Zuken Joins Dassault to Launch Board Interchanger for MCAD
 MUNICH,
Germany and WESTFORD, MA, June 20, 2008 - Zuken has partnered with Dassault
Systems to launch Board Interchanger, a new integrative add-on tool for true
concurrent mechanical and PCB design. This offers MCAD engineers interactive
access to Zuken’s board design data interface within Dassault Systems’ CATIA
V5 solutions for virtual design by linking to CR-5000 Board Designer,
providing seamless integration with other workbenches. This integration
specifically allows the MCAD engineer to set mechanical space requirements
before the layout process and provides speedy digital mock-up of modeling
for mechanical design reviews. This helps solve 3D design issues earlier in
the design process and eliminates the need for any re-design.
 The
lack of integration between PCB and 3D mechanical tools historically
required layout engineers to complete initial board layout for later
checking by MCAD engineers, which involved extensive layout rework.
Increasingly organizations are recognizing that collaboration across
departments at every stage of the product development process can reap
massive time, cost and quality savings. With this in mind, Zuken’s objective
with Board Interchanger was to enable MCAD engineers to get involved in the
board layout process up-front and throughout the layout phase. Using 3D
assembly models of boards generated with CATIA V5 (including the board
outline, height-limited area and components etc), the MCAD engineer can
transfer this information directly into the CR-5000 Board Designer database
as a mechanical constraint.
By allowing layout engineers to use pre-defined 3D positioning that is
established as ‘stable’ from stage-one layout engineers can work with MCAD
approved positioning for placement, wiring and via keep-out areas, while
working with within the restrictions of height-limited areas; eliminating
potential placement errors and design rework. A cell based generation of
height-limit areas depending upon mechanical constraints is fully automated.
Board Interchanger also provides a really speedy mock-up facility for PCB
modeling. By taking all the geometric data from CR-5000 Board Designer the
new tool can translate this to 3D shapes within CATIA V5, maintaining the
layer structure as defined by the layout engineer. Prior arrangement of
component shapes within the parts library also means that elaborate PCB
models can be created. These models can then be used for mechanical design
reviews of the overall assembly view of a complete electronic product. To
facilitate the process of 3D floor planning of electrical components, Board
Interchanger will also allow 3D collision checking between housing,
components or other PCBs.
The amount of translation tasks can be dramatically minimized through
detailed configuration of Board Interchanger. MCAD engineers need only work
with required data from Board Designer; sending back only changed parts -
maintaining the integrity of existing design data to speed up the loop of
communication between the mechanical and electronic design departments.
Design for mechanically complex PCBs and other 3D electronic devices,
such as molded interconnects, is much more efficient using Board
Interchanger. There is also potential to reduce board sizes to a minimum, as
floor planning and routing is optimized through concurrent mechanical and
electronic design.
Board Interchanger is the product of Zuken’s established CAA Software
Gold Partnership with Dassault Systems. Revision 1.1 now available supports
CATIA V5 R16SP4 and R17SP4. Visit
www.zuken.com/board-interchanger or contact your local Zuken
representative for further information.
For more information on Zuken, visit
www.zuken.com.
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