- What does DFM mean?
- The advantages and important role of DFM
- 1. Reduce costs and improve product competitiveness.
- 2. Optimize the production process and improve production efficiency.
- 3. Beneficial to technology transfer and strengthening company cooperation.
- 4. Basis for new product development and testing
- 5. New technologies applied to the electronic assembly process
- Why does DFM standardize PCB design and manufacturing?
- How to use DFM to improve the efficiency of the PCB manufacturing process
- Conclusion
With the rapid development of printed circuit board manufacturing technology, the integration level of printed circuit boards is rapidly increasing, the manufacturing process and process steps are becoming more complex, and the process size is shrinking. Design for manufacturability (DFM) of printed circuit boards is gaining more and more attention from the industry. Its main purpose is to directly improve the yield of printed circuit boards and reduce the production cost of printed circuit boards.
DFM, or design for manufacturability, is a process of arranging PCB layouts to minimize future problems in PCB manufacturing and assembly. Therefore, it can be said that DFM includes both manufacturing and assembly-oriented designs.
DFM is not just a technology but, in a sense, more like a philosophy that is included in all aspects of product realization.
What does DFM mean?
DFM (Design for Manufacture) means Design for Manufacturability. It focuses on the relationship between the physical characteristics of the product itself and the various parts of the manufacturing system and applies them to product design to integrate the entire manufacturing system for overall optimization and make it more standardized, thus reducing costs, shortening production time, and improving the manufacturability and efficiency of the product.
DFM focuses on the relationship between the product’s physical design and the parts of the manufacturing system and applies it to product design to integrate the entire manufacturing system for overall optimization. This is the most effective way to ensure the quality of PCB design.
DFM is to consider manufacturability from the time of product development and design so that design and manufacturing are closely linked to achieving a successful design-to-manufacturing goal.
DFM design is an unavoidable and important aspect. DFM mainly includes device selection, PCB physical parameter selection, and PCB design details in PCB design. In a narrow sense, DFM is to make the design more suitable for production requirements but also requires us to fully consider the production situation when PCB design so that the PCB design can be produced. To meet most of the production needs, the PCB design can make a design out of the PCB in producing more options to reduce costs, that is, for the money and design!
The advantages and important role of DFM
1. Reduce costs and improve product competitiveness.
Low cost and high output is the eternal goal of all companies. The company’s resources can be effectively used to manufacture products with low cost, high quality, and high efficiency through implementing DFM specifications. If the product design does not meet the production characteristics of the company and the process is poor, it will cost more human, material, and financial resources to achieve the purpose. Also, have to pay a heavy price of delayed delivery or even loss of market.
2. Optimize the production process and improve production efficiency.
DFM connects the design and production departments organically to achieve the purpose of information exchange so that design development and production preparation are coordinated. The unified standard makes it easy to achieve automation and improve production efficiency. At the same time, it can achieve the standardization of production test equipment and reduce the duplication of investment in production test equipment.
3. Beneficial to technology transfer and strengthening company cooperation.
Currently, many companies are limited by the production scale, and a lot of work needs to be completed through outsourcing. Through the implementation of DFM, manufacturing technology can be smoothly transferred between processing units and units that need processing, and production can be quickly organized. The versatility of design for manufacturability can enable the global production of enterprise products.
4. Basis for new product development and testing
There is no proper DFM specification to control product design. In the late stage of product development, or even in the mass production stage, assembly problems of one kind or another are found. At this time, if you want to correct design changes, it will undoubtedly increase the development cost and prolong the product production cycle. So, in addition to focusing on function first, DFM is also important in new product development.
5. New technologies applied to the electronic assembly process
Nowadays, the development of new electronic assembly technology is becoming more and more complex. To capture the market and reduce costs, companies must adopt the latest and fastest assembly technology in their development. Only through DFM standardization can we keep pace with the development.
Why does DFM standardize PCB design and manufacturing?
Errors in the printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing process can be very uncomfortable and costly. Such errors are mainly the result of poor PCB design and can affect the quality of the final product. Manufacturing the PCB is one of the final stages of development, which means a lot of time, materials, and money have been spent. It would be a disaster if the PCB were unmanufacturable at this point. Something may have gone wrong; could it be the layout? Materials?
When designing a PCB, consider how to manufacture the PCB to prevent this high-cost problem. Decisions made during the PCB design phase usually affect the PCB’s cost and the manufacturing difficulty. Manufacturing (DFM) involves designing the PCB layout in a way that is easy to manufacture. The ultimate goal of PCB DFM is to reduce manufacturing time and cost.
