Of course, we’ve already made lots of movies: Corporate ones; event-based videos (that were often too shaky to use); and lots and lots of technical how-to movies. But we hadn’t produced any movies with customers before and, with an upcoming new website featuring a more personal approach, we wanted to capture what it was like to actually work with Zuken. Not just what our software is like – but the whole experience of working with the Zuken team from first approach to several years in.

Renishaw, a global company with core skills in measurement, motion control, spectroscopy and precision machining, kindly offered to be first off the blocks. So, with some preparation under our belt, and flanked by an experienced video production team in Videotrack, we headed to Renishaw HQ in Wotton-under-Edge, UK, ready to learn.

You can see for yourselves how much fun we had in this blooper and outtake reel

Getting down to business, there are a choice of approaches depending on your interests.

For managers and those interested in business relationships

Hear about the part Zuken tools play in Renishaw’s business strategy and why they decided on Zuken’s electrical and electronic tools, from Pete Leonard, Electronic Design Manager (below).

If you’re a Design Manager, PCB or Electrical Design Engineer

You can get an insight into Zuken’s solutions from the perspective of Renishaw’s senior technical experts and users, Andrew Blackmore, Technical Fellow; and Kevin Rowe, Principal Electronics Engineer; as well as thoughts from Pete Leonard, Electronic Design Manager (below).

For Manufacturing Engineers, Production Managers, or anyone with an eye on the bottom line

Find out how Renishaw get their products out to their customers using Zuken tools. This Design for Manufacturing (DfM) movie features Mike Prideaux, Electronics Assembly & Test Engineering Manager; along with Andrew Blackmore, Technical Fellow; and Pete Leonard, Electronic Design Manager (below).

Further information

Success Story – Renishaw gets better fit and impedance control for complex flexible PCBs in metrology instruments using CR-8000

The post Making Movies with Customers: Why Renishaw choose Zuken, Plus Awesome Movie Bloopers appeared first on English.

I gave myself an action item to do a little research on the design requirements and the manufacturability of the concept. Apparently, we are approaching a decade since the first experiments with stretchable materials began at M.I.T., The University of Michigan and other esteemed institutions. We’ve come a long way in the last decade.

Currently there are PCB manufacturers supporting “stretch-rigid” and “stretch-flex” technologies. While at the PCB West 2018 conference in Santa Clara, CA, I had the chance to visit with one. Greg Vouga, who is the director of sales at Würth Electronics was kind enough to share some information with me and provide some samples of finished circuits.

You may wonder how these technologies might be used. You may initially think about wearable electronics like watches and fitness trackers. But mainly, this technology is targeted at medical applications. Some time ago I participated in a sleep apnea study and it involved being wired up with electrical sensors around my head and face. With the newest stretch-flex technology the 30-minute prep time to connect all the various sensors and wires could be eliminated by using a fitted cap that the patient can easily slip on and off. At the same time, the wearable technology makes it easier for the patient to be mobile during the study. That’s only one example, and the possibilities are growing.

The design process for stretchable circuitry requires similar design considerations for manufacture (DFM) checks as with typical rigid-flex designs such as arcs, curved traces, reinforced pads, etc. The manufacturing difference is in the materials where a polyurethane or silicone film is used to encase the stretchable/retractable wire patterns and components as opposed to polyimide Kapton non-stretchable materials. The stretch in the finished circuit is obtained by routing the copper traces using repetitive horseshoe-shaped meanders, as shown in the image below.

The mechanical limitation of the percentage of stretch over {x} amount of cycles or stretches is still a mystery that engineers will solve over time. For example, 10% stretch could be achieved over 100,000 cycles or 70% of stretch may occur over 100 cycles, just like a rubber band.

Copper weights of 0.5 oz and wire widths of 0.1mm are typical though the wires in the image above were smaller. Some cases resulted in a completed circuit only 0.015mm. The spacing in between the wires in the stretch region is sealed to prevent contact during manipulation of the article.

Getting back to the original question, “Can CR-8000 Design Force support stretchable flex designs?” The answer is of course, yes. However, the layout of the design is only part of the challenge; defining the DFM rules and checks is the other part. Zuken’s DFM/ADM (advanced design for manufacturing) rules makes it possible to check for the basics of rigid and flex design ensuring design accuracy throughout the process. As these new technologies continue to evolve with even more applications, DFM rules and checks will also evolve to support them.

Live Webinar: What is a Stretch-Rigid Circuit and How Do You Design it?

October 10, 2018 – 2:00 PM ET

Sign up for our webinar* to learn more about designing stretchable circuits and this evolving technology.

*Due to GDPR limitations, this live webinar is not available outside of North America. Please visit our web page for an on-demand recording after the live broadcast date. 

The post Flex Circuits Stretch the Limits of Technology appeared first on English.

Design Force users can now exchange pre-layout designs seamlessly thanks to Polar’s Speedstack for IC packaging and PCB design. CR-8000 DFM Center can validate the stackup before it’s released to manufacturing.

The link also empowers designers to:

• Simplify material communication during the supply chain
• Preserve signal integrity design accuracy throughout product development
• Avoid material and impedance duplication
• Access high-speed materials online

The interface relays comprehensive material information required for complex designs with high layer counts. Zuken customers can also access Polar’s expansive online library of high-speed base materials. Impedance information within the Speedstack is loaded into CR-8000’s environment; no tedious and error-prone manual entry is required.

For more information, read Polar and Zuken’s official announcement.

The post Connect CR-8000 with Polar Instruments’ Speedstack PCB Stackup/ECAD Interface appeared first on English.