Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1525004
AUGUST 2024 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 21 and time for multiple turns. Quit paying for "fixes" in the production runs. We have incredible soware products to support mechanical and electrical analysis of any product, so use them. 4. Educate Yourself e fourth cost saving method is to educate yourself. Since the PCB design process oen becomes the hub of the project, take the CID exam. (Yes, I teach it, but the CID really is a great idea.) Get to know the terminologies and processes involved in designing and man- ufacturing the board. You don't have to be an expert; just be familiar with all the parts of the processes and be able to plan with them. You may discover new ways to speed up the pro- cess and cut costs. e entire team needs to be able and willing to check themselves and each other. Be will- ing to explore and learn new methodologies and processes. Every design is different. Every manufacturer has different capabilities. Every- one needs to be open to new suggestions. Be sure to do it in a supportive manner. One of my dad's favorite lines when he saw someone struggling with a task was, "Would you like to learn another way to do that?" While his suggestions didn't always work, we both learned new options and gained a better understanding of how to accomplish the same thing. Maybe the way we've always done it just doesn't work as well as it did, and there are other ways to accomplish a specific task, pro- cess, or goal from a different perspective. Finding the keys for getting the most "bang for your buck" starts by finding the cost adders for each design. DESIGN007 Cherie Litson, MIT CID/CID+, is the founder of Litson1 Consulting and an instructor at EPTAC and Everett Community College. She has more than 30 years of design experience, and has been an instructor since 2003. can do the following: Research, get training, start mock designs and templates, perform library maintenance, and assist others with their tasks. is can oen contribute to speed- ing up the design process. While waiting for input, engineers (elec- trical and mechanical) can do the following: Component engineering and end-of-life veri- fications on components, be trained on so- ware, research new manufacturing methods, identify critical test criteria, double-check their schematics for wording and pin connec- tions, and work closely with purchasing to cer- tify alternate sources. Be cautious of purchasing "deals." Make sure it will work with the design. Many good designs have gone bad because a part wasn't available and the new one didn't meet the "form, fit, and function" criteria. Or the panel excising method was changed from "routing" to "scor- ing" and there wasn't enough clearance to the board features for that process and breakage happened due to mechanical stresses. For manufacturing, timing is critical. Fab- ricators shouldn't get too far ahead of the fin- ished design or be caught unaware of what their needs will be. Keep the board shop in the loop for what you plan to do. Your fabricator may need to review your layer stackup to pur- chase new or additional material. Assembly may need to take early action for component procurement. Many times, manufacturing can offer solutions they have used with other clients. 3. Design Once, Build Many e third cost saving method is to remember this mantra: "Design once, build many." Take the time to design thoroughly. Doing this can oen support going directly from prototype to build. I've done this with new designs. A great chef never serves an undercooked meal. Designing a board only once also cuts pro- duction costs. ere is no real need to keep building multiple prototypes with fixes in the product. Quit paying for wasted supplies