Siemens Launches PCB flow, a Reliable, Cloud-Based Solution for Accelerating Printed Circuit Board Design-To-Manufacturing Handoff
Siemens | April 06, 2021
Siemens recently launched PCBflow, an innovative cloud-based software solution that connects the electronics design and manufacturing ecosystems. PCBflow enhances Siemens' XceleratorTM portfolio by offering a safe platform for printed circuit board (PCB) design teams to interact with a range of manufacturers, as well as by rapidly executing a variety of design-for-manufacturing (DFM) assessments in the context of each manufacturer's process capabilities, enabling customers to accelerate design-to-production handoff.
PCBflow, which is powered by the industry-leading ValorTM NPI software engine and executes over 1000 DFM checks, allows PCB design teams to quickly detect manufacturability violations. These violations are then sorted and prioritized depending on the seriousness of the violation, directing users through photographs and locations on the design for quick detection and prompt correction.
Siemens' first step toward online PCB assembly solutions that simplify the design-to-manufacturing handoff process is PCBflow. Siemens is the first company to deliver a marketplace featuring online, fully integrated DFM analysis technology, which can help refine projects, minimize front-end engineering cycles, and streamline designer/manufacturer interaction, with a leading role in the design-to-manufacturing flow.
PCBflow simplifies client onboarding procedures for suppliers and offers designers a comprehensive source of experience, which will streamline customer/manufacturer cooperation. Furthermore, since manufacturers' capabilities are exchanged electronically, lengthy phone calls and email communications can be minimized, allowing real-time customer contact to concentrate more on the tactical, high-value conversation.
PCBflow, as a software as a service (SaaS) technology, implements Siemens' software's strict security requirements, minimizing threats and defending intellectual property (IP) with no additional IT investment.
PCBflow is compatible with MendixTM, a low-code application development platform. To realize the benefits of digital transformation more efficiently, the platform enables the creation of multi-experience apps and the sharing of data from any location, on any device, on any server, or platform.
PCBflow was designed for ease of use and is accessible from almost any location, including smartphones and tablets. Additionally, PCBflow provides images, tool-tips, measurements, and exact positions of solderability errors and other PCB design violations to designers. For ease of sharing, reports are accessible online and in downloadable PDF format. PCBflow currently supports the ODB++TM language design file format, IPC 2581, with additional formats expected in 2021.