Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1509257
16 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2023 An important element of design requirement determination and manufacturing require- ments involves qualification, performance, and inspection standards. ese are critical to ensure that the product's electrical, mechani- cal, and reliability requirements are met with- out expensive over/under specification. Additively manufactured electronics (AME) technology is progressing from proof-of- concept, quick-turn circuit board production into volume shipped circuits. ese are true pure additively manufactured (AM) PCBs which may incorporate formed 3D passive components, antennas, coax, and twisted pair interconnect. As volumes increase, users are asking what industry specifications these can comply with IPC Launches Additive Standards and how production volume quality and reli- ability will be validated. For example, they are looking at how to populate the following draw- ing note (see Figure 1). "is PCB shall comply with the Class (1, 2, or 3) requirements of IPC-ABCD and IPC-A- XYZ, unless otherwise noted." ere currently aren't any AME perfor- mance, qualification, or acceptance standards published by any international standards orga- nization. ere are very good IPC standards in place for rigid, flexible, and rigid-flex boards for design, performance, qualification, and accep- tance. So, why doesn't AME just use them? e reason is there are many substantial differ- ences between how AME and traditional PCBs Dana on Data Feature Column by Dana Korf, NANO DIMENSION Figure 1.