1. Follow the design rules and standards
During the design stage of the Circuit Board, the first thing to do is to strictly follow the common design rules and standards in the industry. For example, the component spacing must meet the requirements of the manufacturing process. For surface mount components (SMD), the minimum spacing between the pins must take into account the accuracy of the placement machine. If the spacing is too small, it may cause difficulty in component placement during the manufacturing process, and even the risk of short circuits. The setting of line width and line spacing is also crucial, and it should be determined according to the number of layers of the Circuit Board, the current size, and the production capacity of the manufacturing plant. Generally speaking, finer line widths and line spacing require more advanced manufacturing processes. If the designed line width and line spacing exceed the manufacturer's production capacity, it will lead to production failure or reduced yield. At the same time, follow the standards set by IPC (International Electronic Industry Connection Association), which cover all aspects from component layout to wiring, and can provide reliable guidance for design and ensure the feasibility of the design scheme in the manufacturing link.
2. Consider the limitations of the manufacturing process
Understanding and considering the limitations of the manufacturing process is the key to ensuring manufacturability. Different manufacturing processes, such as chemical etching and electroplating, have their own characteristics and limitations. For example, during the chemical etching process, the etching factor will affect the shape and accuracy of the circuit on the Circuit Board. If the designed circuit shape is too complex or the line is too thin, it may not be accurately manufactured due to the influence of the etching factor. For the lamination process of multi-layer Circuit Board, the alignment accuracy between layers should be taken into account, and overly sensitive signal lines should be avoided at the connection between layers during design. In addition, the drilling process also has its accuracy limitations. When designing vias, the aperture tolerance, position tolerance and hole wall quality requirements of the drilling should be considered. If the designed via is too small or the via spacing is too small, problems such as broken drill and offset hole may occur during the drilling process, affecting the manufacturing quality of the Circuit Board.
3. Reasonableness of component selection and layout
Component selection and layout have an important impact on the manufacturability of the Circuit Board. In terms of component selection, it is necessary to choose components that are common and have stable supply in the market, and avoid using some special specifications or discontinued components, otherwise it may face difficulties in purchasing components during the manufacturing process. The packaging form of the components should also consider the convenience of manufacturing. For example, try to choose components with standard packaging forms, which can facilitate mounting and welding on the automated production line. In terms of layout, it is necessary to make reasonable arrangements according to the functions of the components and the manufacturing process. Placing components of the same type together, such as placing all capacitors in one area, can help improve production efficiency and reduce errors in the manufacturing process. At the same time, the heat dissipation requirements of the components should be considered to avoid excessive concentration of components with high heat generation, so as to avoid heat dissipation problems during the use process after manufacturing, affecting the performance and reliability of the Circuit Board.
4. Communication and collaboration with manufacturers
During the design stage of the Circuit Board, maintaining good communication and collaboration with manufacturers is an important means to ensure manufacturability. The design team should communicate with the manufacturers as early as possible, provide them with preliminary design plans, and understand the manufacturers' production capacity, process level and special requirements. The manufacturer can make constructive suggestions on the design plan based on their own experience and equipment conditions, such as pointing out problems that certain designs may encounter during the manufacturing process, or providing some more optimized design suggestions. This kind of communication can avoid the discovery of unmanufacturable problems after the design is completed, reduce the number of design modifications, and shorten the product launch cycle. In addition, establishing long-term partnerships with manufacturers can also help improve manufacturability because both parties can have a deeper understanding of each other's needs and capabilities, achieving better collaboration during the design and manufacturing process.