VDL TBP Electronics on making the right (design) choices

On Thursday, September 30, Manager Test Engineering Steven van Hout of VDL TBP Electronics a seminar on Electronics & Applications trade fair 2021. His interactive presentation 'The right choices at the right time' is part of the Hardware Design seminar. The session starts at 9:40 and is about the importance of timing and testing. It is a great advantage for EMS'ers to be involved in a project early in the design process.

In his presentation, Van Hout will delve deeper into the importance of making the right (design) choices at the right time. “How do these choices contribute to a high-quality product and how do these decisions affect the reliability of the end product and thus the minimization of maintenance costs?”, Van Hout states. “During this presentation, we will explain why you as EMS' should be involved in the design process as early as possible.”

According to VDL TBP Electronics, the EMS employee must already be aware of the design plans at the 'beer mat level'. "By beer mat level, I mean the idea stage. The key components are there, but nothing has been determined. In this phase, you can advise on the feasibility and feasibility of a design. For example, is there sufficient stock of the desired components and how long are the prescribed materials actually available?"

Feasibility
It is extremely important to think carefully about the choice of components. Especially in times of scarcity, says Van Hout: “If there is no more stock after five years, you have a problem if a machine gives up the ghost after ten years. By thinking about material choices in advance, you prevent a lot of problems in advance.”

By looking at the feasibility of designs (the so-called Design for Manufacturing. ed.), you can avoid certain packages, says Van Hout: “For example, you ensure that you can overcome material shortages and prevent production problems. Designers often do not sufficiently consider the feasibility of their designs. For example, they often choose the smallest products, while that can cause problems in the production process,” says Van Hout.

Functionality
The designer has different perspectives than the executing party. Something that is aesthetically pleasing can cause a lot of headaches in practice. By looking together at the (im)possibilities of a design, you can prevent possible problems. “There is a shortage of materials and components, so it is important to think very carefully about the materials to be chosen. It costs time and money if production comes to a standstill because certain components are no longer in stock. Things often go wrong in this area, because designers do not think about it enough,” Van Hout explains.

Designers focus on functionality and lose sight of things like feasibility and reliability, says the Manager Test Engineering: “In the seminar we emphasize the importance of a good design. We also discuss the usefulness of testability and manufacturability at an early stage of the design phase. People often wrongly think that calling in help in the preliminary phase entails unnecessary costs, while this is not the case.”

Prototype
By putting extra work into the design at an early stage, you can prevent problems at a later stage of the project, Van Hout believes: “There are a lot of things to take into account in advance. Because the choice of materials is well-considered and material scarcity is taken into account, you can prevent problems at a later stage.”

A good design only needs one prototype. “Without proper preliminary research, you often need multiple prototypes. Making these test models takes time and is intensive. You can save this time by thinking carefully about materials in the preliminary phase. It therefore pays to seek advice quickly. Hiring an agency costs money, but you will earn that back in a later phase of the project. Why wouldn't you work more efficiently?”, concludes Van Hout.