Reduce Manufacturing Costs by Designing Your PCB for Manufacturability

Adding a Design for Manufacturing analysis to your project scope may appear to add an extra cost to your project at the onset. However, you can actually reduce your manufacturing costs when you add a DFM analysis. The time and money spent on the initial analysis and design adjustments will reduce your manufacturing costs and save you time in the manufacturing process. In many cases, avoiding the DFM stage of product production will cost you more in the long run, since redesigns later in the PCB manufacturing process can be expensive and time consuming.

What is Design for Manufacturing?

Design for Manufacturing (DFM) is a process that will look at your design from a manufacturing perspective. This process will help catch and prevent mistakes as well as look for inefficiencies in materials, layout, and other specifications that can slow down the manufacturing process or increase your costs. DFM looks at your current design and makes the right adjustments to work with the right materials, components, layout, and manufacturing techniques to ensure a more efficient and cost-effective manufacturing process.

Advantages of DFM

Using DFM before production begins has many advantages. A DFM analysis will look for incorrect footprints, component spacing, overlapping components, components close to the board edge, the BOM, correct PCB fabrication and assembly drawings, pad geometry, human interfaces, flex circuits, board to board connections, cabling and wiring, and more. DFM ensures the buildability of each individual component as well as ensuring that all components will work together in the final assembly. DFM will ensure that all the parts ordered are available, that components have sufficient space and are oriented correctly, and the board is set up with a test strategy that includes accessible test points. Additional points, like accessibility, mechanical fit, adequate clearance, and electrical connectivity will also be assessed.

Using a Turnkey ECM with DFM Capabilities

When you use a turnkey ECM who can work with you on every stage of your product, you will have access to engineers who can look at your design and incorporate a DFM analysis. The engineers will understand your project from both the design side and the manufacturing side and can incorporate the right set up and materials to get your project through production in the most efficient and cost effective way, without sacrificing any quality or functionality. Using a turnkey facility with on-site engineers and DFM capabilities ensures that your project will be taken care of throughout the entire process. Turnkey ECMs are set up to do full box builds in addition to PCB manufacturing, and this single-vendor approach will centralize your project management, parts procurement, design reviews, prototyping, and testing.

When you are looking for an ECM for your PCB manufacturing needs, a domestic turnkey ECM with DFM capabilities and on-site engineers is well worth the investment. DFM analysis can save you both time and money, and ensures that your product will be manufactured in the best way possible.

By choosing a turnkey ECM with DFM capabilities, you can count on having a quality PCB in your product. Outsourcing your PCB manufacturing to the right partner can save your company both time and money, along with providing the assurance that your PCB will function exactly as intended. If you have questions about our turnkey PCB assembly and manufacturing services, or about our Design For Manufacturing analysis, contact Levison Enterprises today.

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