In the fast-paced world of hardware development, staying competitive means continuously finding ways to optimize designs and reduce costs. There are many different avenues towards achieving cost savings, but realizing such savings requires a keen eye and meticulous attention to detail. Even then, possible optimizations are easy to overlook, and the effort is time-consuming for your engineering team.

AI offers new ways of automating the evaluation process, efficiently analyzing numerous components simultaneously, and uncovering potential savings often overlooked. Find out how Flux Copilot can give your engineers superpowers and make your cost-optimization process much more efficient.

The Challenge of Cost Optimization in PCB Design

The process of cost optimization in PCB design is notoriously multifaceted and time-consuming. Typically, it involves reviewing hundreds of components for cost and necessity and considering multiple optimization options for each. Each alternative option then needs to be evaluated against a sea of competitive products for technical viability and sourceability.

Needless to say, this process is time-consuming, and the chances of missing potential optimizations are extremely high. Realizing design optimizations without sacrificing functionality and reliability can be overwhelming.

Enter AI-Driven Cost Optimization

Fortunately, we’ve developed Flux Copilot to be an ideal partner in your cost optimization efforts. By automatically evaluating a vast array of potential optimizations across numerous components simultaneously, Copilot can streamline your cost optimization process with unmatched efficiency. With Copilot at their side, engineers can identify more potential cost-saving measures in less time, even ones that might have been overlooked in a manual review.

Copilot then presents engineers with a comprehensive technical validation for each optimization suggestion. Armed with this data, engineers can make informed choices that balance cost savings with performance and reliability. This synergy between AI and human expertise empowers teams to tackle the cost optimization process more effectively, ensuring that no potential savings are left unexplored.

Real World Examples

Here are some real-world examples that Flux users are already benefiting from:

BoM Consolidation

BoM consolidation involves identifying outlier components that can be merged with existing values, reducing the number of unique components needed. For example, a circuit may require a unique resistance value, such as 31.23kΩ, but such a unique value is costly to source. Instead, Copilot can suggest implementing this resistance with two more standard and affordable solutions, such as a 30kΩ and 200Ω in series.

Stackup Optimization

Stackup optimization analyzes project requirements such as temperature, humidity, and industry standards to determine the most cost-effective stackup material. For example, dielectric materials like FR-4 effectively balance performance and cost for consumer electronics applications. Copilot can analyze your project requirements and use them to optimize your stackup for cost efficiency accordingly.

Over-Specification Reviews

Evaluating components for over-specification ensures that no component exceeds the necessary performance requirements, which can reduce costs. For example, assessing whether a high-performance microcontroller is necessary or if a lower-cost alternative can meet the project’s needs without compromising performance. Copilot can investigate the components in your schematic against the operating conditions of your circuit — be it power, temperature, or frequency — to ensure that no component is unnecessarily over-specified.

Package Simplification

Identifying components in leadless packages and suggesting alternatives with leads, such as SOIC or TSSOP, can reduce manufacturing costs and improve assembly ease. This approach simplifies the assembly process and cuts down on production expenses. With Copilot, engineers can determine which components are viable for a simplified package, therefore cutting costs.

Connector Standardization

Standardizing connectors across the design enables bulk ordering, reduces costs, and simplifies inventory management. Identifying similar connectors and standardizing them helps streamline procurement and inventory processes. Copilot can interpret your design and offer suggestions for a single connector type that meets the needs of all of your board’s interfaces.

Product Standardization

Organizing your BoM into groupings of functional blocks can allow your team to more easily compare designs across your product line. This kind of organization enables your team to identify inconsistencies across product BoMs, and then optimize your designs for better standardization and cost savings across the product portfolio. This standardization simplifies the design process and reduces component diversity, ultimately making sourcing easier and more affordable. Copilot can intelligently group your BoM into functional blocks to provide your team with better insight into standardization across your product line.

Modularization/De-modularization

Cost savings can be achieved by replacing discrete components with integrated modules that combine multiple functionalities, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, in a single module.  Copilot can help you evaluate the cost-effectiveness of your current design and suggest integrated alternatives that help optimize your design.

Who Benefits?

Whether you’re an Electrical Engineer, a Product Manager, or a leader of technical teams, you and your organization will benefit from improving your cost-optimization process. More affordable designs means more affordable products for consumers, less risk for the enterprise, and increased competitive advantage for your brand. By leveraging AI-driven insights, teams can realize all of these benefits in one fell swoop.

Want to learn more about how your team can start using AI to streamline the cost optimization process? Sign up for Flux today.

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Jake Hertz

Jake Hertz is an Electrical Engineer who works with Flux. He has his M.S. and B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and previously worked for MakerBot Industries where he worked developing the electrical systems for next-generation 3D printers. Find him on Flux @jakehertz

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Illustration of sub-layout. Several groups of parts and traces hover above a layout.
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Flux is a better way to build PCBs
Go 10x faster from idea to PCB by reducing busy work, never starting from scratch, and keeping your team in sync. All from the browser.
Screenshot of the Flux app showing a PCB in 3D mode with collaborative cursors, a comment thread pinned on the canvas, and live pricing and availability for a part on the board.
Flux is a better way to build PCBs
Go 10x faster from idea to PCB by reducing busy work, never starting from scratch, and keeping your team in sync. All from the browser.
Screenshot of the Flux app showing a PCB in 3D mode with collaborative cursors, a comment thread pinned on the canvas, and live pricing and availability for a part on the board.
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