El DFM puede aumentar tus ingresos en electrónica

Letting the DFM software act on each of these constraints automatically saves engineering effort and delivers the desired results consistently for every user, regardless of their manufacturing expertise. In addition, Valor NPI can perform a complete solder analysis, as shown in the picture below, to locate potential solderability issues.

Panel optimization

As DFM evolves continuously, now Valor NPI software is also used to design and optimize PCB panels. Many companies are inefficient in their panel-design process, even for assembly panels or arrays. Typically, designers will use a 2D mechanical CAD tool to create a drawing of what the assembly panels should look like when received from the bare-board fabricator. Several hours are required to create the drawing and add notes and dimensions, then they send it to their fabricator as a dumb drawing file. “Dumb” means the drawing file contains no intelligence that the fabricator can key off of in the tooling process. Instead, the fabricator must recreate the panel with their CAM software and send a proof image back to the designer for approval. With the technology available today, this level of redundant manual processes is unnecessary.

Instead, the design team can easily create assembly panels using the Valor NPI software and include all the elements needed: rails, tooling holes, fiducials and rout or v-score features. Valor NPI can automatically optimize the boards within the assembly panel to minimize the fabrication material costs.

Data digitization

Finally, new product introduction involves creation, validation and delivery of the design data package to the fabrication and assembly houses. Historically, it is delivered as a package comprised of some combination of the following:

• Gerber files
• Drill files
• Netlist files
• Test files
• Manufacturing BOM
• Drill drawings
• Assembly panel drawings • Route drawings
• Stackup drawing
• Drawing notes.

For an industry that drives the digitalization of the planet, PCB production is heavily dependent on manual processes with instructions communicated through 2D, non-relational drawings and documents. Is there anything in documentation that cannot be represented as a data field? Nets that are intentionally shorted? A data field can be tagged to the appropriate nets. Top-side soldermask color?

With Valor NPI, data can be transferred from the design to manufacturers completely digitized. This is the essential premise for Digital Transformation of the Electronic Industry and for implementation of Smart Manufacturing.

The Valor NPI added value

The examples above made it clear what an intelligent DFM is and what is its role in the NPI process. But in the case of Valor NPI, the tool itself is able to give you an added value for at least three additional reasons:

• it is really easy to use, with a quick learning curve and tangible results at the first uses;
• it comes with the IPC rule set embedded inside the software;
• the DFA solder joint check is included out of the box.

The Valor NPI Business Process

In conclusion, we can say that DFM is the true element of continuity between Design and Manufacturing. It belongs to the field of activity of Design, but it has the biggest impact on Manufacturing. As we can see in the chart below, in a lean NPI process - represented by the green line - fewer re-spins and better quality means the ramp to volume is steeper. As a consequence, the revenue is higher. That's the point.