in demand, production and industry-specific benchmarks for the PCB, EMS, process consumables, solder, assembly equipment and laminate industries.

In addition, Starr will preview a new series of industry market forecasts at IPC APEX EXPO. Focused on specific industry segments and product categories within the industries IPC serves, new forecasts are in development now for the materials and equipment, PCB, EMS and select OEM industry markets.

“It’s exciting to be able to offer this type of new data to the industry,” said Starr. As she explains, keeping track of economic indicators and specific market data can help companies be more nimble and competitive. She adds, “Any company, regardless of size, can create competitive advantages by watching the indicators and planning appropriately.”

The Global Business Outlook keynote session is free to all registrants of IPC APEX EXPO 2010. The world’s premier technical conference and exhibition for printed board design and manufacturing, electronics assembly and test, IPC APEX EXPO will take place at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Convention Center in Las Vegas, April 6–9, 2010. For more information, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org.

# # #

About IPC

IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 2,700 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $1.7 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Garden Grove, Calif.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; and Shanghai and Shenzhen, China.

I have spoken with several individuals in the last few weeks who hold high expectations, and look to DesignCon as being the most valuable show of the year.  Although that is personal opinion, I can easily see why those sentiments have been shared.

If you’re in the area, be sure to register and attend the show.  You can buy your various passes here.

Also, be sure to follow @DesignCon2010 on twitter.