Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1535183
MAY 2025 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 47 ers—not just the people in suits, and definitely not just more PCB designers. Of course, bes- ties, always check in with your own CAM Ken to be sure. My perfect PCB dreamland is in the pages of Design007 Magazine, where we feature real manufacturing voices front and center. We've built this incredible platform through the I-Connect007 family. Let's use it to li the voices that too oen go unheard. It's time for the real experts to speak—not from behind the scenes but from the heart of the process. Our Industry Still Has Homework to Do CAD tool providers and design teams need to recognize that the notion of a "perfect" design environment is subjective and oen exclusion- ary. True optimization comes from collabora- tion—not just automation. Bring CAM and test engineers into the design process early. eir input shouldn't be post-mortem—it should be foundational. Educate designers beyond the design tool interface. Understanding fabrication, stackups, and manufacturing limits should be as essential as knowing how to place a via. Improve data output. Relying on Gerbers alone isn't enough. Include an IPC-D-356 netlist file or use rich formats like IPC-2581 or ODB++ and ensure all files are clearly named and documented. Customize design templates with real-world feedback. Corporate standards should reflect practical, not just theoretical, perfection. e takeaway? Perfection isn't about appearances—it's about collaboration. Let's stop gaslighting our CAM engineers with "perfect" files that can't be built. Instead, let's build a world where ever yone's expertise is valued and the definition of perfect includes manufacturability. Real success comes not from designing in a bubble, but from designing in the real world— together. DESIGN007 Kelly Dack, CIT, CID+, provides DFx centered PCB design and manufacturing liaison expertise for a dynamic EMS provider in the Pacific Northwest while also serving as an IPC design certification instructor (CID) for EPTAC. To read past columns, click here.