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42 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2023 Article by Anaya Vardya AMERICAN STANDARD CIRCUITS One of the biggest challenges facing PCB designers is in not understanding the cost driv- ers 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 program- ming; it may limit tool life as a function of diameter. icker 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. DFM 101 Cost Driver Summary