DFM is considered the operational domain of the PCB manufacturer or assembly engineer. However, more and more, DFM is becoming an important part of the PCB design layout process. There is no reason for this; the main reasons are:
(1) reduces the cost of the finished PCB
(2) the possibility of design failure
(3) Maintain the overall design intent.
Although the design without checking the cost of DFM defects is considered cheaper in the short term, it comes at a long-term cost. Ensuring that a PCB design with DFM issues complies with the manufacturing process can become more expensive. If problems are found at the PCB layout stage, they can be corrected at a lower cost. Especially with high-speed PCBs, the lack of communication between the PCB designer and the manufacturing team can lead to many costly failures in the PCB manufacturing process. In addition, there is time to market, as quality products are often taken for granted, and being first to market with these quality products provides a real competitive advantage.
How to use DFM to improve the efficiency of the PCB manufacturing process
DFM analysis should be started immediately after the conceptual design is created. Each design step should be executed with the manufacturing process in mind to achieve the ultimate DFM analysis goal better. When using DFM, you can refer to and follow the following guidelines.
1. Reduce the number of components on the PCB
Using the minimum number of components reduces the complexity of the printed circuit board and makes manufacturing easier. The increase in the number of components leads to an increase in the cost of PCB manufacturing. As the number of components increases, the automation process becomes more complex and expensive.
To reduce the number of parts, all parts should be carefully examined to determine if a part can be removed, combined with another part, or if another part can perform its function. When the number of PCB components is reduced, the cost of procuring components (i.e., low BOM and maintenance costs) is also reduced. More investment should be made in multifunctional components, as they help keep the number at a minimum. If the number of components is low, placing them on the printed circuit board and the soldering process will be easier. Keeping components to a minimum can also reduce the cost of manufacturing PCBs.
2. Modular and multi-purpose circuit board design
The modular design of the PCB allows for design and structural versatility, thus making the PCB manufacturing process simple. During the PCB design process, consider the small functional blocks used in various products. Using the same module for different products reduces the unit price when ordering from the manufacturer. The module also reduces the complexity of manufacturing PCBs for each module.
However, the modules should be planned correctly, especially when translating the conceptual design of the PCB into the actual design. If the planning is not good, it may take more time. All factors should be considered, such as where to place some components to optimize space use and performance.
3. Use standard components
The risk of error is minimized when using standard products in the PCB manufacturing process. Unique products make it more difficult and time-consuming for PCB manufacturers to manufacture products because they are not used to working with them. In addition, standard components are less costly than unique components. Standards simplify the supply chain and alleviate quality issues. Unique components may not be available in the market and may be obsolete faster than standard components.
4. Avoid joints and fasteners whenever possible.
Threaded fasteners such as washers, nuts, and bolts take a lot of time because they are difficult to manufacture and automate. In addition, the cost of installing parts with fasteners is higher compared to press-fit installation techniques. If fasteners cannot be avoided, always use standard fasteners, which can use self-tapping screws and retaining washers. Alternative methods of connecting parts, such as adhesives, should be considered. The fastening technology of the material used, the functional requirements of the product, and the manufacturing method used.
5. Automated manufacturing
Compared with manual manufacturing, automated manufacturing is less prone to errors. So the PCB should be designed in the direction of automated manufacturing.
There are currently two automated manufacturing methods: machine manufacturing and high-speed. For flexible machine manufacturing, you should ensure that standard fixtures are used to design parts. Parts should be able to self-position and use simple art presentation equipment. Care should be taken to ensure that certain parts do not need to be repaired, making the automation process more difficult.
A minimum number of predetermined standard parts for high-speed automated manufacturing should be used. In addition, closed parts and parts without protrusions or gaps should be used to ensure no tangles.
Conclusion
Consider the PCB manufacturing process in the early stages of the design process and ensure there are no errors in the actual manufacturing process. Using DFM has many advantages, such as reduced cost and time, as it eliminates the need for PCB redesign and remanufacturing by preventing errors in the manufacturing process, using standard and minimal parts, and using the correct type of material suitable for the manufacturing process.
Using the guidelines above, while not exhaustive, ensures significant time savings in the PCB manufacturing process.DFM also makes it easier to automate the PCB manufacturing process. Most PCB manufacturers perform DFM checks before starting the manufacturing process, but they may take different corrective actions because they may not communicate with the designer. Therefore, checking with DFM at the end of the PCB design process is better.