Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1525368
58 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2024 done so, now is the time to join PCBAA and help us change the game. PCB007 Shane Whiteside is president and CEO of Summit Interconnect and current chair of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America. To read past columns, click here. We must put a human face on our issues. Otherwise, we are just another special inter- est group asking for money. PCBAA and our partners at IPC will continue to educate, advo- cate, and support legislation to restore Ameri- can manufacturing. Our political power in Washington is derived from the relevance of our issues and the strength of our team. If you have not already 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 programming; it may limit tool life as a function of diameter. Thicker or thinner PCBs (>0.093" [0.229 mm], <0.030" [0.762 mm]) 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. Medium-cost Adders (10–25%) Regarding drilled hole quantity, there is a cost adder for high-density design-driven hole count and process time. With smaller drilled hole size, the small drill diameter (<0.010" [0.254 mm]) limits throughput and stack height. Embedded resistors with Ohm- ega/Ticer technology will need additional core test- ing and finished board verification. Non-FR-4 mate- rials, like PTFEs, can be 10 to 20 times the FR-4 cost, and material cost is generally 25–50% of the board cost. Edge plating will have additional processes required prior to plating. High-cost Adders (>25% board cost) Advanced technologies may become "science projects" with industry non-standard processing or materials, or "bleeding edge" technology (<0.003" [0.076 mm] L/S, 1:1 aspect ratio microvias, 0.4 mm BGA technology, etc.). Sequential lamination and complex via structures, as well as metal core or external heat sink requirements, also add cost. BOOK EXCERPT The Printed Circuit Designer's Guide to... DFM Essentials Chapter 10: Cost Driver Summary Understanding the cost drivers in PCB fabrication and early engagement between designer and fabri- cator are crucial elements that lead to cost-effective design success. This chapter was extracted from the newly published book, The Printed Circuit Designer's Guide to DFM Essentials, now available free from the I-Connect007 library.