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JANUARY 2024 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 37 design files. is includes board layer stackup and materials, part selection, and the correct location and spacing of components, traces, and other PCB elements. For the DFM process to truly succeed, consider these three points before you go to layout. 1. Document It Documenting your company's DFM process so that everyone has a clear understanding of what the objectives are is essential to the long-term success of design for manufactur- ability. ere can be a big difference between how design groups document their standards and procedures, and those with established DFM practices are typically at the top of the list. DFM and other standard operating pro- cedures are usually carefully documented and available to employees electronically or in printed format. In some instances, the design is gated to DFM documentation and won't be released until official reviews are completed and signed off by specific stakeholders. en there are those groups with very little in the way of official documentation. If they follow DFM practices at all, it is usually in the form of "tribal knowledge" based on previous manu- facturing experiences. Do yourself a favor and document your DFM processes and require- ments. 2. Enforce It e next step is to ensure that our DFM is fully documented and ready to be used. is is a great idea, but how can we do it? Here are some ideas to try: • If you are working at a company where the DFM processes are not well documented, you can start by getting some of these processes recorded. "Is that really my job," you might ask. Well, if you are laying out circuit boards, then the answer is a resounding yes. • A good place to start is by working with your manufacturing vendors. Contrary to how they are sometimes viewed, they are not the enemy; in fact, they are highly vested in wanting you to be successful. Aer all, if you are successful, they will be too, and the way they will make you suc- cessful is by building your circuit boards correctly, on time, and without errors. erefore, spend some time with them and find out how you can help them so they can better help you.