Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/860275
24 The PCB Design Magazine • August 2017 "Blame Game." We put into place all manner of processes, work instructions, checklists and the like, all in our quest to try to prevent bad things from happening to our boards, and for the most part, these processes work. But let's face it; we are human and we make mistakes. We build checks and balances into our processes and do the best we can, but it happens. It can be at the engineering start, or the requirements for the device, or the design requirements, all the way to the assembly, so where do we really put the blame? In many of these cases, it's as simple as just good communication. Communication can be the key to so many things, and these types of issues are no exception. I'm sure you've heard the saying that there is always enough blame to go around. So, one last story to make your day, this time focusing on the value of good communication. Again, many years ago, a new local fab shop called me and practically begged me for work so they could show how good and fast they could be. I finally said sure. I had this little board about 1.5" x 1.5" with all of three or four parts on it. What could go wrong? After the week of lead time went by, I got a call from the guy at the fab shop. He said the boards are all done (about 250 of them), and everything looks great except one thing. I thought, "Hmm. You do remember I'm that new customer that you really wanted to im- press, right?" Anyway, he says that all of the boards are about .025" too small. He goes on to explain that the guy that runs the milling machine was out sick, so he stepped up to do the job. This was a small company, as you may have al- ready realized, and he noticed the spindle on the machine was wobbling a bit and the bear- ings needed to be replaced. Once that was done, he proceeded to route the boards, but what he didn't know was that his router operator knew that the bearings were bad and compensated for the wobbling. Seriously. Since the boards were assembled using holes in them, the edges were not really critical, so I accepted them at a slight discount. Later that day I got a call from the front desk when he delivered them, and went up to chat with him about the issue. I was told he dropped them off and left. I'm not sure if he left rubber in the parking lot when he did, but he never called for more work, and I just couldn't find it in my heart to call him for the next job. So there you have it: There's plenty of blame to go around. I didn't even mention the $250,000 board error, but maybe some other time. I'm sure many of you have horror stories that are even worse, and I didn't even make a dent in my 25 years of design. When any of us have an issue— including designers—we need to look at each case individually and really ask if we could have done something to keep that from happening. You bet there will be cases where we can say, "Nope, this one is on the other guy." But remember that you may be the other guy sometimes too. If you are new to the design world, it will be a learning experience for you, just like mistakes have been. Additionally, listen to the designers who have been around for a while and learn what you can. The veteran de- signers can be a big help—trust me. If you have been around the routing outline a few times, you'll know it happens to the best of us. I'm not an expert in design, and I can prove it sometimes. But at the risk of dating myself, I leave you with the wisdom of Laugh In announcer Gary Owens: An "ex" is a has-been and a "spurt" is a drip under pressure. I have no desire to become an expert, but I would like to know a lot. Happy routing! PCBDESIGN Scott Decker, CID+, is staff engi- neer in PCB design services at UTC Aerospace Systems' Electronic Sys- tems Center. ENOUGH BLAME TO GO AROUND " Communication can be the key to so many things, and these types of issues are no exception. "