Analysis of the Benefits and Challenges of 3D Functional Design in PCB Design
Designing and building the next generation of electronic products is a complex process, especially in a highly competitive global industry such as electronics, where rapid and continuous technological changes have become the norm and the rule of innovation.
If designers fail to embrace these changes, they will face the risk of being left behind by their competitors or even being unable to join the competition altogether.
This situation is particularly evident for printed circuit board (PCB) design.
In this market, consumers are more eager to get smaller, cheaper, faster and more functional electronic products, coupled with ever-shortening design cycles and geographically dispersed design teams, which are constantly advancing the complexity of design and pushing the use of traditional design tools to their limits.
The increase in the number of nets, stricter design constraints and routing density, and the gradual migration to high-speed, high-density projects have further exacerbated PCB complexity. This trend is affecting all areas of this industry, not just high-end consumer electronics.
Fortunately, PCB design tools have been steadily evolving in recent years to meet the challenges of this increasingly complex design field. One major change – the adoption of 3D capabilities is expected to enable designers to balance design innovation and competitiveness in the global market.
Challenges of Designing in a 3D World
Traditionally, PCB designers have relied on prototypes to ensure form, fit, and functionality of their designs before manufacturing. While viable, this approach has many drawbacks. First, designers cannot be sure that the board will fit until the actual prototype is built. Second, this approach typically results in multiple prototypes being built during the design process. Furthermore, multiple prototypes are time consuming, and the average cost of a prototype for a moderately complex design is $8,929. Any additional time or expense in the design process not only affects a company’s competitiveness, but also hinders our efforts to enter new business, so it is not difficult to understand why this approach is unpopular.
Another drawback is that PCB designs have traditionally been 2D designs.
Basically, the design is created in 2D, annotated manually, and then passed to the mechanical design engineer. The mechanical engineer uses mechanical CAD software to redraw the design in 3D. Since it is a completely manual operation, this method is very time consuming and prone to errors. Therefore, it does not provide a competitive differentiation for designing the next generation of electronic products. It’s clear now that PCB designers need to find better ways to view and analyze their increasingly complex designs.
The ultimate goal of PCB designers is to create products for the real world (with 3 dimensions), so the best solution is to use a design tool with advanced 3D capabilities. It allows designers to view their designs in true 3D before production, eliminating the need for prototypes, saving time and money (Figure 1). Accurate 3D models can be easily generated and then used to lay out the board in true 3D. In addition, a 3D model of the target enclosure can be imported into the PCB design to ensure that the designed board will fit perfectly into the enclosure. Finally, designers can submit their design files for production with confidence.
The 3D export function provides designers with the ability to perform further analysis in other analysis tools, such as thermal analysis and electromagnetic simulation. This feature is critical for today’s compact, battery-powered devices that use wireless connectivity, where heat dissipation is completely dependent on the board shape. Because of these features, 3D capabilities in PCB design tools are absolutely essential for the rapid, accurate and cost-effective design of next-generation electronic products.
You and I need: Full 3D capabilities
The value of adding 3D capabilities to PCB design is undeniable, so many companies are currently using the ability to provide this feature as a promotional point. However, the 3D capabilities provided by these design tools are very different. In order to realize the full benefits of 3D, it is not enough to just realize the viewing of real 3D images, but also to expand to full 3D capabilities, including:
The ability to create 3D animations/videos for designs.
With this feature, designers can easily share and showcase their product designs, and even use them as marketing materials. It can also promote better cooperation with other design teams or manufacturers. For example, through a 3D video, designers can show manufacturers what the product will look like after assembly, and the video can also be used to illustrate the order in which components are soldered on the circuit board.
The ability to import 3D models (including components) into the circuit board design.
Note that some design tools lack this feature and only allow designers to perform basic visualization and component clearance checks in 2D. However, if housings and other mechanical objects can be imported, it can ensure that components are placed in the right place the first time.
The ability to support 3D checks in design rules.
This is a very important feature because rules are real-time guides during the design process. The 3D design rule checker tells the designer if there is interference in 3D space (on all axes) between two components, between a component and the housing, or between a component and the heat sink.
Ability to model copper layers in the inner structure of the PCB. Despite using an ECAD package with 3D capabilities, problems can still occur during the manufacturing process. Discovering problems at this late stage of the design can greatly increase costs. The ability to model copper layers in the inner structure of the PCB allows designers to easily view and verify pin-to-inner layer connections or thermal connections (thermal reliefs).
Benefits
Designing in 3D can bring you many benefits. It can reduce the MCAD and ECAD iteration cycle to one cycle (in some cases zero), thereby shortening the design cycle, and minimize design errors, greatly improving production efficiency. And by eliminating the uncertainty of the board layout and the housing fit, designers can focus on the design of the product aesthetics. .
Other benefits of 3D design include:
Competitive advantage. 3D design can speed up product design, make manufacturing processes more efficient, and accelerate product introduction by improving communication within an organization and between suppliers and customers. Design costs are reduced, profit margins are increased, and faster time to market and improved product quality mean increased revenue.
Improved global collaboration.
A true 3D design image can improve communication efficiency with suppliers, customers, and manufacturers. It even allows non-CAD personnel to participate in the process (for example, for customer questionnaires, clear instructions, or product configuration). This is particularly important as many companies currently prefer to outsource production (in China or locally). Regardless of the design intent or the desired end product, global design and manufacturing are extremely prone to errors and misunderstandings. 3D design images provide a common, easy-to-understand platform that all team members can operate.
More efficient design review and modification.
The ability to create 3D renderings and animations simplifies the work of writing design plans and reviewing designs among design team members. It also allows designers to easily implement modifications and update the latest design changes. For example, once changes or modifications are made, a new 3D rendering or animation can be easily generated.
More efficient manufacturing and assembly processes.
3D models provide a common foundation that manufacturers can work from, while also being able to more accurately and clearly communicate design intent and related design details. Errors that were previously only discovered after production can be discovered early in the design process. Therefore, using 3D models to manufacture and assemble products will be more accurate and efficient.
Boost sales and marketing. 3D models of products can become a valuable marketing tool that allows customers to see the full picture of the product before it is produced, so the sales department can quickly make market assessment reports, helping us bring in additional revenue.
Conclusion
Over the years, real-time 3D graphics technology has completely changed the way society interacts with computers.
