Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1129312
48 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2019 When we were kids, we valued the possibil- ity to design, create, and build—the ambition to create something special over hours spent drawing or building things. The quest for mak- ing a wooden go-kart that would make you the coolest kid in the street. Sometimes, the design fits the purpose. Other times, there might not even be a plan—just pure luck to succeed, or even better, win the heart of the most popular girl with your homemade vehicle. As adults, the situation is slightly different. For some of us, the ability to design and create withers. Some keep this creativity and create fantastic products. As technology accelerates and the toolbox develops, it opens up a whole new set of tools and inventiveness. An Important Foundation For printed circuits, we gave up building the coolest go-kart a long time ago, but the story is the same; it all has to start with design. PCBs are the foundation for the product—the one thing connecting the bits and pieces. If poor- ly designed, it might cause unnecessary chal- lenges for the EMS putting it all together and prevent the product from working optimally. As a broker of printed circuits—the link be- tween designers and manufacturers—we of- ten see that early involvement and commit- ment between all the involved parties in a product development process diminishes the risk for mistakes and misunderstandings. Several times, we have seen the unfor- tunate result of inadequate plan- ning and execution in the early phase of the product develop- ment process. Early involvement of an experienced partner in the design phase can save you from costly mis- takes. With a knowledgeable partner onboard who's not reluctant to share their know-how or ask the challenging questions, you can be on the secure side when planning. From Wooden Huts to Homemade Go-karts: It All Starts With Design! The PCB Norsemen Feature Column by John Steinar "Josse" Johnsen, Didrik Bech, and Jan Pedersen, ELMATICA