IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
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64 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2026 Yield Production yield levels are a key leading indicator for ongoing service levels during the product's life- cycle. Sound production processes, coupled with deep manufacturing expertise, a focus on quality, and a commitment to continuous improvement, produce higher yields. Partnering With a Total Solution Provider When a PCB manufacturing partner has deep- rooted cultural values of quality and collaboration with customers, the result is accurate, efficient, and speedy order fulfillment, no matter the project, fac- tory, or scale. Customers benefit from reduced de- cision-making complexity in pre-production, greater transparency across each phase of manufacturing, and higher-quality boards. I-CONNECT007 Matt Stevenson is vice president and general manager of ASC Sun- stone Circuits. Matt is also the author of The Printed Circuit Design- er's Guide to... Design- ing for Reality. To read past columns, click here. Design Adherence The key question facing every designer: Can the manufacturer build the board I designed? Designs with manufacturability issues cause production delays and can drive up costs. Design adherence helps the design team concentrate on the behavior of the design during prototyping and debugging, because the PCB manufacturer built what the design team specified. The standard or widely accepted RMA rate for PCB manufacturers is roughly 2%. Fabricators that strive to provide total value manufacturing maintain a 1% RMA rate. Responsiveness PCB manufacturing is a collaborative process. A good partner will help the design team keep revi- sion cycles to a minimum during prototyping and move the project along as fast as possible. Respon- siveness is key to achieving this goal. Design teams are often working on tight project deadlines. They need prompt, reliable access to their fabricator to get clarity. A value-focused manufacturer will provide ready, constant access to experts who speak the language of design and product, and they will do so with customer service phone call wait time measured in seconds, not minutes. C O N N ECT T H E D OTS