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72 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2018 • Efficiency: No need to check multiple files and verify their versions • Easier for OEMs, better for manufacturers, and designers sleep better at night after handoff Who Supports IPC-2581? Thousands of designs from multiple design houses around the globe have been built using IPC-2581. Some companies have standardized on IPC-2581 as the only way to hand off data to manufacturing. Did you know that some leading manufacturers charge more money to accept Gerber designs? Axiom Electronics encourages their custom- ers to provide design data in the IPC-2581 format and has made continual advancements in their assembly process utilizing the data supplied. A PCB West 2017 presentation titled "IPC-2581 Digital Data Transfer Success Stories and Future" noted: "Axiom has successfully integrated files sup- plied in IPC-2581 format into key areas of our manufacturing process to reduce time and to increase quality by adding the ability to visu- ally see specific information on our SMT lines. Collaborative efforts with Wise Software and TTM along with key customers have enabled Axiom to be more efficient in building complex assemblies. The ability to have machine operators verify BOM information quickly has increased our throughput, especially when it comes to DNI components. It's no longer the un-intelligent data we have been using for years, nor is it a Figure 3: An intelligent data handoff to manufacturing is good for the design house and for the manufacturing partners. Figure 4: In 2017, the percentage of jobs sent to Axiom in IPC-2581 format surpassed the ones sent in Gerber format.