CADENERGY - Case Study 1

Last updated 19 January 2011

Cost Reduction - Blind Via Removal and layer count reduction.

This customer had a product that was a Laptop Computer Motherboard. It had 4 BGAs, TQFPs and High Density BGA connectors, components both sides. The main problem was the low yield at PCB manufacture. The original design (not done by us) was a 12 layer board that had blind vias from layer 1 thru 11 and this was causing problems.
We offered two cost reduction options:

Design out the blind vias - a partial Re-route.
Re-route the whole board removing the blind vias and reduce the layer count from 12 to 10.

We were asked to do option 2!

The results were staggering, yield jumped from about 10% to 90%+. The cost for each bare PCB reduced from over 150 to around 50.

Testimony

"CADENERGY were instrumental in helping us solve an ongoing problem with the reliability of supply for a complex Military application Motherboard. We had suffered inconsistent yield, delamination on completed PCB's and a number of performance problems relating to the original layout. With advice and a new PCB layout from CADENERGY, removing the blind vias, re routing and reducing the layer count , yield and reliability was improved, and the cost of the bare PCB reduced as an additional bonus."

DB. Sussex.