Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1193979
44 PCB007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2019 Anac: Yes. We do almost everything, such as HDI boards, blind vias, buried vias (stacked and multiple steps), flex-rigid, etc. We have some examples in our booth here at Altium- Live. Matties: You have spent three days here at Al- tiumLive. What have you learned that you will apply to your business? Anac: We are a hotspot for people who are cre- ating designs, and you will get first-hand in- formation about what is important to them. We have received many questions about our design guidelines; we have them available for standard multilayer, HDI, rigid-flex, and semi- flex. They can be downloaded from our web- site. We are also looking forward to implement- ing all our guidelines into the Altium layout software. It's easier for designers. It means one click, and all DRCs are loaded. And, in general, we have found this to be a great and very well- organized event. Matties: What do you think are the greatest challenges that a designer faces today? Anac: Miniaturization on the boards, and the requirements of the application. Overall, you can say PCB designers face or consider so many topics because the spectrum of PCB is very wide. It starts at electrical engineering, and then you need knowledge about PCB ma- terials, capabilities, applications, production, assembly, and much more. For example, if you have an optical board, it's totally different from a board that is designed for high-power applications. We are going to customers to ask the right person—the designer—"What is the background? What do you need?" With those answers, we can provide solutions or improve existing projects. Shaughnessy: Do you see more optical boards? Anac: It was one example. If you have a high- speed optical board, there are some other rules for design, as for a high-power board. That also means you have other requirements for production, and we have to choose the right factory. We know which factory is best suit- ed for each application. Our variety of applica- tions is wide and includes almost all classes. Shaughnessy: I guess that's where you come in, right? Because you speak the designer's language. Anac: Exactly. Matties: What advice would you have for a de- signer today? Anac: Talk to your PCB supplier as early as pos- sible. We have some very interesting speakers here, and that is also their advice. Talk to your manufacturers. Communication and a close re- lationship is the key. Matties: And to be clear, NCAB only does bare board production, correct? Anac: Producing PCBs is challenging, and yes, we only do one thing and want to do it 100%— no assembling, stencils, laminates, etc. We produce PCBs sustainably, on time, with zero defects and at the lowest total cost. Matties: Thank you both for your time. Anac: Thanks. von Bargen: Thank you. PCB007 NCAB's New Hampshire facility.