MUNICH, GERMANY AND WESTFORD, MA - Zuken has partnered with Dassault Systèmes to launch Board Interchanger used for concurrent mechanical and PCB design. The software allows MCAD engineers access to Zuken's CR-5000 Board Designer within Dassault Systèmes' CATIA V5 software.

The company claims that the integration allows the MCAD engineer to set mechanical space requirements before the layout, helping to resolve 3D design issues earlier in the design process.

The company states that Board Interchanger uses the geometric data from CR-5000 Board Designer within CATIA V5 to allow 3D PCB models to be created. These models can then be used for mechanical design reviews of a completed electronic product. Board Interchanger also allows 3D collision checking between housing, components and other PCBs. There is also potential for reduction in board size through the product's concurrent mechanical and electronic design capabilities.