Renishaw Designs Flex PCBs in True 3D with MCAD Integration using Zuken’s CR-8000

The PCB design team at Renishaw work with flex PCBs and flexi-rigid boards that require detailed signal integrity analysis.

To achieve the most accurate results they are working with Zuken’s electronic PCB design software to visualize boards in 3D using imported MCAD data. This also ensures that sure high-speed digital signals can be transmitted with minimal distortion.

Visualising in 3D helps collaboration

Renishaw’s PCB designers visualise and manipulate board designs in 3D using CR-8000 Design Gateway and Design Force for schematic capture and PCB layout. Working in 3D the designers noticed a host of benefits:

• Fixing housing fit issues upfront
• Easier component placement
• Easier controlled impedance routing for high frequency signals using electromagnetic field solvers in Design Force.

Renishaw’s engineers also discovered an important human benefit: working in 3D helped engineers across all disciplines work together more collaboratively.

“We can place components in a 3D environment, taking into account any constraints that may have come over from our mechanical engineers, and then switch back to 2D for routing.”

– Pete Leonard, Electronic Design Manager for Group Engineering, Renishaw

Renishaw is one of the world’s leading engineering and scientific technology companies and has particular expertise in metrology equipment used, for example, to improve manufacturing processes.

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