Printed Circuit Design & Fab - October 2008 - (Page 40)

FRONT END EnGinEErinG Building a PRoFiTaBle NiCHe Engineering systems capture detailed customer specifications and transfer design and quote information to fabrication, reducing time and improving quality. by MEhUL DAvE There’s no question that the printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing market has changed dramatically in recent years. In the past, 30% of the world’s production took place in Europe and North America, but by 2007, that market share had declined to 17% with the majority of production coming from China, Japan and the rest of Asia (FiGurE 1). This situation is by no means unique–the migration of manufacturing from industrialized countries to emerging areas of the world is a well-documented pattern that has been observed in everything from consumer electronics to construction equipment. As markets migrate to these emerging countries with low-cost suppliers, what can manufacturers in Europe and North America do to compete? The answer lies in the particular mix of skills and capabilities that is not easily duplicated by a supplier halfway around the world. In short, the best opportunities are located in: high-value-added products, highly engineered services and quick-turn businesses. Staying ahead of the capabilities of these evolving competitors is critical in terms of engineering and other valueadded services. In terms of production, it is the ability to manufacture increasingly complex, HDI, controlled impedance and high-layer count boards, in relatively small quantities, quickly. Taking the lead with new technologies and processes is also an important advantage. For example, take the evolving trend toward embedded components. Eventually, low-wage overseas competitors will be able to tackle these technologies as well, but the Western producer should be moving ahead to the next innovation before that happens. Despite the above concerns and strategies, PCB 40 fabricators continue to face many of the same basic challenges that have proven to be critical concerns for years: effective sales strategies, cost control (including the ever-present need to increase yield) and customer service. Sales efforts must focus on those opportunities in which the supplier’s strengths provide a reasonable chance of success. It makes little sense to expend a large amount of effort chasing business that will likely go to low-cost producers in Asia. Once the prospect base is clearly identified and characterized, the supplier must aggressively pursue opportunities. This means generating numerous quotes–quickly and accurately. Success is all in the numbers; more viable quotes lead to more sales. Of course, having the right specifications and requirements and making sure they are passed down correctly to the production floor is a critically important part of the process. Therefore, integrated engineering FiGurE 1. Shifting global PCb market. OCTOBER 2008 printEd CirCuit dESign & fAB

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Printed Circuit Design & Fab - October 2008

Printed Circuit Design & Fab - October 2008 Contents Our Line Market Watch Around the World Happenings Test and Inspection ROI Tip Jar Interconnect Strategies Final Finish Forum The New Wave in High-Speed Modeling The PCB Design Library Mixed Signal Design Considerations Modeling Conductor Surface Roughness Copper Erosion: The Influence of Metallurgy on Copper Dissolution The Wave of the Future Ad Index Building a Profitable Niche Marketplace Off the Shelf BGA Bulletin

Printed Circuit Design & Fab - October 2008

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