Siemens Introduces PCBflow, a Cloud-Based Solution for Accelerating Design-To-Manufacturing Handoff for PCBs

April 05, 2021

News

Siemens introduced PCBflow, a cloud-based software solution designed to bridge the gap between the electronics design and manufacturing ecosystems.

PCBflow extends Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio with a secure environment for printed circuit board (PCB) design teams to interact with a variety of manufacturers, and by performing a range of design-for-manufacturing (DFM) analyses in the context of each manufacturers’ process capabilities, designed to help customers accelerate design-to-production handoff. 

Powered by the Valor NPI software engine, which according to the company performs over 1000 DFM checks, PCBflow enables PCB design teams to identify manufacturability violations. These violations are then sorted and prioritized according to level of severity, guiding users through images and locations on the design for identification and correction.

PCBflow is Siemens’ first step toward PCB assembly online solutions which automate the design-to-manufacturing handoff process. Per the company, Siemens is the first company to offer a marketplace featuring online, fully automated DFM analysis technology, which can help optimize designs, reduce front-end engineering cycles, and streamline designer/manufacturer communication.

“PCBflow is the ultimate product-design tool, because it supports comprehensive designer/manufacturer collaboration with a closed-loop feedback mechanism that drives continuous improvement,” said Dan Hoz, general manager, Valor Division, Siemens Digital Industries Software. “Because customer designs are in sync with the fab’s capabilities, respins can be reduced, time-to-market can be shortened, board quality can be optimized, and yield can be enhanced.”

For manufacturers, PCBflow helps simplify customer onboarding processes and provides designers with a comprehensive source of knowledge, which can streamline customer/manufacturer collaboration.

As a software as a service (SaaS) technology, PCBflow incorporates the security standards of Siemens’ software, reducing risk and protecting intellectual property (IP) with no additional IT investment.

PCBflow works with the Mendix low-code application development platform. The platform provides the ability to build multi-experience apps and share data from any location, on any device, on any cloud or platform.

Engineered for ease-of-use, PCBflow requires neither training nor prerequisites, and it is accessible from virtually any location, including mobile phones and tablets. Additionally, PCBflow provides designers with images, tool-tips, measurements, and precise locations of solderability issues and other PCB design violations. Reports are available online and in a downloadable PDF format for easy sharing. PCBflow supports the ODB++ language design file format, IPC 2581, and support for additional formats is planned in 2021.

Additional information is available here, and at: www.PCBflow.com.