Comments on: Free DFM (Design for Manufacturablity) Software!

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:55:19 +0000

This was a great post and read. Thanks for putting it up. Would you be interested in and willing to write a guest blog post for us at http://www.acdi.com?

By: Gerald

Gerald — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:49:38 +0000

“Well written Mr.Morris! I agree with you. It’s essential for the PCB designers to have a good knowledge and understanding of PCB layout techniques, as well as a basic understanding of circuit operation.
A faulty design can make soldering of electronic components pretty difficult and it’s very hard to locate the mistakes in complex circuit boards and also time consuming to fix them. What’s key is that the designer needs to carefully balance the constraints of cost vs. reliability vs. performance needs. Nowadays manufacturers issue free DFM software which is of great help to both manufacturers and designers. Recently I came across free online tool for DFM check from Sierra Proto Express, high technology printed circuit board manufacturers. The tool detects your design errors right from the start and prevents On-holds and Re-spins. It also ensures that you have a complete set of files for manufacturing and your Gerber files electrically match your CAD design.Thanks for your information.”

By: George Defond

George Defond — Tue, 18 May 2010 17:13:31 +0000

What a great subject. I have always been a big supporter of DFM. It’s a rarity that my work comes back with a DFM issue. I have a set of guideleines that I use that count on the Fab House and Assembly House. This works at an optimum if I know who will be manufacturing and building the boards. But I recently lost my job because I crammed a board as tight as I could using the guideleines that I came up with over a four and a half year period. These guidelines were an agreement betwenn me and the Fab house, and me and the Assembly house. The powers-that-be were unhappy that my cram-job did not fit the board outline they wanted. The powers-that-be contacted a consultant who said he could make it fit. Of course he could. So I’m on the outside, looking in. I don’t know how the story ended. I don’t know if they had to find new vendors (who will cost more). The bottom line is that no good deed ever goes unpunished.

By: Carl Schlemmer

Carl Schlemmer — Mon, 17 May 2010 00:13:21 +0000

Ah the tug of war game – not a blame game. As a manufacturer the basic issue is we want the data as “clean” as possible. The root issue in my opinion is many designers have never been to or understand the manufacturing process therefore other than acedemically how can they know the manufacturing constraints?

On the flip side – manufacturers are not designers and still run design rule checks (DRC’s) more as a safety net than to be the governing factor.

In a perfect world I try to recommend if a designer has a doubt or question do an early involvement with the PCB fabricator and from a manufacturers point of view we should involve the designer when manufacturing concerns can be flagged at the DFM stage.

Nobody is right and nobody is wrong – the underlying factor is everyone has budgets and deadlines and the gap between designers and fabricators has widened when a large amount of PCB’s go through CM’s / EMS which further disconnects these two.

By: Mike Cummings

Mike Cummings — Sun, 16 May 2010 12:34:18 +0000

I have been a consultant for a good number of years, DFM, has always been a slow subject to pick up and run with. Designers tend to protect there projects like their children, they can do no wrong, and manufacturers have to accomodate ever demanding component designs, board designs and trade suppliers who talk the talk on DFM but dont walk it.
I have developed manufacturing for design (MFD)for my clients, this works but just masks the need to have a joined up DFM program, better feed back to designers allows them to beter choose between a design saving or a manufacturing saving, I agree designers have tight budgets and a very difficult task, however the number of product recalls is also increasing year on year.

Mike C

By: Liam Morris

Liam Morris — Fri, 14 May 2010 21:23:59 +0000

Malcom,

thanks for the comment. I didn’t mean to imply that designers cause all the problems… by no means. I’ve simply seen both sides of the fence. I hear the designers wishing we would get back to them faster, and get frustrated when the 2 day turn they needed gets bumped to 3 days because of our questions, and watched the quotes/po’s stand in limbo while edits are made.

My hope is to spark discussion and change.

What other ways do you think fabricators could be better serving the design community?

By: Malcolm Maxwell

Malcolm Maxwell — Fri, 14 May 2010 21:14:49 +0000

Whilst I agree totally with your article, I feel it is slightly biased in that manufacturers can do no wrong, and all the problems come from the designers side.
The problem that manufacturers have is they have to cut their prices to the bone, and a poor design can cause a lot of liaison between them and the designer, cutting their profits further. Therefore, free DFM software would be a big help for both sides.
Maybe manufacturers should free issue the software if possible.