Manufacturing Support
DFM, DFA, BOM optimisation and a transfer that actually transfers.
What you receive
- DFM and DFA review report with severity ranking
- Optimised BOM with alternates and lifecycle status
- Panelisation and assembly drawing set
- Manufacturing data pack (IPC-2581 / ODB++)
- CM evaluation and quote comparison
- NPI support through first production run
Capabilities
How we approach it.
DFM review against your fabricator's real capability
Annular ring, minimum trace and space, drill-to-copper, solder mask sliver and aspect ratio checked against the shop that will actually build it — not a generic rule set that either over-constrains or misses.
DFA that reduces assembly cost and defects
Component orientation consistency, courtyard spacing, fiducial placement, thermal relief balance to prevent tombstoning, paste aperture design and rework access on the parts most likely to need it.
BOM optimisation with the trade-offs shown
Part consolidation across values and packages, tolerance relaxation where the circuit genuinely allows it, and lifecycle and lead-time risk flagged per line. Typical result on a mature design is a 15–35 % cost reduction.
Supply-chain risk made visible
Every line carries lifecycle status, sourcing count, lead time and an approved alternate where one exists. Single-sourced, NRND and long-lead parts are surfaced as a ranked list before they become an expedite fee.
Panelisation and process data
Array layout with rails, tooling holes and fiducials, tab-route or V-score chosen for the depanel stress the board can take, and complete process data in IPC-2581 or ODB++ rather than a folder of loose Gerbers.
Transfer that survives without us
CM evaluation and quote comparison on like-for-like terms, first-article review, process window support during ramp, and documentation written so your manufacturer does not need to call the designer.
Design for manufacture is not a checklist run at the end. It is a set of constraints applied throughout, informed by the specific factory that will build the product.
Reviewed against a real capability set
Generic DFM rules either over-constrain a capable shop or miss the limits of a cheaper one. We review against your fabricator's published capability, so the feedback is actionable rather than theoretical.
BOM optimisation, with the reasoning visible
We consolidate part numbers, relax tolerances only where the analysis supports it, and identify where a slightly more expensive part removes an assembly step or a test failure mode. Every proposed change carries its saving and its risk, and you decide.
Supply chain treated as a design input
A design that cannot be sourced is not finished. Lifecycle status, sourcing breadth and lead time sit alongside price on every line, and critical parts carry a footprint-compatible alternate that has been checked, not assumed.
Through to a stable first run
We support first-article inspection, attend or review the first build, help tune the process window, and close out findings. The measure of a good transfer is that the second run needs us less than the first.
Tooling & standards
What we work with.
- Data
- IPC-2581B
- ODB++
- Gerber X2
- IPC-D-356 netlist
- Analysis
- Valor NPI-style DFM checks
- Silicon Expert / Octopart lifecycle data
- Cost roll-up modelling
- Standards
- IPC-A-610 Class 2/3
- IPC-J-STD-001
- IPC-7351B
- IPC-6012 Class 2/3
Adjacent services
Often needed alongside.
Circuit & Schematic Design
Clean, scalable and well documented schematics that form a solid foundation.
PCB Layout & High-Speed Design
High speed, high density PCBs designed with precision and reliability.
Embedded Systems & Firmware
Firmware and embedded solutions that bring intelligence to your product.
Common questions
Can you take a project from a napkin sketch through to production?
Yes — that is the common case. Discovery turns the concept into a written specification, and we carry it through schematic, layout, firmware, prototyping, compliance and manufacturing transfer. You can also join at any single stage if you already have work in progress.
Do we own the design files at the end?
Always, and without negotiation. You receive the Altium or KiCad source project, firmware repositories, build systems, test procedures and manufacturing data. There is no scenario where you need us in order to build your own product.
Will you work with our existing manufacturer?
Yes. We review against their published capability rather than a generic rule set, and we handle the technical liaison during quoting, first article and ramp. If you would like an introduction to a manufacturer instead, we can evaluate options on like-for-like terms.
How do you handle NDAs and confidential work?
We sign your NDA before any technical discussion — sending your own is the fastest route. Roughly a third of our work is under confidentiality and does not appear in our case studies at all.
Have a board that needs designing?
Send us the constraints — schematic, mechanical envelope, volume, timeline. You will get a considered response from an engineer within one business day, not a brochure.
We reply within one business day, from an engineer.