Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1293772
54 SMT007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2020 connector, which is rather hard to assemble. There was no DRC error due to how the place- ment courtyard was defined, but just because you can do it in the tool, doesn't mean you should. Situational awareness is important. I didn't get upset with him; I just took the time to explain to him why we shouldn't do it, why the boundaries are the way they are, and that you should look at IPC documents, etc. It's a good learning opportunity. Unfortunately, a lot of designers are working in a vacuum. I have worked in a couple of places where I was the only designer there. It is really hard to learn from other designers when you're the only one. I've seen a lot of designers get stuck in a past decade because they didn't keep up and keep learning. That's a one-way ticket to los- ing your job, unfortunately. It falls back on the designer to be assertive enough to ask ques- tions, look for training, and make connections with other designers. Kolar: To that point, this is something that we're trying to do more and more for design- ers. If you're working with similar customers, ask for feedback. Say, "How did the build go?" We'll rarely or occasionally get feedback if we didn't do the manufacturing, and we just sent a design package. We might occasionally hear that it went great, or this went great, but they had to rework a couple of things. Typically, you don't get a lot of feedback unless some- thing goes colossally wrong. That would be a really good thing for people who are design- ers at service bureaus to do: Go back to their customers and ask how it went. Ask, "Were there any issues in fab? Were there any issues in assembly? Give me that feedback so that I can take that into account for the next one." Johnson: The takeaway is if you're looking to become better at designing reliably, get the feedback from your manufacturers on how the build went. Kolar: That's a huge part of it. A lot of assem- blers and fab shops think by not telling you, they're making your life easier. It's done, so they've moved on to the next thing. They're on the next item. We don't work that way. We need to learn from our vendors to help our customers. Warren: Take it as constructive feedback. Don't take it personally. Don't get upset because someone told you there was a mistake. Think, "I'll remember not to do that next time." Move on. Everyone will be much better for it. We're all adults, and it's just the way you're sup- posed to learn. Johnson: Any parting words or last thoughts before we wrap up? Warren: I can't stress communication enough. For the fab and assembly shops, just because The team at Monsoon Solutions. (Source: msoon.com)