-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueOpportunities and Challenges
In this issue, our expert contributors discuss the many opportunities and challenges in the PCB design community, and what can be done to grow the numbers of PCB designers—and design instructors.
Embedded Design Techniques
Our expert contributors provide the knowledge this month that designers need to be aware of to make intelligent, educated decisions about embedded design. Many design and manufacturing hurdles can trip up designers who are new to this technology.
Manufacturing Know-how
For this issue, we asked our expert contributors to share their thoughts on the absolute “must-know” aspects of fab, assembly and test that all designers should understand. In the end, we’re all in this together.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
DFM 101: Cost Driver Summary
June 8, 2023 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Introduction
One of the biggest challenges facing PCB designers is in not understanding the cost drivers in the PCB manufacturing process. We will wrap up this DFM series with a summary of cost drivers that impact delivery, quality, and reliability. It is categorized by low-, medium-, and high-cost adders.
Low-cost Adders (< 10% board cost)
Complex routing and scoring mean a small increase in process time, but a process is still required which will be driven by NC programming; it may limit tool life as a function of diameter. Thicker or thinner PWBs (>0.093", <0.030") means a material cost variation but it is minimal. Via plug or button print requires a small process change to the screen-print mask dot.
Medium-cost Adders (10–25%)
Regarding drilled hole quantity, there is a cost adder for high-density design-driven hole count and process time. With smaller drilled hole size, the small drill diameter (<0.010") limits throughput and stack height.
Embedded resistors with Ohmega/Gould technology will need additional core testing and finished board verification. Non-FR-4 materials, like PTFEs, can be 10 to 20 times the FR-4 cost, and material cost is generally 25–50% of the board cost. Edge plating will have additional processes required prior to plating.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the May 2023 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
Elementary, Mr. Watson: Ensuring Design Integrity
03/28/2024 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonBack in February, many of us watched the "Big Game." It reminded me of the saying, “It's not how you start that is important, but rather how you finish." It is perfectly okay when you are talking about sports, you get off to a bad first half and need to recover in the second half. However, when it comes to PCB design, this is not a good practice. If things start badly, they usually don't recover. They continue down that same path, costing more money and losing design time.
ASMC 2024 to Showcase AI, Smart Manufacturing and Sustainability to Advance Chip Industry Manufacturing Expertise
03/27/2024 | SEMIMore than 125 experts will offer insights into the latest semiconductor manufacturing strategies and methodologies as hundreds of industry stakeholders gather at the 35th annual SEMI Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference (ASMC 2024), May 13-16 in Albany, New York.
Mycronic to Showcase More Versatile, High-productivity Assembly Solutions at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
03/27/2024 | MycronicMycronic, the leading Sweden-based electronics assembly solutions provider, will continue to respond to growing customer demand for high-flexibility, high-productivity solutions for zero-defect PCB assembly at IPC APEX EXPO 2024 in Anaheim, CA on April 9 - 11.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024: LPKF—Debunking Depaneling Industry Perceptions
03/27/2024 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007In this audio interview, listen to Jake Benz discuss advances in laser depaneling at LPKF. Thanks to advances in laser technology, perceptions about laser depaneling are changing from a low-speed, specialized process to a high volume process suitable for production manufacturing. Benz elaborates on some of the development and engineering that went into creating their latest, most capable depaneling machines.
The Many Complexities of PFAS
03/26/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineIn its simplest definition, PFAS is a group of chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. Fluoropolymer coatings can be in a variety of products. Though this definition is not inaccurate, it can be misleading. Depending on who you ask, there are upward of 10,000 PFAS chemistries that can meet various definitions.