PCB Tech - The road to success in PCB manufacturing

Technical PCB
How to ensure that all these participants can cooperate with each other to maximize the positive role of the PCB manufacturing pillar

In the PCB manufacturing process, multiple participants may be involved, from designers to developers, project leaders, sales personnel, business developers, financial personnel, government officials and industry associations. How to ensure that all these participants can cooperate with each other to maximize the positive role of the PCB manufacturing pillar and minimize the negative impact? This may sound like an impossible task, but there is a way to increase your chances of success.

PCB manufacturing pillar

Pillar 1: Technology
The manufacturing capacity of PCB production is challenging. If you encounter setbacks at this stage, there may be costly errors and delays in the subsequent process, so stay focused and consider the following questions:

What is the demand for the product?
For product requirements and design, which technologies are feasible?
Design rigid printed circuit, or flexible or rigid-flex combined printed circuit?
Considering the reliability of products in harsh environments, which copper clad laminates are more suitable for the final needs of the product?

The second and third pillars: manpower and cost
Choosing the appropriate internal team, as well as partners and manufacturers is very important, it will constitute an important factor in PCB production-manpower. HMS and routine regulations must be implemented and monitored. As the world increasingly pursues environmental protection, the demand for green production and environmental certification is also increasing. You don't want unexpected situations after the product is released. You need team members to have the knowledge and experience necessary for the success of the project. Several cases have shown that when illegal employment is found, or when products are withdrawn from the market due to safety or regulatory issues, unsafe and unfair labor conditions, no matter what industry leaders need to conduct public relations for negative images. These elements may adversely affect the product or the company, and the cost may also be staggering.

Pillar 4: Sales
The fourth pillar of sales is equally important. Your product is ready to be put on the market for global sales, but do you have the right partners to meet, expand or adapt to new market needs? Do you have the necessary insurance or have a solid relationship with logistics partners? Can you provide you with the necessary priority? The market demonstrated the fragility of the supply chain during COVID-19, and we have all experienced many lessons. Have these factors been considered?

Pillar 5: Cyber Security
The fifth pillar of PCB production should be cyber security. The protection of your data and intellectual property rights is a core requirement to deter competitors and reserve room for further product development. Are you working with partners to adopt the necessary equipment and procedures to protect data?

5 steps to success

If you don't put PCB manufacturing in the proper context to understand the pillars of PCB manufacturing, you may not be able to fully understand its challenges and opportunities. I understand the specific background of PCB manufacturing by establishing the product development process (PDP), the path from the beginning to the end of the product. Analysis. At the specific stage of this path, it is important to involve appropriate participants with knowledge and professional experience based on the process.

However, participants often participate too late or are at the wrong stage of the PDP, which will result in slower product development, increased costs and unsatisfactory products. For every new idea, the project leader must have a clear plan, path, timeline and goals, as well as a plan for how to deal with success or failure, which is also very important.

The following are the 5 steps to success, covering from concept and idea generation to product release and distribution.

1. The generation of concepts and ideas

An idea does not become a product by itself. When starting a PDP, you need to be aware of all important issues. For electrical products, what is possible, economical, legal, intelligent and ideal? What kind of technical solution should you choose, and at what price? At this stage, it is a great mistake not to involve procurement, sales, and finance. These participants will have a professional and unique perspective on the technology actually required by the market (sales), the cost and benefit analysis of technical solutions (purchasing), and the actual profitability of potential solutions (financial).
2. Research and analysis
When the concept is determined, research and analysis can begin. Make sure that all participants can help you. In any PDP process, analysis plays a key role, and this stage is often underestimated. Resources are spent on products that are not in demand in the market (sales), or labor-intensive and expensive products (purchasing and finance). Invest time in a comprehensive cost, sales and market analysis. Only by understanding the market can you understand the product.
3. Design
When all the parameters are set and the analysis is complete, you can start the design. Avoiding costly mistakes in the design and knowing whether the design is optimal at an early stage can ensure that the appropriate manufacturer is selected for the design. At this stage, procurement and third-party participants are the key to ensuring the selection of appropriate partners. If the wrong manufacturer is selected at this stage, the cost may vary greatly because they may lack the best technical capabilities, capacity, or experience for the designed product.

Many manufacturers will say "Yes, we can", but is this really the case? How can you really understand? My advice is simple: make sure that internal or third-party entities have the appropriate knowledge and experience to ensure that your design and manufacturing can be executed.

4. Sample
Producing samples is one of the most exciting stages in the PDP process. Are all parameters included? Can it be completed before the deadline? Are the production entities qualified and approved, and what production experience do they have on similar products?

Going all out at this stage will avoid a lot of trouble and save a lot of costs. Based on the expected sales volume of the product, and compliance with environmental standards (IPC, UL, automotive, medical, defense, ROSH, REACH, etc.), select the appropriate manufacturer from the beginning. The cost of recertification is not only expensive but also time-consuming, which will hinder the pace of entering the market or affect the bidding qualifications.

5. Production
When mass production starts, make sure you have a good person in charge, record your production and audit the manufacturer to ensure product delivery. From now on, it is the combination of supply chain management and market demand that will determine whether the product can be successful.

Seamless production and the ability to actively accept feedback from the market to improve the product to provide better solutions and enable customers to have trust in the manufacturer is essential for the product to gain a good reputation. Therefore, at this stage, the communication between sales and marketing and designers and developers is critical.
6. Release
The product is ready to be released and distributed globally. It should now have established a global delivery platform and have experience in documentation, laws and regulatory compliance. Involve all appropriate participants at the right stage, and now it is time to ensure that the backbone of PCB production is either in your favor or minimized as much as possible. Ready to release the product.

5 tips for improving product development

1. Ask the right questions
Ask the necessary questions: why, what, how, where, when.

2. Do research
Invite experienced partners to participate to determine the challenges, growth potential and compliance.

3. Don't skip steps when designing
If PCB design is not your strong point, then please have a professional designer with appropriate skills to do it. This will avoid costly mistakes. This also applies to choosing the right manufacturer.

4. Know where to produce
Make sure to work with trusted production partners who are manufacturers who can provide transparency, documentation, and audits.

5. Don't forget the documentation
Don't fall into the trap of "I forgot to make a document". When you are ready to release the product, please work with partners who have a global delivery platform and comply with documents, regulations, and regulations. You don't want your product to run into trouble when it reaches the end. A good idea does not necessarily mean a viable idea.
in conclusion

There are many technologies to consider, such as creating and designing, calculating costs, choosing a manufacturer, and achieving sales. I have seen many unfortunate results of insufficient early planning and implementation of the PDP. Therefore, I strongly recommend arranging and investing more time in the first three stages of this process (conception, research and analysis, and design). This will ensure that your PCB manufacturing aspects are in order and can be processed and optimized for future sales. Remember, even if an idea may be good, it does not mean that it is technically feasible, optimizes manpower at an acceptable market cost, or can bring the required sales revenue.