Printed Circuit Design & Fab Online Magazine - Current Issue

Current Issue

Our newest column shares tips and tricks and lessons learned over 30 years in PCB design.

With today's complex printed circuit board (PCB) designs challenging us at almost every stage of the design process, along with shortened project schedules and shrinking budgets, achieving success is no easy feat. Smaller component packages, faster signal edge rates or rise times, and increased design for manufacturing (DfM) challenges all make it difficult to achieve success and get product to market on time and under budget. The foundation for achieving success is understanding PCB design (the full design process) and mastering the power of today's EDA tools.

Even so, design teams can lose valuable time on unproductive tasks. Designers need a collaborative approach to electronic systems design that keeps them connected through all engineering disciplines and gives them best-in-class solutions to handle complexity across the entire PCB design process.

Read more: The 5 Pillars of PCB Design Best Practices

Greg Papandrew PCB manufacturing doesn’t have a talent shortage; it has a marketing problem.

Where are all the PCB youngbloods? Why aren’t young men and women entering the industry in the numbers they did in the past?

I asked these questions several years ago, and the situation has improved slightly since. But not enough.

The average age of PCB fabrication workers continues to climb. Industry surveys now peg it somewhere north of 50 years old, and the pipeline of replacements remains dangerously thin. We’re not just facing a skills gap anymore; we’re staring down a demographic cliff.

Read more: Again I’m Asking: Where Are All the PCB Youngbloods?

Greg Papandrew What’s your company’s marketing strategy?

Trade shows are great for business, providing valuable contacts and permitting your company to build industry exposure and credibility. Yet many firms attend shows haphazardly and sporadically, lacking a strategy to maximize their time and effort. What is your trade show strategy? Do you have one?

Thousands of trade shows occur annually for your company to attend. Some focus on the electronics industry, attracting individuals who want to buy PCBs or related products and services. Others cater specifically to a customer’s industry, and at these shows, you’ll be able to find fellow exhibitors who also need circuit boards, just like your customers do.

Read more: Turning Trade Shows into Lasting Opportunities

Greg Papandrew It’s getting closer, but not there yet.

Quoting printed circuit boards – especially for high-mix, low-to-medium volume requirements – can be extremely time-consuming and, at times, mentally challenging. That’s especially true in these days of frequently changing tariffs, when many prospects are just kicking the tires in search of better pricing.

I have found many US PCB fabricators slower than their offshore counterparts in responding to requests for quotes. But that’s not from lack of trying. Between balancing innerlayer stackups, calculating specialty via drill costs, and accounting for ever-changing material prices, quoting a bare board isn’t just a spreadsheet task anymore.

Read more: Can AI Effectively Quote High-Mix, Low-to-Medium Volume PCBs?